Post job

How to hire a bread baker

Bread baker hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring bread bakers in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a bread baker is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per bread baker on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 150,001 bread bakers in the US and 7,751 job openings.
  • Washington, DC, has the highest demand for bread bakers, with 7 job openings.
  • New York, NY has the highest concentration of bread bakers.

How to hire a bread baker, step by step

To hire a bread baker, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a bread baker, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step bread baker hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a bread baker job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new bread baker
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
jobs
Post a bread baker job for free, promote it for a fee
  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The bread baker hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a bread baker 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 bread baker that fits the bill.

    The following list breaks down different types of bread bakers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Bread BakerDescriptionHourly rate
    Bread BakerBakers mix ingredients according to recipes to make breads, pastries, and other baked goods.$9-18
    BakerBakers arrange quality ingredients to mix and craft specific recipes to make all kinds of pastries and baked goods such as cookies, brownies, muffins, bread, tortillas, and cakes. They prepare doughs, batters, icings, or fillings and use several types of equipment like scales or graduated containers to weigh or quantify ingredients... Show more$10-19
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Culinary
    • Food Handling
    • Food Safety
    • Quality Standards
    • Safety Regulations
    • Safety Standards
    • Bread Production
    • Mixers
    • Sales Floor
    • Production Schedules
    • Fine Dining
    • Slicers
    • Bakery Products
    • Artisan Breads
    Check all skills
    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.
    More bread baker duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your bread baker job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A bread baker can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, bread bakers' average salary in mississippi is 45% less than in new hampshire.
    • Seniority. Entry-level bread bakers 49% less than senior-level bread bakers.
    • Certifications. A bread baker with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a bread baker's salary.

    Average bread baker salary

    $13.85hourly

    $28,801 yearly

    Entry-level bread baker salary
    $20,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 16, 2025

    Average bread baker salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Massachusetts$35,912$17
    2District of Columbia$34,674$17
    3California$33,525$16
    4New Jersey$32,837$16
    5Washington$31,791$15
    6Wisconsin$31,033$15
    7Oregon$30,960$15
    8Connecticut$30,893$15
    9Delaware$30,849$15
    10Virginia$30,545$15
    11New York$30,278$15
    12Illinois$29,506$14
    13Arizona$28,188$14
    14Nevada$28,164$14
    15Pennsylvania$27,444$13
    16Ohio$26,703$13
    17Tennessee$26,628$13
    18Utah$26,212$13
    19Michigan$25,811$12
    20Texas$25,335$12

    Average bread baker salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1H-E-B$33,075$15.9016
    2Nugget Markets$32,952$15.845
    3Earth Fare$32,827$15.78
    4Grand Central Bakery$32,252$15.511
    5Stew Leonard's$32,098$15.43
    6Compass Group USA$30,980$14.8991
    7Meijer$30,896$14.8517
    8Lodi News-Sentinel$30,439$14.63
    9Palisade$30,345$14.59
    10North States Ind$29,857$14.35
    11LGO Hospitality$29,727$14.29
    12HMSHost$29,521$14.19
    13Adecco$29,086$13.98
    14Zingerman's$28,939$13.91
    15Panera Bread$28,437$13.67271
    16Sodexo Management, Inc.$28,178$13.5528
    17Aramark$27,641$13.2952
    18New Leaf Community Markets$27,394$13.171
    19Blackberry Farm$26,447$12.71
    20Elephants Delicatessen$26,296$12.64
  4. Writing a bread baker job description

    A job description for a bread baker 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 bread baker job description:

    Bread baker job description example


    Earn $16-$18/hr.


    Openings in Darien, CT


    Join our amazing Team!


    Applegreen is one of the largest Ireland retailers continuing to serve communities, offering quality, choice, and convenience, always!


    We offer attractive benefits including:


    401(k)


    Dental insurance


    Flexible schedule


    Health insurance


    Paid time off


    Vision insurance


    Referral Program


    Duties & The Responsibilities:

    • Facilitate cafe and/or market “bread cuttings” (informational and educational baking events that communicate and teach participants key baking components and about new products) with confidence, excitement, passion and expertise.
    • Validate and reinforce all Bakery standards, specs, procedures with all those designated to bake in a bakery-cafe, including, but not limited to: bakers, CBTs, cafe managers, etc.
    • Validate and reinforce the established expectations and responsibilities of each baker for all of the bakery-cafes in an assigned market, collaborating with other BTSs in the market to accomplish this.
    • Fosters a partnership between assigned bakery-cafes and the supporting Fresh Dough Facility (FDF) – where all dough is made and shipped from fresh daily – for the market, that ensures consistent and high-quality dough is delivered and accepted.
    • Ensure the quality and integrity of all products and ingredients within the Baker’s environments are maintained.
    • Working with the cafe managers and the LBMM, provides support for troubleshooting baking equipment.
    • Demonstrate proficiency in all the required tasks and expectations.

    Qualifications (Education & Experience):

    • Management/ Supervisor experience
    • cooking or bakery experience.
    • Has good communication skills and is able to influence.
    • Can organization time and tasks with proficiency.
    • Demonstrates willingness and talent in coaching and teaching others.
    • Is self-motivated, able to work independently (with LBMM oversight).
    • Is motivational. Has ability to inspire others to perform at a high level.
    • Demonstrates a tireless work ethic, with the ability to work unusual hours including nights and weekends.
    • Is comfortable using Microsoft Office programs.

    Physical Requirements

    • This position requires a mix of walking/standing during long periods while on cafe visits (including the lifting of heavy items or boxes), some desk/office administrative work, as well as driving between cafe locations.

    Applegreen


    Come grow with us!


    Applegreen is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. Applegreen prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination.

    Company Introduction

    We are Panera Bread
    And we believe that good food, food you can feel good about, can bring out the best in all of us. Food served in a warm, welcoming environment, by people who care. To us, that’s good eating and that’s why we’re here.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find bread bakers 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 bread baker job on Zippia to find and recruit bread baker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit bread bakers, 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.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 bread baker

    Once you've selected the best bread baker candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new bread baker. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a bread baker?

There are different types of costs for hiring bread bakers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new bread baker employee.

The median annual salary for bread bakers is $28,801 in the US. However, the cost of bread baker hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a bread baker for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $9 and $18 an hour.

Find better bread bakers in less time
Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring bread bakers FAQs

Search for bread baker jobs

Ready to start hiring?

Browse production and manufacturing jobs