How To Become A Bakery Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a bakery manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

If you love spending time in a bakery making freshly baked treats and do not mind undertaking responsibilities in managing it, then this is the position for you. As a bakery manager, you will supervise the baking staff along with ensuring that all operations in the bakery are running efficiently and smoothly.

Some of the duties and responsibilities that you will be performing in this capacity are, taking inventory of baking supplies to ensure that materials do not fall short, ensuring that all the necessary tool, utensils, and equipment is properly cleaned and sanitized. In addition, you will also train staff in the production of high qualify bakery items and inspect items to ensure they are up to standards on quality and quantity, among other duties. Essential skills that you will need to successfully complete these tasks include problem-solving, management, communication, customer service, and the ability to work under pressure.

To qualify for this position, you will need at least a high school diploma or a GED. An associate's degree in culinary arts or baking or a similar field will be given preference. Moreover, prior proven work experience in managing a bakery along with a food handler's license will also be advantageous. In addition to spending time in a bakery, you will be compensated for the position generously. The average hourly pay for this position is $17.89, which amounts to over $37,000 annually.

ScoreBakery ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,223

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.1

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%

Asian 6.11%

Black or African American 9.83%

Hispanic or Latino 16.58%

Unknown 5.19%

White 61.39%

Gender

female 68.20%

male 31.80%

Age - 34

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34

Stress Level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

5.0

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.5

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a bakery manager

Explore bakery manager education requirements

Most common bakery manager degrees

Associate

31.1 %

High School Diploma

30.0 %

Bachelor's

26.2 %

Start to develop specific bakery manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Food Safety	13.37%
Customer Service	7.78%
Food Handling	7.24%
Customer Satisfaction	6.92%
Cleanliness	6.66%

Complete relevant bakery manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New bakery managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a bakery manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real bakery manager resumes.

Gain additional bakery manager certifications

Bakery manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific bakery manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for bakery managers include Food Safety Manager Certification and Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS).

More About Certifications

Research bakery manager duties and responsibilities

Manage date perishables and oversee all shipping and receiving for store.
Manage receipts, handling of perishables, co-packing and re-packing, maintenance and dispatch of goods.
Enforce GMP's and USDA rules and regulations.
Monitor associates for GMP or PPE violations.

Prepare your bakery manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your bakery manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a bakery manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Bakery Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Bakery Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Bakery Manager resume.

Apply for bakery manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a bakery manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do bakery managers rate their job?

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Bakery Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019

Pros

I like to tell tell people that a be manager a room to maltreat people under you. Also like been humble even though I am heading people because they can contribute ideas that makes you Excel in your position