How to hire a pastry chef

How to hire a pastry chef, step by step

Here's a step-by-step pastry chef hiring guide:

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

What does a pastry chef do?

Post a pastry chef job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the pastry chef you need to hire. Certain pastry chef roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A pastry chef's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, pastry chefs from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of pastry chef salaries for various roles:

   Type of Pastry Chef	Description	Hourly rate
   Pastry Chef	Chefs and head cooks oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served. They direct kitchen staff and handle any food-related concerns.	$12-37
   Food Service Coordinator	Food service coordinators are responsible for organizing the food preparation for a considerable section of a huge operation such as the bakery, catering, and pantry section. They arrange, prepare, and synchronize the preparation of main entrees... Show more	$11-20
   Line Cook	Line cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. The term line cook brings to mind an assembly line... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Culinary
   • Food Handling
   • Customer Service
   • Food Preparation
   • Pastry Kitchen
   • Fine Dining
   • Quality Standards
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Food Quality
   • Wedding Cakes
   • Pastry Production
   • Sanitation Standards
   • Labor Costs
   • Ice Cream

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Hire, schedule and manage a staff of 9 direct reports (5 in kitchen and 4 in caf).
   • Control food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
   • Follow food safety and cleanliness guidelines.
   • Work as per the HACCP standard.
   • Create specialized dessert items for wine and holiday dinners.
   • Operate blenders, mixers, grinders, slicers, and other cooking equipment.

   More pastry chef duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your pastry chef job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A pastry chef salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, pastry chefs' average salary in utah is 59% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level pastry chefs earn 68% less than senior-level pastry chefs.
   • Certifications. A pastry chef with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a pastry chef's salary.

   Average pastry chef salary

   $44,879yearly

   $21.58 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level pastry chef salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 31, 2025

   Average pastry chef salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Hawaii	$72,151	$35
   2	California	$67,285	$32
   3	New York	$63,881	$31
   4	Pennsylvania	$62,688	$30
   5	District of Columbia	$62,321	$30
   6	Nevada	$58,389	$28
   7	Massachusetts	$57,775	$28
   8	Maryland	$54,943	$26
   9	North Carolina	$53,370	$26
   10	Washington	$53,297	$26
   11	Virginia	$53,034	$26
   12	Illinois	$52,466	$25
   13	Florida	$51,269	$25
   14	Georgia	$49,594	$24
   15	Texas	$44,817	$22
   16	Oregon	$43,919	$21
   17	Colorado	$42,183	$20
   18	Arizona	$41,313	$20
   19	Missouri	$40,843	$20
   20	Utah	$37,030	$18

   Average pastry chef salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Culinary Institute of America	$65,098	$31.30	5
   2	Kohler Co.	$56,741	$27.28	2
   3	The Lambs Club	$53,928	$25.93
   4	Remote	$51,682	$24.85
   5	Cannella Media	$51,151	$24.59
   6	Jds	$51,041	$24.54
   7	MARTA	$50,934	$24.49
   8	Goodwin Recruiting	$50,818	$24.43
   9	ELM Locating	$50,687	$24.37
   10	Daniels Lounge	$50,389	$24.23
   11	Vallarta Supermarkets	$49,989	$24.03
   12	Aimbridge Hospitality	$49,373	$23.74
   13	Proper Hospitality	$49,331	$23.72	5
   14	Sodexo Management, Inc.	$49,127	$23.62	178
   15	Bon Appetit	$48,361	$23.25	71
   16	Comedor	$47,887	$23.02
   17	Anthony	$47,811	$22.99	4
   18	Piedmont Driving Club	$47,593	$22.88	1
   19	Benchmark Group	$46,774	$22.49
   20	UnCruise Adventures	$46,260	$22.24

4. Writing a pastry chef job description

   A pastry chef job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a pastry chef job description:

   Pastry chef job description example

   We are a private, family-oriented company that invests in the development and growth of our employees . We pay our Bakers / Pastry Chefs a competitive wage of $17-19/hour . Our full-time baking employees also enjoy excellent benefits , including health insurance, paid time off (PTO), a 401(k) with up to a 4% match after one year of employment, and life insurance . Additionally, our hospitality team receives paid holidays, uniforms, referral bonuses, free meals during working hours, and participation in wellness programs . Plus, we make it easy to apply with our initial quick mobile-optimized application . If we have your attention, please continue reading!

   
   

   ABOUT AUSTIN COUNTRY CLUB

   Founded in 1899, Austin Country Club is one of the oldest existing clubs in Texas and home to Harvey Penick, one of the greatest golf instructors who ever lived. As a private, family-oriented club that is rich in tradition, we are known for the quality of our membership and unmatched customer service that exceeds expectations. We are located along the banks of the Colorado River with Austin's iconic Pennybacker Bridge as our backdrop. Spanning over 180 acres of hill country vistas and canyon views in Davenport Ranch, our property is just 10 miles west of downtown Austin.

   As one of the oldest and finest clubs in the south, we know that a great experience starts with great people . We have a tradition of excellence not only with club history but also with our team members. Our work environment is fast-paced, collaborative, flexible, and mission-oriented. To show our appreciation for all that our employees do, we offer generous perks as well as competitive, comparable compensation and professional development opportunities to help them gain valuable skills for their careers .

   
   

   ARE YOU A GOOD FIT?

   Ask yourself: Do I have a thirst for learning new skills? Can I maintain a clean and organized workspace? Do I have excellent verbal and written communication skills? Am I able to thrive in a team environment? Do I consider myself punctual and task-driven? Can I balance multiple tasks while demonstrating good time management? If so, please consider applying for this hospitality position today!

   
   

   YOUR LIFE AS A BAKER / PASTRY CHEF

   This full-time baking position with our country club kitchen works according to our production schedule .

   As a Baker / Pastry Chef, you are responsible for prepping a variety of sweet treats for the members of our country club. Each day when you arrive for work, you check our kitchen's production schedule and prioritize items for your shift. Following our recipes, you prepare a variety of baked goods from scratch, including mousses, custards, doughs, and sweet bread. You complete your daily prep lists and check to make sure all needed materials are in stock. When preparing the pastries, you take care to portion all products to specifications and arrange plates according to our standards.

   In addition, you stock all items for our a la carte service and help prep for banquet events. You maintain a working knowledge of how to properly use all of our kitchen equipment and tools. When needed, you report any issues to maintenance in a timely manner to get our equipment fixed. You keep our walk-in freezer and your workstation clean and organized on a daily basis as well as inspect the cleanliness of tools, equipment, and supplies before use.

   To keep our daily operations running smoothly, you always make sure to check in with the executive pastry chef to review assignments and get pertinent information about anticipated business levels. Baking is your pride and joy, and you find great fulfillment being able to use your skills to keep our kitchen thriving and our members happy with our service!

   
   

   WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

   • High school diploma OR vocational training certificate
   • 2+ years of experience working as a pastry cook
   • Valid Food Handler's certification for Austin, TX
   • Working knowledge of pastry and kitchen operations
   • Ability to stand for prolonged periods of time
   • Proficient in English

   A certificate or apprenticeship in culinary training is preferred but multiple factors will be taken into consideration. If you can meet these requirements and perform this baking job as described above, we would be happy to have you as part of our hospitality team!

   Location: 78746

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find pastry chefs for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any pastry chefs they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level pastry chefs with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting pastry chefs requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 pastry chef

   Once you've found the pastry chef candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   To prepare for the new pastry chef first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a pastry chef?