Baker
Prepare, shape and bake breads and other products in bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants and commercial food businesses.
What They Do
Bakers prepare and produce bread, rolls and other baked products for bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and commercial food manufacturers.
They measure ingredients, mix and knead dough, shape products, control fermentation and monitor ovens to ensure baked goods are produced consistently and safely.
Jobs and Skills Australia identifies weighing ingredients, shaping dough, monitoring oven temperatures, coordinating baking batches and maintaining clean food-production equipment among the occupation’s core tasks.
Who This Career Suits
This career suits people who enjoy hands-on work, food production and creating consistent products from raw ingredients.
Baking requires accuracy and patience because small differences in measurements, temperature, timing or fermentation can significantly affect the finished product.
It can particularly suit someone who enjoys practical work, working as part of a team and seeing tangible results from their efforts each day.
Key Skills
Baking Skills, Food Preparation, Attention to Detail, Time Management, Practical Skills, Quality Control, Teamwork, Food Safety
Work Environment
Bakery, Commercial Kitchen, Manufacturing, Physical, Early Hours
Education & Training
The current national qualification is the FBP30521 Certificate III in Baking.
The qualification develops the skills and knowledge required to work as a baker producing bread, cakes, pastries and biscuits in a commercial baking environment. It includes food safety, preparation, baking processes and commercial production skills.
Baking is commonly learned through an apprenticeship, combining paid workplace experience with formal vocational training. Apprenticeships are a recognised pathway into the occupation in Australia.
Training can include:
dough preparation, bread production, pastry products, cakes, fermentation, oven operation, food safety, ingredient handling and commercial bakery equipment.
Career Changer Pathway
Baking can suit people moving from hospitality, food manufacturing, commercial kitchens, retail food businesses or other practical occupations.
Someone without previous baking experience can enter through a bakery apprenticeship while completing the Certificate III in Baking.
People with significant commercial food-production experience may also be able to have some existing skills formally recognised depending on their experience and training provider.
Early Career
Apprentice Bakers learn how to weigh ingredients, mix dough, operate bakery equipment and follow commercial production schedules under supervision.
They develop an understanding of fermentation, baking temperatures, food safety and product consistency.
Newly qualified Bakers gradually take responsibility for complete production runs and maintaining the quality of finished products.
Mid Career
Experienced Bakers work independently and may take responsibility for larger production schedules, specialised products or junior staff.
They may specialise in:
artisan bread, sourdough, commercial bread production, supermarket baking, wholesale baking, pastries or specialty bakery products.
Experienced Bakers also develop stronger skills in production planning, quality control, stock management and reducing food waste.
Senior / Veteran Career
Experienced Bakers can progress into Head Baker, Bakery Supervisor, Production Supervisor or Bakery Manager roles.
Others establish their own bakery, artisan bread business or wholesale food-production operation.
Senior Bakers may also move into product development, training, production management or specialist artisan baking.
Salary Guide
Early Career
55000
Mid Career
72000
Senior / Veteran
95000
Indicative annual salary (AUD)
Indicative annual salary (AUD)
Indicative annual salary (AUD)
Salary data source:
Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS
Salary data source URL:
Date :
9 October 2026 at 12:00:00 am
Career Outlook
Jobs and Skills Australia reports approximately 34,200 Bakers and Pastrycooks employed nationally, with annual employment growth of around 1,000 workers in the latest available ANZSCO data.
Demand continues across retail bakeries, supermarkets, food manufacturing and hospitality, while skilled trade occupations more broadly continue to experience recruitment difficulties in parts of the Australian labour market. JSA reported particularly low fill rates for Skill Level 3 occupations during 2025.
However, employment opportunities can vary by location and type of bakery.
Job Outlook :
Outlook Source :
Moderate
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