How to hire a bakery manager

How to hire a bakery manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step bakery manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a bakery manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new bakery manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a bakery manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a bakery manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a bakery manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a bakery manager that fits the bill.

   This list presents bakery manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Bakery Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Bakery Manager		$14-22
   Kitchen Supervisor	A kitchen supervisor is responsible for managing the overall kitchen operations, ensuring that the kitchen employees follow sanitary procedures while doing their high-quality and maximum productivity tasks. Kitchen supervisors manage inventories, checking the adequacy of food supplies and kitchen equipment, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and third-party vendors... Show more	$13-27
   Shift Leader	Shift leaders are tenured or experienced employees who are assigned to oversee employees in specific work shifts. They manage team members who are assigned in their shift... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Safety
   • Customer Service
   • Food Handling
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Cleanliness
   • Bakery Products
   • Good Communication
   • Basic Math
   • Math
   • Brainstorming
   • Quality Standards
   • Safety Standards
   • Inventory Control
   • Gross Profit

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage date perishables and oversee all shipping and receiving for store.
   • Manage receipts, handling of perishables, co-packing and re-packing, maintenance and dispatch of goods.
   • Enforce GMP's and USDA rules and regulations.
   • Monitor associates for GMP or PPE violations.
   • Excel in brainstorming new ways to improve sales and marketing
   • Prepare materials for marketing (flyers, sales messages).

   More bakery manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your bakery manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A bakery manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a bakery manager in Missouri may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level bakery manager usually earns less than a senior-level bakery manager. Additionally, a bakery manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average bakery manager salary

   $38,223yearly

   $18.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level bakery manager salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average bakery manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$47,525	$23
   2	California	$46,429	$22
   3	Massachusetts	$44,862	$22
   4	Minnesota	$44,648	$21
   5	Michigan	$43,338	$21
   6	New York	$43,014	$21
   7	District of Columbia	$41,941	$20
   8	Colorado	$41,542	$20
   9	Illinois	$41,123	$20
   10	Virginia	$40,594	$20
   11	South Carolina	$40,473	$19
   12	Maryland	$40,160	$19
   13	Oregon	$39,657	$19
   14	Nevada	$37,976	$18
   15	North Carolina	$37,878	$18
   16	Utah	$36,424	$18
   17	Texas	$36,339	$17
   18	Pennsylvania	$36,240	$17
   19	Arizona	$36,178	$17
   20	Tennessee	$35,714	$17

   Average bakery manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of California-Berkeley	$47,906	$23.03
   2	UC Santa Barbara	$45,715	$21.98
   3	Roche Bros. Supermarkets	$43,287	$20.81	7
   4	Save Mart Supermarkets	$43,165	$20.75	8
   5	Busch's Fresh Food Market	$42,768	$20.56	27
   6	Vallarta Supermarkets	$42,597	$20.48	3
   7	Fresh Thyme	$42,225	$20.30	12
   8	Coborn's	$42,201	$20.29	19
   9	United Natural Foods	$42,191	$20.28	19
   10	Jerry's Enterprises	$41,656	$20.03	6
   11	Perkins Restaurant & Bakery	$41,307	$19.86	53
   12	Nation Pizza	$41,292	$19.85
   13	Buy For Less	$41,260	$19.84
   14	Daniel's Broiler	$41,186	$19.80
   15	ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.	$41,008	$19.72
   16	Dierbergs Markets	$40,859	$19.64	2
   17	Brick Oven Restaurant	$40,539	$19.49
   18	Goodwin Recruiting	$40,527	$19.48
   19	Cosentino	$40,414	$19.43	18
   20	Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32	$40,266	$19.36

4. Writing a bakery manager job description

   A job description for a bakery manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a bakery manager job description:

   Bakery manager job description example

   The Bakery Assistant Manager is responsible for assisting the department manager with all functions and activities of Bakery Department. Responsibilities include greeting customers, providing advice, taking orders, and packaging baked goods along with ensuring items on display are continually restocked.
   Job Description
   Description
   
   Follow all Federal, State, and Local regulations as well as company policies regarding Bakery operations, safety, and sanitation
   Achieve financial goals such as sales and gross profit maximization
   Minimize shrink through proper handling and storing of product
   Take customer orders accurately for cakes and other specialty bakery products
   Adhere to company policy through proper processing, preparation, and packaging of product
   Complete all necessary paperwork relating to Bakery Department
   Assist the bakery manager in the training, and development of Bakery associates
   Ensure supply levels are at acceptable levels, fulfill orders as needed
   Take direction from the bakery manager and act in her or her place when absent Travel Required:No
   
   Environment
   
   Store : Grocery Warehouse (50F to 90F)
   
   Skills
   
   Specialized Knowledge : Basic computer skills Special Skills : Ability to read, write and perform basic math functions Physical abilities: : Requires standing, walking and bending throughout the entire work day and the ability to; Regularly required to grasp, push, pull, carry, stoop, twist, crouch, and reach; perform tasks requiring repetitive motion and eye, hand and foot coordination; hear and respond to customer inquiries Other: : N/A
   
   Years Of Experience
   
   Qualifications
   High School Diploma - General Studies
   
   Shift
   
   Company
   GU Markets, LLC.
   
   About Our Company
   C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. , based in Keene, NH, is the largest wholesale grocery supply company in the U.S. and the industry leader in supply chain innovation. Founded in 1918 as a supplier to independent grocery stores, C&S now services customers of all sizes, supplying more than 6,000 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases, and institutions with over 150,000 different products. At C&S, We Select the Best - those with the motivation, pride, and drive to succeed in our fast-paced world.Working Safely is a Condition of Employment at C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. C&S Wholesale Grocers is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer, and considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected factor under federal, state or local law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find bakery managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your bakery manager job on Zippia to find and recruit bakery manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit bakery managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new bakery manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect bakery manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a bakery manager?