Bread baker vs pastry decorator

The differences between bread bakers and pastry decorators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a bread baker and a pastry decorator. Additionally, a pastry decorator has an average salary of $31,862, which is higher than the $28,801 average annual salary of a bread baker.

The top three skills for a bread baker include culinary, food handling and food safety. The most important skills for a pastry decorator are custom orders, specialty cakes, and .

Bread baker vs pastry decorator overview

	Bread Baker	Pastry Decorator
Yearly salary	$28,801	$31,862
Hourly rate	$13.85	$15.32
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	7,751	3,176
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	12	12

Bread baker vs pastry decorator salary

Bread bakers and pastry decorators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bread Baker	Pastry Decorator
Average salary	$28,801	$31,862
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $39,000	Between $23,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	-
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	-
Best paying company	H-E-B	-
Best paying industry	Retail	-

Differences between bread baker and pastry decorator education

There are a few differences between a bread baker and a pastry decorator in terms of educational background:

	Bread Baker	Pastry Decorator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Bread baker vs pastry decorator demographics

Here are the differences between bread bakers' and pastry decorators' demographics:

	Bread Baker	Pastry Decorator
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5%	Male, 18.7% Female, 81.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between bread baker and pastry decorator duties and responsibilities

Bread baker example responsibilities.

Manage inventory of ingredients and culinary supplies.
Prepare raw donuts for frying and raw bread for baking.
Prepare artisan pastries, bagels, muffins and cookies daily.
Bake various bread varieties and fry and prepare various varieties of donuts.
Make fresh pastries every morning including; bagels, cookies, brownies, etc.
Decorate cupcakes to owner's specifications using different decorating tools and techniques.

Pastry decorator example responsibilities.

Maintain high CIA standards in all dessert preparation and presentation
Decorate cupcakes to owner's specifications using different decorating tools and techniques.
Keep slicers clean to health department standards between usages.
Handle the meat slicers, clean and sanitize after use.
Compete in Walmart cake decorating competition.

Bread baker vs pastry decorator skills

Common bread baker skills

Culinary, 14%
Food Handling, 12%
Food Safety, 11%
Quality Standards, 10%
Safety Regulations, 10%
Safety Standards, 9%

Common pastry decorator skills

Custom Orders, 59%
Specialty Cakes, 41%

Bread Baker vs. similar jobs

Bread Baker related careers

Bread Baker related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs