How to hire a cake decorator

How to hire a cake decorator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step cake decorator hiring guide:

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

What does a cake decorator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The cake decorator 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?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect cake decorator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of cake decorators.

   Type of Cake Decorator	Description	Hourly rate
   Cake Decorator	Painting and coating workers paint and coat, often with machines, a wide range of products, including cars, jewelry, and ceramics.	$10-20
   Laundry Worker	Laundry Workers are skilled professionals who oversee laundry machines. They operate washing machines or dryers in a residential home or a commercial establishment... Show more	$9-16
   Deli/Bakery Clerk	A deli/bakery clerk assists customers by taking and preparing orders, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction. They may also help customers by answering inquiries, accepting requests, offering other products and services, processing payments, and handling issues and concerns efficiently and professionally... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Safety
   • Food Handling
   • Safety Standards
   • Basic Math
   • Cleanliness
   • Safety Regulations
   • Sales Floor
   • Bakery Products
   • Cupcakes
   • Math
   • Customer Service
   • Work Ethic
   • BARS
   • Food Products

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist customers for their needs, and bag groceries.
   • Bake cookies, scones, muffins and various dessert bars.
   • Prepare smoothies and milkshakes using recipe book & ingredients provide.
   • Bake cakes, cookies, and bars in a gluten-free/vegan bakery.
   • Greet and assist customers, weigh, scan, and package groceries.
   • Cook food using fryers, oven, stove and the meat smoker.

   More cake decorator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the cake decorator job description is a good way to get more applicants. A cake decorator salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a cake decorator in Wyoming may be lower than in Maine, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level cake decorator. Additionally, a cake decorator with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average cake decorator salary

   $15.15hourly

   $31,509 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level cake decorator salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average cake decorator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Virginia	$42,071	$20
   2	Wisconsin	$40,778	$20
   3	Washington	$40,736	$20
   4	Arizona	$40,441	$19
   5	California	$37,645	$18
   6	Indiana	$36,561	$18
   7	Massachusetts	$34,553	$17
   8	Oregon	$32,517	$16
   9	Maryland	$32,275	$16
   10	New York	$31,901	$15
   11	Ohio	$31,595	$15
   12	Colorado	$30,969	$15
   13	New Jersey	$30,385	$15
   14	Nebraska	$29,870	$14
   15	Delaware	$29,629	$14
   16	Nevada	$28,426	$14
   17	District of Columbia	$28,379	$14
   18	Pennsylvania	$28,139	$14
   19	Minnesota	$28,138	$14
   20	New Mexico	$27,660	$13

   Average cake decorator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Rich Products	$41,664	$20.03	1
   2	City	$38,312	$18.42
   3	Costco Wholesale	$37,025	$17.80	199
   4	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$35,401	$17.02
   5	Target	$35,193	$16.92	73
   6	Shoppers Food	$35,020	$16.84
   7	P&S Surgical Hospital	$34,823	$16.74	7
   8	Heinen's Grocery Store	$34,489	$16.58
   9	Vallarta Supermarkets	$33,890	$16.29	4
   10	Bristol Farms	$33,752	$16.23
   11	Dierbergs Markets	$33,746	$16.22
   12	Town & Country Markets	$33,744	$16.22	3
   13	Albertsons	$33,691	$16.20	50
   14	Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32	$33,505	$16.11
   15	Food City	$33,457	$16.09	4
   16	ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.	$33,320	$16.02
   17	United Natural Foods	$33,191	$15.96	4
   18	Hannaford Supermarkets	$33,112	$15.92	1
   19	Nugget Markets	$33,108	$15.92	4
   20	H-E-B	$32,993	$15.86	17

4. Writing a cake decorator job description

   A job description for a cake decorator 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 cake decorator job description:

   Cake decorator job description example

   SSRM started just 7 years ago with 5 Dunkin’ stores. Today SSRM is the largest franchisee owner in FL, owning 100 Dunkin’ locations coast to coast across Central Florida, from Gainesville to Bradenton and 45 Wendy’s locations from Ellenton to Naples and we are continuing to grow!!

   Responsibilities:

   • Providing premier customer service, including greeting them and responding to questions

   • Icing, decorating, packaging, labeling, and pricing products for refrigerated cases

   • Icing, decorating, tray, and maintaining freezer and refrigerated showcase

   • Filling customer special orders, including Birthday cakes

   • Dynamically selling products by providing customers with information needed to make product-relation decisions

   • Following Baskin’s guidelines for Cake Decorators

   • Maintaining Baskin’s high standards for product freshness and sanitation

   • Organizing and rotating stock in the Decorator's freezer

   • Training other associates as needed

   • Assisting with the delivery and set up of cakes as needed

   • Assisting in other duties as assigned

   Starting wage: Up to $16.00 Per Hour Based On Experience

   Requirements:

   • At least 18 Years of Age

   • Experience as a Decorator Apprentice or equivalent experience outside Baskin

   • Able to deliver friendly, courteous, prompt customer service

   • Able to read, write and perform simple math problems

   • Able to interpret, understand and follow instructions and solve problems

   You are applying for work with a franchisee of Dunkin', not Dunkin' Brands, Inc., Dunkin' or any of their affiliates. Any information you submit will be provided solely to the franchisee. If hired, the franchisee will be your only employer. Franchisees are independent business owners who are solely responsible for their own employees and set their own wage and benefit programs that can vary among franchisees.

   Company Introduction

   SSRM/QFRM, Inc. started just 7 years ago with 5 Dunkin’ stores. Today it is the largest franchisee owner in FL, owning 100 Dunkin' locations coast to coast across Central Florida, from Gainesville to Bradenton and 45 Wendy’s locations from Ellenton to Naples and we are continuing to grow!! Come GROW with Us!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right cake decorator for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with cake decorator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of 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 cake decorator

   Once you have selected a candidate for the cake decorator position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new cake decorator. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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 cake decorator?