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Job outlook for pastry cooks in the United States
Pastry cook job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected pastry cook job growth rate is 16% from 2018-2028.
About 419,300 new jobs for pastry cooks are projected over the next decade.
Pastry cook salaries have increased 19% for pastry cooks in the last 5 years.
There are over 13,997 pastry cooks currently employed in the United States.
There are 136,754 active pastry cook job openings in the US.
The average pastry cook salary is $34,858.
Are pastry cook jobs in demand?
Pastry cook job and salary trends over time
Pastry cook jobs over time
Pastry cook job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,997 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 12,093 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 15,276 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 14,898 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 14,614 | 0.00% |
Average pastry cook salary over time
Pastry cook salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $34,858 | $16.76 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $33,635 | $16.17 | +4.7% |
| 2024 | $32,110 | $15.44 | +5.4% |
| 2023 | $30,476 | $14.65 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $29,218 | $14.05 | +4.5% |
Pastry cook jobs by state
Most common states for pastry cooks
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 939 | 24% |
| 2 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,540 | 23% |
| 3 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 700 | 23% |
| 4 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,443 | 22% |
| 5 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,307 | 21% |
| 6 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 647 | 21% |
| 7 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 605 | 21% |
| 8 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 223 | 21% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,120 | 20% |
| 10 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 603 | 20% |
| 11 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 3,991 | 19% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,089 | 19% |
| 13 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 838 | 19% |
| 14 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 145 | 19% |
| 15 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 4,996 | 18% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,240 | 18% |
| 17 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 929 | 18% |
| 18 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 551 | 18% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 386 | 18% |
| 20 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 338 | 18% |
Most common cities for pastry cooks
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dana Point | 5 | 15% | $41,100 |
| 2 | Miami Beach | 11 | 12% | $38,703 |
| 3 | Carlsbad | 5 | 4% | $41,005 |
| 4 | Washington | 20 | 3% | $42,251 |
| 5 | Miami | 14 | 3% | $38,707 |
| 6 | Orlando | 9 | 3% | $38,850 |
| 7 | Fort Lauderdale | 6 | 3% | $38,728 |
| 8 | Tampa | 7 | 2% | $38,936 |
| 9 | New York | 111 | 1% | $39,566 |
| 10 | Chicago | 27 | 1% | $35,148 |
| 11 | Los Angeles | 25 | 1% | $41,292 |
| 12 | Philadelphia | 11 | 1% | $35,292 |
| 13 | San Diego | 11 | 1% | $40,964 |
| 14 | San Francisco | 9 | 1% | $42,266 |
| 15 | Atlanta | 7 | 1% | $32,554 |
| 16 | Denver | 7 | 1% | $38,035 |
| 17 | Austin | 6 | 1% | $32,365 |
| 18 | Houston | 6 | 0% | $32,095 |
| 19 | Dallas | 5 | 0% | $32,130 |
Pastry Cook job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of pastry cook experts
San Diego Mesa College
Tonya Whitfield
Professor Culinary Arts/ Culinary Management San Diego Mesa CollegeSan Diego Mesa College
Culinary Arts And Related Services
What general advice would you give to a Pastry Cook?
Tonya Whitfield: The more skills you can obtain while in college and/or training the higher the wage. For example, I trained in classical culinary techniques. My college offers certificates that specialize in Meat & Seafood fabrication and Baking & Pastry. Why not take that extra class or two to gain more technical training to make me more of a value higher. My pay is higher due to my skill being more. Plus, I am saving the employer training hours which will benefit for higher pay.