Career Overview
Bakers make bread, rolls, muffins, pies, pastries, cakes and cookies. They work in retail bakeries, pastry shops, restaurants and cafes of all sizes. They also work for supermarkets, hospitals, hotels, cruise lines, resorts, catering companies and large wholesale businesses that sell baked goods to retailers and other outlets. They may be employed full-time, part-time, on contract or self-employed.
Bakers should be creative, detail-oriented and enjoy working with their hands. They must follow public health regulations and standards.
Job Titles
Duties
Bakers:
- Make dough for pies, bread and rolls, sweets and other baked products
- Prepare batters for muffins, cookies, cakes, icings and frostings according to recipes or special customer orders
- Run baking machinery, such as high-volume mixing machines, ovens and other equipment to produce large quantities of baked goods
- Mix and bake doughs and batters
- Frost and decorate cakes or other baked goods
- Make sure the product meets quality standards
- Create and follow a production schedule
- Determine the supplies to purchase and how much is needed
- Purchase baking supplies
- Make sure the production process meets health and safety standards
- Maintain a clean kitchen/production area
- May supervise sales of baked goods
- May hire, train and supervise baking and kitchen staff
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
6,755% Employed Full Time
43%Employees work shifts and may work early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays. While many bakers work as part of a team, they may also need to work on their own, depending on their job description and the size of the company they work for.
Bakers often work with large mixers, ovens and other small-scale industrial equipment. They typically work in hot, steam-filled work areas and must be able to lift heavy bags of flour, sugar and other ingredients. People in this job must do repetitive actions such as scooping, rolling and forming the dough. Bakers must understand how to work safely to avoid accidents and injuries.
Bakers usually work under strict production deadlines. They must manage the preparation and baking time of different baked goods, which can cause stress. They must ensure that the baked goods are consistent in quality, taste and texture. They must also make sure that health, safety and sanitation guidelines are always followed during the production and cleanup processes.
Career Pathways
Individuals may begin their career as production assistants or assistants to bakers. They may advance to apprentice baker positions.
Completing an apprenticeship and gaining additional experience and training, makes it possible for workers to progress to baking executives or supervisors. Experienced bakers may be asked to manage a bakery or may choose to start their own businesses.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Completion of secondary school is usually required. Other requirements may include:
- Strong math skills
- On-the-job training
- Completion of a three-year apprenticeship program (or completion of a college or other program)
Certification is not required to work as a baker in B.C. Those who wish to be certified must complete a three-year apprenticeship program.
Apprenticeship programs
Work experience and in-class instruction are part of apprenticeship programs. Some part-time and online programs may be available. To apprentice, workers must be sponsored by an employer. A person who successfully completes an apprenticeship program and the final certification exam earns a Certificate of Qualification. Workers with significant experience in the trade may be able to challenge the certification exam to earn the Certificate of Qualification without completing a formal apprenticeship. For more information on earning a Certificate of Qualification, visit SkilledTradesBC.
To work in other provinces
Bakers may need Red Seal certification to work in other provinces. This can be earned by passing an exam and proving significant work experience.
Workers coming to B.C.
Bakers who are certified by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information, such as a letter of good standing, references or a criminal record check.
Workers who trained outside of Canada
Bakers who trained outside of Canada and have never received certification from a Canadian jurisdiction will likely need a full assessment. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants. Contact SkilledTradesBC for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.
For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.
View a list of Professional Regulatory Authorities in B.C.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Baking/Cooking/Chef Training

Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
6,755Employment by Region
Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | 170 | 2.5% |
Kootenay | 240 | 3.6% |
Mainland/Southwest | 4,270 | 63.3% |
North Coast and Nechako | 135 | 2.0% |
Northeast | 70 | 1.0% |
Thompson-Okanagan | 630 | 9.3% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 1,240 | 18.4% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
3,440Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | 60 | -0.1% |
Kootenay | 100 | 0.5% |
Mainland/Southwest | 2,470 | 1.9% |
North Coast and Nechako | 60 | 0.8% |
Northeast | 50 | 1.9% |
Thompson-Okanagan | 290 | 0.2% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 410 | 0.6% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
---|---|
Manufacturing | 1,710 |
Retail Trade | 1,050 |
Accommodation and Food Services | 570 |
Wholesale Trade | 40 |
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 20 |
Insights from Industry
More and more, consumers want choice in the products they eat, including baked goods. For some consumers, this means a preference for healthy, high-end products and specialty baked goods, such as gluten free, dairy free or high protein items.
There are now many bakeries that offer organic products to meet specialty demands. Some larger companies, such as supermarket chains and hotels, have responded to these demands by opting for on-site bakeries. These trends have created a demand for skilled bakers, particularly those with trade certification.
Working for a small bakery may provide more opportunity to be creative and hands-on in providing ideas for what products might be baked and sold. The job of baker at a larger business, such as a restaurant, hotel or wholesale bakery, may be more task-related because the baking is done in huge commercial-size batches, which means that precise measurement, timing and more operational aspects are the focus.
Supply chain issues can make it challenging for a baker to get the ingredients or supplies needed to fulfil the production schedule. Smaller bakeries, cafes and restaurants may need their bakers to replace ingredients or to think of a different product to bake using the ingredients available.
Social media has created opportunity for people with baking skills to show off their abilities. Some bakers have created small home-based businesses by taking orders via social media platforms or by creating sponsored content that is paid for by the companies that manufacture baking ingredients and tools. Bakers must have a business licence and follow all health and safety protocols when selling goods to members of the public, no matter where they bake.
Resources
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Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Unionwww.bctgm.org
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Baking Association of Canadawww.bakingassoccanada.com
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Canadian Culinary Federationwww.culinaryfederation.ca/en
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Red Seal Programwww.red-seal.ca/eng/welcome.shtml
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SkilledTradesBCskilledtradesbc.ca/
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United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1518www.ufcw1518.com