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The national median salary for Bakers is $37,149 per year ($17.86/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $32,656 and $44,366 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $49,026 per year. There are approximately 236,200 bakers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Mix and bake ingredients to produce breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, or other baked goods. Pastry chefs in restaurants and hotels are included with “Chefs and Head Cooks” (35-1011).
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+5.6%
Faster than average
Annual openings
40K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
249K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing
NAICS 311800
80K
$37,180
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
NAICS 722500
61K
$35,790
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
61K
$37,240
General Merchandise Retailers
NAICS 455000
14K
$41,140
Special Food Services
NAICS 722300
5K
$41,040
Wage range across top 5 industries: $35,790 to $41,140 (15% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.52
$28,122
P25
$15.70
$32,656
P50MEDIAN
$17.86
$37,149
P75
$21.33
$44,366
P90
$23.57
$49,026
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average bakers salary?
The national median salary for Bakers is $37,149 per year ($17.86/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $32,656 and $44,366 annually.
How much do top-earning bakers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Bakers is $49,026 per year ($23.57/hr). The 75th percentile is $44,366 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for bakers?
Entry-level Bakers (10th percentile) earn approximately $28,122 per year ($13.52/hr). The 25th percentile is $32,656 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.