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Skilled Trades

Bakers

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

Median salary (BLS)

$37,160

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$28k – $49k

Job outlook

+6% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Bakers

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Bakers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Bakers

    Entry / Junior

    $28,120

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Bakers

    Established

    $37,160

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Bakers

    Senior

    $43,090

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Check products for quality, and identify damaged or expired goods.
  • •Set oven temperatures, and place items into hot ovens for baking.
  • •Combine measured ingredients in bowls of mixing, blending, or cooking machinery.
  • •Place dough in pans, molds, or on sheets, and bake in production ovens or on grills.
  • •Set time and speed controls for mixing machines, blending machines, or steam kettles so that ingredients will be mixed or cooked according to instructions.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.