BAKING Pathways

Pathways listed below are for the catalog year 2025-2026. Maps for previous years are available on each pathway page. What is a catalog year?

Featured Careers

Find your calling. Explore high-earning careers with entry-level data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  • Bakers

    High school diploma/GED, No high school diploma/GED

    • Job growth: Stable
    • Low salary: 27,560
    • High salary: 48,260
    • Average salary: 36650
    Stable Job Growth $ 36,650 Average Salary $27,560 $48,260
  • Chefs and Head Cooks

    Associate's degree, Certificate after high school

    • Job growth: Rising
    • Low salary: 36,000
    • High salary: 96,030
    • Average salary: 60990
    Rising Job Growth $ 60,990 Average Salary $36,000 $96,030
    • Job growth:
    • Low salary:
    • High salary:
    • Average salary:
    $ Average Salary $ $

All Careers in BAKING (7)

Chefs and Head CooksAssociate's degree, Certificate after high schoolRising60,990
Cooks, Private HouseholdCertificate after high school, High school diploma/GEDDeclining44,530
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving WorkersHigh school diploma/GED, No high school diploma/GEDRising42,010
Cooks, RestaurantHigh school diploma/GED, No high school diploma/GEDRising36,830
BakersHigh school diploma/GED, No high school diploma/GEDStable36,650
Cooks, Institution and CafeteriaHigh school diploma/GED, Certificate after high schoolStable36,450
Cooks, All Other- n/a- n/a

Program Pathways Mapper incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes help you work towards your educational goals.

  1. Apply advanced baking and pastry techniques, including dough preparation, pastry production, finishing skills, and food safety practices, to create high-quality, commercially viable bake shop products.
  2. Design and execute visually appealing plate presentations to enhance the appearance and appeal of bake shop products for commercial display or service.
  3. Explain and utilize the scientific principles behind baking processes to produce consistent, high-quality baked goods that meet commercial standards.