How Much Does a Cake Baker Make Per Year?

Updated February 21, 2017

Cake bakers featured on reality television shows such as "Cupcake Wars" and "Ace of Cakes" make the profession appear glamorous, fast paced and instantly lucrative, but in reality, the people behind some of the most intricate dessert concoctions toil under hot conditions for low salaries. Cake bakers can cook up several ways to help their salaries, including where they choose to work in terms of both location and industry.

Salary Range

Filling glass cases with tempting desserts and snacks were approximately 140,790 bakers across the country in May 2010, as reported in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wages report. Bakers earned median salaries of £15,242, with incomes of £10,991 in the 10th percentile and £24,258 in the 90th percentile.

Salary by Industry

Although the bakery and tortilla manufacturing category was the largest employer of cake bakers in the time period of the BLS study, salaries for those in this category didn't make the BLS top five highest paying incomes -- although salaries for bakery workers and tortilla manufacturers were slightly higher than the median at £17,166. The highest payer for cake baker salaries was the federal executive branch of the government, nearly doubling the median with annual mean wages of £29,796. Elementary and secondary schools paid the next highest salaries, at £23,341, followed by state government at £21,736. Colleges and universities paid their cake bakers £19,331, closely followed by the traveller accommodation industry, at £19,181.

Highest Salaries by State

The states with the highest salaries for cake bakers were scattered to the country's outer limits. Hawaii placed first on the BLS list, with annual mean wages of £20,488, followed by Alaska, paying salaries of £20,234. Connecticut employers paid the third highest salaries, at £19,786, followed by those in the District of Columbia paying £19,779. Cake bakers in Massachusetts earned the fifth highest salaries, at £19,168.

Most Jobs By State

None of the states with the BLS top five highest salaries made the list of the largest employers of cake bakers. California earned first place on the list as the largest per-capita employer of the profession, paying above-average wages of £17,569. Texas was the second largest employer of cake bakers, but paid below-average income of £14,215. In third place was New York, which also paid an above-average £17,257. Pennsylvania was the fourth largest employer for the field, paying annual mean wages of £16,965. Cake bakers in Florida, the fifth largest employer, received incomes of £15,645.

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