Baker
Make bread, cakes and pastries by hand or on production lines, in craft bakeries, supermarkets and food factories. Early starts come with the job.
- Salary£19,000 – £26,000
- Hours40 to 45 hours a week, including early mornings, on shifts
- Working for yourselfSelf-employment is possible
What the job is like
Bakers are up before most of us to make sure the shelves are full of bread, rolls, cakes and pastries. If you already bake at home and like weighing, mixing and seeing a good bake come out of the oven, this is a trade that rewards patience and precision.
You might work in a small artisan bakery doing everything by hand, in a supermarket in-store bakery, or on a large production line where machines do the heavy lifting and you keep quality on track. Apprenticeships are the usual way in, and experienced bakers often specialise or set up on their own.
What you'll do
- Weigh and mix ingredients by hand or with mixers and other machinery
- Shape, prove and bake breads, cakes and pastries in batches
- Decorate and finish products ready for display or dispatch
- Carry out quality and food safety checks
- Keep track of stock and order ingredients
- Develop and test new recipes and products
- Keep equipment and work areas clean
Where you'll work
- Indoors
- Workshop or studio
- In a team
- On your own
Skills and hobbies that help
Weighted by how much they matter in this job, from the official job profile's skills and tasks. Tap one to see other careers that use it.
Key skills
Used a lot
Handy to have
Hobbies that give you a head start
How to become a baker
Apprenticeship
Baker Level 2 apprenticeship (typically about 18 months), then Lead Baker Level 3; Pastry Chef Level 3 is another option
College
Courses in bakery, professional bakery, or hospitality and catering; entry requirements vary
Direct application
Start as a trainee or assistant in a bakery shop, supermarket or food production plant and train on the job
Qualifications, licences and cards
- A food hygiene certificate from a short course at a college, training centre or through your local council
Where it can lead
- Bakery supervisor or production manager in a factory
- Technical adviser or development baker for an ingredients or equipment company, or a move into commercial sales
- Specialising in patisserie, or becoming an artisan baker with your own business
Good to know
- Bakeries can be dusty, noisy and physically demanding, and you will wear protective clothing
- Early starts are common because bread needs to be ready when shops open
Courses and training
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Apprenticeship search
Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK
The official GOV.UK service for searching and applying for apprenticeship vacancies in England.
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Course search
Find a course – National Careers Service
The National Careers Service search for college and training provider courses in England, including Skills Bootcamps.
Official information
Sources
We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.
- National Careers Service: Baker nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/baker
- Skills England apprenticeship: Baker (Level 2) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0191-v1-1
- Skills England apprenticeship: Lead baker (Level 3) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st1349-v1-0
- Skills England apprenticeship: Pastry chef (Level 3) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0929-v1-0