Career Details
Career Details
Back to top

Career Details

51-3011.00 - Bakers


Mix and bake ingredients to produce breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, or other baked goods.


Key Facts
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
185,300
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
198,300
Estimate
Change in Employment
+13,000
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+7%
Estimate
Tasks
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Observe color of products being baked, and adjust oven temperatures, humidity, or conveyor speeds accordingly.
  • Set oven temperatures, and place items into hot ovens for baking.
  • Combine measured ingredients in bowls of mixing, blending, or cooking machinery.
  • Measure or weigh flour or other ingredients to prepare batters, doughs, fillings, or icings, using scales or graduated containers.
  • Roll, knead, cut, or shape dough to form sweet rolls, pie crusts, tarts, cookies, or other products.
  • Place dough in pans, molds, or on sheets, and bake in production ovens or on grills.
  • Check the quality of raw materials to ensure that standards and specifications are met.
  • Adapt the quantity of ingredients to match the amount of items to be baked.
  • Apply glazes, icings, or other toppings to baked goods, using spatulas or brushes.
  • Check equipment to ensure that it meets health and safety regulations, and perform maintenance or cleaning, as necessary.
  • Decorate baked goods, such as cakes or pastries.
  • Set time and speed controls for mixing machines, blending machines, or steam kettles so that ingredients will be mixed or cooked according to instructions.
  • Prepare or maintain inventory or production records.
  • Direct or coordinate bakery deliveries.
  • Order or receive supplies or equipment.
  • Check products for quality, and identify damaged or expired goods.
Supplemental
  • Operate slicing or wrapping machines.
  • Develop new recipes for baked goods.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Production and Processing
  • 76%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 75%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Food Production
  • 68%
    Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
 English Language
  • 65%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Mathematics
  • 62%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Administration and Management
  • 60%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 Sales and Marketing
  • 59%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 53%
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
 Education and Training
  • 51%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 50%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Design
  • 50%
    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Food preparation machinery
  • Automatic dough presses
  • Bagel dividers
  • Baguette molders
  • Bread molders
  • Bun machines
  • Cake depositors
  • Conical rounders
  • Cookie depositors
  • Cooling tunnels
  • Dough chunkers
  • Dough dividers
  • Dough extruders
  • Dough sheeters
  • Doughnut depositors
  • Doughnut tumblers
  • Filled stick extruders
  • Flour dusters
  • Food drying equipment
  • French bread molders
  • Pan cooling towers
  • Pastry filling machines
  • Pie presses
  • Pretzel dough extruding machines
  • Pretzel dough twisting machines
  • Reversible sheeters
  • Rotary molders
  • Sugar/spice pulverizers
  • Tartlet machines
 Cooking and warming equipment
  • Bagel kettles
  • Bain maries
  • Chocolate warmers
  • Commercial coffeemakers
  • Commercial food grilling equipment
  • Commercial kitchen convection ovens
  • Commercial kitchen microwave ovens
  • Cooking burners
  • Deck ovens
  • Direct gas fired ovens
  • Direct recirculating ovens
  • Dough proofers
  • Doughnut fryers
  • Electric salamanders
  • Food warmers
  • Hearth ovens
  • Hot cases
  • Hot plates
  • Industrial kitchen broilers
  • Industrial kitchen food smokers
  • Industrial kitchen griddles
  • Industrial toasters
  • Infrared food heating lamps
  • Open fat kettles
  • Pressurized steam cookers
  • Pretzel ovens
  • Revolving tray ovens
  • Rice cookers
  • Steam injected ovens
  • Steam kettles
  • Sugar lamps
  • Tunnel ovens
  • Waffle irons
 Cookware and kitchen tools
  • Bakers' couches
  • Baking frames
  • Barquette molds
  • Bench knives
  • Bowl knives
  • Bread bannetons
  • Bread knives
  • Cake decorating combs
  • Cake decorating palette knives
  • Cake decorating stencils
  • Cake decorating turntables
  • Cake molds
  • Cake rings
  • Cannoli tubes
  • Channel knives
  • Chefs' knives
  • China caps
  • Chinois
  • Chocolate molds
  • Chocolate shavers
  • Commercial baking ladles
  • Commercial cake pans
  • Commercial food whisks
  • Commercial pie pans
  • Cookie scoops
  • Decorating pens
  • Dessert molds
  • Dough dockers
  • Doughnut screens
  • Dry ingredient measuring cups
  • Ejector sets
  • Flour scoops
  • Fondant crimpers
  • Fondant smoothers
  • Icing smoothers
  • Icing spatulas
  • Kitchen shears
  • Kitchen strainers
  • Liquid ingredient measuring cups
  • Marzipan tools
  • Measuring spoons
  • Pan liners
  • Paring knives
  • Pastry crimpers
  • Pastry wheels
  • Rolling pins
  • Rose nails
  • Serrated knives
  • Skimmers
  • Tart rings
  • Tart tampers
  • Textured mats
 Domestic kitchen tools and utensils
  • Bakery cookie cutters
  • Biscuit dough cutters
  • Bowl scrapers
  • Candy thermometers
  • Colanders
  • Cream whippers
  • Digital food thermometers
  • Digital kitchen timers
  • Dough scrapers
  • Dough thermometers
  • Doughnut cutters
  • Food cooling racks
  • Fruit corers
  • Honing steels
  • Icing spreaders
  • Ingredient sifters
  • Kitchen tongs
  • Mandolines
  • Manual dough presses
  • Offset spatulas
  • Oven peels
  • Pastry brushes
  • Pastry filling funnels
  • Pastry slicing jigs
  • Perforated grill spatulas
  • Pizza cutters
  • Refrigerator thermometers
  • Sharpening stones
  • Straight spatulas
  • Vegetable cleaning brushes
  • Whipped cream machines
  • Wire whips
 Domestic bakeware
  • Bakery muffin pans
  • Baking sheets
  • Bread pans
  • Pullman loaf pans
  • Ramekins
  • Tortilla grills
 Food preparation equipment
  • Balance scales
  • Bread crumbers
  • Bread slicers
  • Cake decorating tips
  • Cake decorating tubes
  • Cake dividers
  • Cake levelers
  • Commercial coffee grinders
  • Commercial kitchen food processors
  • Digital scales
  • Dishwashing machines
  • Dough laminators
  • Food dicers
  • Food graters
  • Fruit zesters
  • Industrial kitchen food blenders
  • Juice extractors
  • Nut grinders
  • Pastry bags
  • Portion scales
  • Produce peelers
  • Squeeze bottles
  • Weigh hoppers
 Industrial freezers
  • Blast chillers
  • Industrial freezing equipment
 Food and beverage dispensing equipment
  • Cappuccino makers
  • Espresso makers
  • Ice machines
  • Ice shaver
 Computer printers
  • Computer laser printers
 Batch mixers
  • Continuous kneading machines
  • Horizontal dough mixers
  • Planetary mixers
  • Spiral mixers
  • Tilt mixers
 Food cooking and smoking machinery
  • Depanning machines
  • Egg breaking machines
 Computers
  • Desktop computers
  • Laptop computers
  • Tablet computers
 Domestic cookware
  • Double boilers
 Lifting equipment and accessories
  • Dough trough hoists
  • Lift trucks
  • Oven loaders
 Fire fighting equipment
  • Fire suppression blankets
  • Kitchen fire extinguishers
 Food cutting machinery
  • Guillotine cutters
  • Reciprocating blade slicers
 Industrial trucks
  • Hand trucks
  • Pallet jacks
 Conveyors and accessories
  • Industrial kitchen belt conveyors
  • Pneumatic conveyors
 Industrial refrigerators
  • Industrial refrigeration equipment
 Compressors
  • Portable air compressors
 Dispensing tools
  • Spray bottles
  • Sprayers
 Packaging machinery
  • Wrapping machines
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Finance accounting and enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • ADP Enterprise eTIME
  • Afcom Datasafe Computer Services FlexiBakeHOT
  • iProHOT
  • LegacyUSA BakeSmartHOT
  • Masters Software CakeBossHOT
  • Sage 100 ERPHOT
  • SweetWARE SmallPICSHOT
  • TwinPeaks Software Visual Z-BakeHOT
 Data management and query software
  • At Your Service Software CostGuard
  • Barrington Software CookenPro
  • Culinary Software Services ChefTec
 Industry specific software
  • Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro
  • EGS CALCMENU
  • SweetWARE nutraCoster Professional
 Business function specific software
  • Enggist & Grandjean EGS F&B Control
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
  • SweetWARE stockCoster
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • SoftCafe MenuPro
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Certifications
FastForward at Virginia's Community Colleges is a short-term training program for high-demand industries, like healthcare, information technology, and skilled trades and infrastructure, helping Virginians get the jobs and salaries they need. Our goal is to get you trained, help you earn your certification, and get you into a career that can support you and your family. Explore the latest training program offerings by visiting FastForward
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Specialty
 Advanced
 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Tidewater Community College
Virginia Western Community College