I've deciced to go ICE culinary school in NYC to get my pastry baking diploma. When I graduate and work in a bakery or work for a cake designer about how much would I get paid? I would like to be a cake designer also, so if I'm baking and decorating cakes and assisting the owner of the store would I get paid more than $8hr? I would appreciate the info. Thank You.

Davina

@ 8 in your in the ball park. Some higher some lower. Ya made it through the front gate with 8

Mike

I think it depends on location and experience, but $8.00 would probably be on the low side for a good designer.

I think that entirely depends on where you are. I have a firend with no experience who just got hired at a grocery store bakery for $10, but then again I'm in California where everything is a little higher.

I would look on various job posting sites and see what wages are posted both in your area and around the counry.

Hope that helps.

I live in the boonies of California and get almost double that and have earned almost triple that in the San Francisco Bay area. I also worked in the Midwest over 12 years ago and was getting over $10. per hour. If you were starting out knowing nothing maybe 8 but a good decorator makes more than that.

.....and it is super fun. I love it!

I just graduated from the FCI in May... in a bakery you're likely to start at around $8, if you go the restaurant route, or a good cake designer probably around $10 (but just know that most cake designers will not hire you right out of school, you'll definitely need a strong internships for that).

It really depends were you are working too. If it's a regular bakery or a high end custom cake shop.
Edna

Around here $9 - $9.50 is normal starting pay.

the pay rate really sucks!!! for lack of a better word. All the studying and time and skills for 8 to 10 dollars an hour.
how is anyone supposed to survive with these kind of wages? especially after going to school and paying off debt?

Can I ask everybody are this high end shops or bakery shops?.. Cause pay is different according to skills required in both of them
Edna

I have worked in high end bakeries in the Bay area where pay was 20+ per hour, and for in-store bakeries where the pay was 14+ per hour and regular bakeries where the pay was only 10.50 -11. per hour.

I find the pay to be more either in the high end bakery because they expect skills from you or, surprisingly the supermarket bakeries where both speed and skill are important, in that order.
The mom and pop bakeries usually do not pay as much and sometimes have no benefits and they usually like to do the more elaborate cakes themselves.

For a caterer, I started at $10 an hour and worked my way up to $15. I was hired specifically for wedding cakes, but also did whatever needed doing, especially in the slow seasons. Also, my hours were not guaranteed more than 20, but could more than double on a busy weekend.
This was with no formal training.
I miss the bakery, especially when I'm up to my elbows in excrement, but I sure don't miss the pay and working every weekend!

I went from $9/hr. to $13/hr. within a year based on my abilities. They start you off pretty low, but if you're talented, and more important - FAST, you will become very valuable.

Once they started telling me that I was the only employee who met (and exceeded!) the hourly production requirements, I pretty much set my own wages and hours after that (the other gals hated me for it - but such is life). I knew they needed me more than I needed them.

Congrats Davina.

I went to ICE too!

Where are you spending your internship? That could be a factor, whether you end up working for the place you intern OR you make many networking connections to help you find a place to work.

You mentioned what you want to focus on after school but allow yourself some time during school to get the hands-on that may either change your focus or strengthen your original goal.

I made a whole lot of connects at school and was able to say, "No, thanks," to many options but I made sure not to burn my bridges because the food service communtiy can get mighty small.

I started for a catering Co. @ 9.50 an hr. I quickly went up from there and am doing ok now.


By the way we are looking for some temporary Holiday help for decorating cookies and cupcakes. I'm in the Dallas Texas area and have had NO luck finding anyone. If anyone is interested please contact me. It's contract labor Oct. thru Dec. and pays 9.50 and hour. I could really use the help. Good opportunity to earn some extra holiday cash.
PLEASE!!!!!! Somebody help

Tracy

I'm hiring right now for an all round assistant at $8 (min wage here is $7.15). I hired my first one at $12 cause I thought that would pull in good ones... but she sucked. Luckily she quit right before I was about to fire her. Learned my lesson. Right now, you come in at the bottom and have to earn the rest. Be prepared for that.

tonedna,
are you hiring? lol

In my area they hire at about $9 an hour in supermarket bakeries. There aren't any high end bakeries anywhere near me, so I don't know what the rate is for that. I am in Pennsylvania, but in the country.

davin13, that's why I only do cakes on the side.
If i would have a sugar daddy, than i could have handled woking for $10.00 an hour. But I am a single mom of two so i need about $20.00 an hour to stay above water with all the bills.

I have found my calling and now i am perfecting my skills at home. Just as I stumbled upon this wonderful world of cakes, I am sure I will stumble upon a break that will come along.
everything we learn & everyone we meet is for a reason.

I am in FL. Here in a high end job with really good skills you can start in 10 and go up to 20[/quote]

I'm in Fl. too and most grocery store chains will only start you off at around 7-8 an hour. Most of the bakery managers top out around this area at $15.

I guess it depends on skills..and the shop...I know a lady, very top high end job..All she makes is fondant, she will pay really good money. But her people have to be the best. She wont hire anybody unless their work is perfect. And then she will still clean them up to her style. Make them sign a contract so they dont tell her secrets to anybody..
Edna

wow. I would love to work in a bakery!! But I simply cannot afford to live off of that.

Malishka, I too wish a had a sugar daddy so that I can just do what makes me happy

I have contimplated going to work with someone in the past as well. Every where I have checked seems to be $10-$13/hour. Even recently, I saw an add on craigslist for our new high end bakery stating they were looking for an "excellent" cake decorator. "Lets make this a win win situation." Offering $10-$30. I immediately applied. But later found out it was a misprint and was supposed to read $10-$13...which is the same as what I've seen the grocery stores pay here. I just cannot give away the clients who will follow me where ever I go (and there are tons of them) and put my son in daycare for that.

This is why I'm going into biz for myself lol... besides I have a issues with authority so I'm no good working for other people anyway hehehe