Dough maker vs pastry finisher

The differences between dough makers and pastry finishers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a dough maker and a pastry finisher. Additionally, a dough maker has an average salary of $34,187, which is higher than the $32,857 average annual salary of a pastry finisher.

Dough maker vs pastry finisher overview

	Dough Maker	Pastry Finisher
Yearly salary	$34,187	$32,857
Hourly rate	$16.44	$15.80
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	8,509	3,435
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 35%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	12	12

Dough maker vs pastry finisher salary

Dough makers and pastry finishers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dough Maker	Pastry Finisher
Average salary	$34,187	$32,857
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $51,000	Between $24,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between dough maker and pastry finisher education

There are a few differences between a dough maker and a pastry finisher in terms of educational background:

	Dough Maker	Pastry Finisher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 35%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Dough maker vs pastry finisher demographics

Here are the differences between dough makers' and pastry finishers' demographics:

	Dough Maker	Pastry Finisher
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2%	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 8.5% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.9% Asian, 8.0% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between dough maker and pastry finisher duties and responsibilities

Dough maker example responsibilities.

Manage cleanliness and readiness of cooking equipment.
Deliver smoothies with proper ingredient measurements and an enthusiastic attitude throughout entire process consistently.
Slice and pit fruit for garnishing drinks.

Pastry finisher example responsibilities.

Hire, schedule and manage a staff of 9 direct reports (5 in kitchen and 4 in caf).
Assist ICM with project management responsibilities and updating and editing documentation for ISO compliance.
Apply glazes, icings, or other toppings to bake goods, using spatulas or brushes.

Dough maker vs pastry finisher skills

Common dough maker skills

Customer Service, 42%
Food Safety, 26%
Safety Standards, 9%
Customer Orders, 8%
POS, 5%
Food Products, 4%

Common pastry finisher skills

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Updated January 8, 2025

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