Bakers
Bakers (SOC 51-3011) earn a median $37,160 a year ($17.86 an hour) in the United States, with 236,200 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What bakers do
Bakers make bread, rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, and pastries. A baker weighs flour and other ingredients, mixes them in bowls or large mixing machines, and sets the speed and time controls. Dough is divided, shaped, and placed in pans, molds, or on sheets, then baked in production ovens or on grills, with oven temperatures set and adjusted by the baker. Finished items are checked for color and quality, and anything damaged or past its date is pulled. Batters, fillings, and icings are prepared as well as doughs, and raw materials are checked against standards. The same tasks apply whether ingredients are combined in a bowl or in blending and cooking machinery. Pastry chefs in restaurants and hotels are not counted here but with chefs and head cooks.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Bagel Maker, Baker, Bakery Associate, Bakery Clerk, Bakery Team Member.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.52 | $15.70 | $17.86 | $21.33 | $23.57 | $18.50 | 236,200 |
| Annual | $28,120 | $32,660 | $37,160 | $44,360 | $49,020 | $38,480 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where bakers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $15.49 | $18.19 | $22.46 | $27.97 | $31.77 | $23.27 | 1,580 | 2.51 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $32,220 | $37,840 | $46,710 | $58,180 | $66,080 | $48,390 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.50 | $18.70 | $22.18 | $24.72 | $29.17 | $22.46 | 6,270 | 1.77 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $36,390 | $38,890 | $46,140 | $51,420 | $60,670 | $46,720 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.62 | $18.74 | $21.17 | $22.89 | $24.72 | $21.82 | 1,270 | 1.81 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $38,720 | $38,990 | $44,040 | $47,600 | $51,430 | $45,380 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.55 | $18.29 | $20.73 | $22.84 | $26.42 | $21.21 | 30,020 | 1.65 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $36,510 | $38,040 | $43,120 | $47,500 | $54,960 | $44,130 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $15.78 | $17.84 | $19.55 | $23.21 | $27.20 | $20.79 | 4,680 | 1.63 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $32,820 | $37,100 | $40,650 | $48,280 | $56,570 | $43,240 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.55 | $18.29 | $20.73 | $22.84 | $26.42 | $21.21 | 30,020 | 1.65 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $36,510 | $38,040 | $43,120 | $47,500 | $54,960 | $44,130 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.74 | $13.56 | $16.25 | $17.97 | $21.16 | $16.27 | 16,710 | 1.19 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $24,430 | $28,190 | $33,790 | $37,380 | $44,020 | $33,830 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.67 | $17.38 | $18.59 | $21.85 | $25.94 | $20.20 | 15,130 | 1.56 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $34,670 | $36,150 | $38,660 | $45,450 | $53,960 | $42,010 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $16.67 | $17.80 | $21.28 | $22.74 | $18.73 | 12,420 | 2.04 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $34,680 | $37,030 | $44,260 | $47,290 | $38,960 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.84 | $14.66 | $17.24 | $19.08 | $21.79 | $17.63 | 12,320 | 1.24 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $28,780 | $30,490 | $35,870 | $39,690 | $45,330 | $36,680 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Chambersburg, PA | Hourly | $13.20 | $18.67 | $23.39 | $23.39 | $23.39 | $21.30 | 200 | 3.28 | 2.16 |
| Annual | $27,460 | $38,820 | $48,640 | $48,640 | $48,640 | $44,300 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $18.45 | $19.24 | $23.16 | $25.80 | $29.87 | $23.53 | 3,560 | 1.71 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $38,380 | $40,030 | $48,180 | $53,670 | $62,120 | $48,930 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $15.49 | $18.11 | $22.67 | $27.86 | $30.85 | $23.05 | 1,090 | 2.45 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $32,220 | $37,680 | $47,150 | $57,940 | $64,180 | $47,930 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $17.25 | $19.29 | $22.61 | $30.11 | $34.31 | $25.20 | 190 | 2.64 | 1.74 |
| Annual | $35,880 | $40,130 | $47,020 | $62,630 | $71,360 | $52,420 | ||||
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | Hourly | $17.28 | $18.93 | $22.58 | $25.30 | $28.09 | $22.86 | 180 | 1.39 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $35,950 | $39,370 | $46,960 | $52,630 | $58,430 | $47,540 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.69 | $17.36 | $18.70 | $22.22 | $26.23 | $20.33 | 16,560 | 1.75 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $34,710 | $36,100 | $38,890 | $46,220 | $54,560 | $42,290 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.68 | $18.25 | $18.88 | $22.46 | $24.10 | $20.72 | 10,580 | 1.69 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $36,780 | $37,950 | $39,260 | $46,710 | $50,120 | $43,090 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.56 | $17.26 | $17.90 | $21.68 | $22.89 | $19.15 | 9,920 | 2.20 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $32,370 | $35,910 | $37,230 | $45,100 | $47,610 | $39,820 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $15.63 | $17.01 | $18.58 | $21.90 | $23.87 | $19.70 | 5,740 | 1.83 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $32,500 | $35,380 | $38,650 | $45,550 | $49,650 | $40,970 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $12.60 | $13.68 | $16.52 | $18.08 | $21.16 | $16.47 | 5,160 | 1.27 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $26,210 | $28,460 | $34,350 | $37,600 | $44,020 | $34,250 | ||||
Top industries employing bakers
Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing employ 33.7% of bakers nationally (79,680 jobs) at a median $37,180 a year ($17.87 an hour), followed by Restaurants and Other Eating Places (25.9%) and Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) (25.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing NAICS 311800 | 79,680 | 33.7% | $37,180 | $17.87 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 61,170 | 25.9% | $35,790 | $17.21 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) NAICS 4450A1 | 60,520 | 25.6% | $37,240 | $17.91 |
| General Merchandise Retailers NAICS 455000 | 13,750 | 5.8% | $41,140 | $19.78 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 4,570 | 1.9% | $41,040 | $19.73 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (236,200). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,750 for bakers in May 2021 and $37,160 in May 2025, with employment of 181,800 and 236,200.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,750 | $14.31 | 181,800 |
| May 2022 | $32,780 | $15.76 | 205,300 |
| May 2023 | $34,950 | $16.80 | 220,230 |
| May 2024 | $36,650 | $17.62 | 231,890 |
| May 2025 | $37,160 | $17.86 | 236,200 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii profile | $22.46 | $46,710 | $32,220 | $66,080 | 1,580 | 2.51 | 1.65 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $22.18 | $46,140 | $36,390 | $60,670 | 6,270 | 1.77 | 1.16 |
| 3 | District of Columbia profile | $21.17 | $44,040 | $38,720 | $51,430 | 1,270 | 1.81 | 1.19 |
| 4 | California profile | $20.73 | $43,120 | $36,510 | $54,960 | 30,020 | 1.65 | 1.08 |
| 5 | Colorado profile | $19.55 | $40,650 | $32,820 | $56,570 | 4,680 | 1.63 | 1.07 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $19.33 | $40,210 | $31,110 | $52,970 | 2,660 | 0.90 | 0.59 |
| 7 | Wyoming profile | $19.23 | $40,000 | $30,620 | $48,040 | 240 | 0.86 | 0.57 |
| 8 | Vermont profile | $19.22 | $39,980 | $33,260 | $55,430 | 580 | 1.92 | 1.26 |
| 9 | Alaska profile | $19.09 | $39,710 | $34,550 | $64,110 | 430 | 1.33 | 0.88 |
| 10 | Nevada profile | $19.01 | $39,540 | $28,540 | $56,060 | 2,040 | 1.32 | 0.87 |
| 11 | New Hampshire profile | $18.99 | $39,500 | $31,760 | $49,230 | 880 | 1.29 | 0.85 |
| 12 | Oregon profile | $18.99 | $39,500 | $33,120 | $51,870 | 4,160 | 2.12 | 1.39 |
| 13 | New York profile | $18.59 | $38,660 | $34,670 | $53,960 | 15,130 | 1.56 | 1.03 |
| 14 | South Dakota profile | $18.43 | $38,340 | $28,880 | $50,360 | 330 | 0.72 | 0.47 |
| 15 | Rhode Island profile | $18.34 | $38,140 | $32,470 | $58,360 | 560 | 1.12 | 0.74 |
| 16 | Massachusetts profile | $18.33 | $38,130 | $35,080 | $47,750 | 6,070 | 1.67 | 1.10 |
| 17 | Arizona profile | $18.12 | $37,700 | $34,700 | $48,040 | 4,000 | 1.24 | 0.81 |
| 18 | Maine profile | $17.98 | $37,390 | $32,210 | $46,490 | 1,380 | 2.16 | 1.42 |
| 19 | Wisconsin profile | $17.94 | $37,310 | $29,640 | $48,030 | 4,930 | 1.68 | 1.10 |
| 20 | Iowa profile | $17.89 | $37,210 | $22,920 | $49,610 | 2,150 | 1.38 | 0.91 |
| 21 | Montana profile | $17.89 | $37,200 | $26,080 | $50,670 | 990 | 1.94 | 1.28 |
| 22 | Maryland profile | $17.81 | $37,040 | $32,220 | $51,150 | 2,740 | 0.99 | 0.65 |
| 23 | Illinois profile | $17.80 | $37,030 | $31,200 | $47,290 | 12,420 | 2.04 | 1.34 |
| 24 | New Jersey profile | $17.77 | $36,960 | $32,220 | $55,280 | 8,110 | 1.89 | 1.25 |
| 25 | North Dakota profile | $17.74 | $36,900 | $29,640 | $46,500 | 830 | 1.93 | 1.27 |
| 26 | Delaware profile | $17.66 | $36,730 | $31,200 | $60,320 | 290 | 0.59 | 0.39 |
| 27 | Utah profile | $17.63 | $36,670 | $26,070 | $47,000 | 3,190 | 1.84 | 1.21 |
| 28 | Connecticut profile | $17.53 | $36,460 | $34,010 | $47,930 | 3,670 | 2.17 | 1.43 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania profile | $17.48 | $36,360 | $25,430 | $50,470 | 10,380 | 1.71 | 1.13 |
| 30 | Indiana profile | $17.38 | $36,150 | $22,880 | $47,360 | 3,600 | 1.13 | 0.74 |
| 31 | Florida profile | $17.24 | $35,870 | $28,780 | $45,330 | 12,320 | 1.24 | 0.82 |
| 32 | Michigan profile | $17.22 | $35,830 | $28,860 | $47,130 | 7,290 | 1.66 | 1.09 |
| 33 | South Carolina profile | $17.05 | $35,460 | $25,340 | $45,330 | 2,940 | 1.28 | 0.84 |
| 34 | Nebraska profile | $16.96 | $35,280 | $28,970 | $47,930 | 1,030 | 1.01 | 0.66 |
| 35 | Missouri profile | $16.89 | $35,130 | $29,060 | $46,470 | 4,190 | 1.43 | 0.94 |
| 36 | Georgia profile | $16.83 | $35,010 | $22,550 | $46,380 | 7,350 | 1.50 | 0.99 |
| 37 | New Mexico profile | $16.76 | $34,850 | $29,630 | $44,560 | 1,540 | 1.77 | 1.16 |
| 38 | Ohio profile | $16.62 | $34,560 | $24,160 | $46,320 | 8,890 | 1.60 | 1.05 |
| 39 | North Carolina profile | $16.59 | $34,510 | $19,690 | $45,800 | 9,320 | 1.89 | 1.24 |
| 40 | Tennessee profile | $16.56 | $34,440 | $22,380 | $46,400 | 5,200 | 1.59 | 1.04 |
| 41 | Virginia profile | $16.55 | $34,430 | $28,140 | $46,620 | 7,820 | 1.90 | 1.25 |
| 42 | Kansas profile | $16.49 | $34,300 | $27,410 | $45,740 | 1,370 | 0.95 | 0.63 |
| 43 | Idaho profile | $16.38 | $34,060 | $21,100 | $46,110 | 2,230 | 2.60 | 1.71 |
| 44 | Alabama profile | $16.36 | $34,030 | $20,940 | $44,600 | 1,880 | 0.89 | 0.59 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | $16.29 | $33,890 | $24,440 | $47,810 | 1,630 | 0.82 | 0.54 |
| 46 | Texas profile | $16.25 | $33,790 | $24,430 | $44,020 | 16,710 | 1.19 | 0.78 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $15.13 | $31,460 | $22,570 | $37,700 | 1,980 | 1.16 | 0.76 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | $14.61 | $30,380 | $24,670 | $37,810 | 2,400 | 1.85 | 1.21 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $13.91 | $28,920 | $20,910 | $40,390 | 1,300 | 1.12 | 0.73 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $13.69 | $28,480 | $22,170 | $44,720 | 750 | 1.07 | 0.71 |
| 51 | Louisiana profile | $13.47 | $28,020 | $21,930 | $40,780 | 2,450 | 1.27 | 0.83 |
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-3011 Bakers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-3011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-3011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.