Production
Bakers
SOC 51-3011
Bake breads, pastries, and desserts, usually starting before dawn.
The job
Median pay
$37k
$33k to $44k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+5.5% projected
Openings a year
37k
BLS projection
Typical education
No formal credential
Our model
AI displacement risk
Moderate
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
10/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
25th pct
More exposed than 25% of occupations · modeled estimate · 30th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
46/100
Key skills
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 30,020 | 1.6 | 1.1× | $43k |
| Texas | 16,710 | 1.2 | 0.8× | $34k |
| New York | 15,130 | 1.6 | 1.0× | $39k |
| Illinois | 12,420 | 2.0 | 1.3× | $37k |
| Florida | 12,320 | 1.2 | 0.8× | $36k |
| Pennsylvania | 10,380 | 1.7 | 1.1× | $36k |
| North Carolina | 9,320 | 1.9 | 1.2× | $35k |
| Ohio | 8,890 | 1.6 | 1.1× | $35k |
| New Jersey | 8,110 | 1.9 | 1.3× | $37k |
| Virginia | 7,820 | 1.9 | 1.3× | $34k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 7,350 | 1.5 | 1.0× | $35k |
| Michigan | 7,290 | 1.7 | 1.1× | $36k |
| Washington | 6,270 | 1.8 | 1.2× | $46k |
| Massachusetts | 6,070 | 1.7 | 1.1× | $38k |
| Tennessee | 5,200 | 1.6 | 1.0× | $34k |
| Wisconsin | 4,930 | 1.7 | 1.1× | $37k |
| Colorado | 4,680 | 1.6 | 1.1× | $41k |
| Missouri | 4,190 | 1.4 | 0.9× | $35k |
| Oregon | 4,160 | 2.1 | 1.4× | $40k |
| Arizona | 4,000 | 1.2 | 0.8× | $38k |
| Connecticut | 3,670 | 2.2 | 1.4× | $36k |
| Indiana | 3,600 | 1.1 | 0.7× | $36k |
| Utah | 3,190 | 1.8 | 1.2× | $37k |
| South Carolina | 2,940 | 1.3 | 0.8× | $35k |
| Maryland | 2,740 | 1.0 | 0.7× | $37k |
| Minnesota | 2,660 | 0.9 | 0.6× | $40k |
| Louisiana | 2,450 | 1.3 | 0.8× | $28k |
| Arkansas | 2,400 | 1.8 | 1.2× | $30k |
| Idaho | 2,230 | 2.6 | 1.7× | $34k |
| Iowa | 2,150 | 1.4 | 0.9× | $37k |
| Nevada | 2,040 | 1.3 | 0.9× | $40k |
| Oklahoma | 1,980 | 1.2 | 0.8× | $31k |
| Alabama | 1,880 | 0.9 | 0.6× | $34k |
| Kentucky | 1,630 | 0.8 | 0.5× | $34k |
| Hawaii | 1,580 | 2.5 | 1.7× | $47k |
| New Mexico | 1,540 | 1.8 | 1.2× | $35k |
| Maine | 1,380 | 2.2 | 1.4× | $37k |
| Kansas | 1,370 | 1.0 | 0.6× | $34k |
| Mississippi | 1,300 | 1.1 | 0.7× | $29k |
| Washington DC | 1,270 | 1.8 | 1.2× | $44k |
| Nebraska | 1,030 | 1.0 | 0.7× | $35k |
| Montana | 990 | 1.9 | 1.3× | $37k |
| New Hampshire | 880 | 1.3 | 0.8× | $40k |
| North Dakota | 830 | 1.9 | 1.3× | $37k |
| West Virginia | 750 | 1.1 | 0.7× | $28k |
| Vermont | 580 | 1.9 | 1.3× | $40k |
| Rhode Island | 560 | 1.1 | 0.7× | $38k |
| Alaska | 430 | 1.3 | 0.9× | $40k |
| South Dakota | 330 | 0.7 | 0.5× | $38k |
| Delaware | 290 | 0.6 | 0.4× | $37k |
| Wyoming | 240 | 0.9 | 0.6× | $40k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ16,560 jobs · $39k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA10,580 jobs · $39k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN9,920 jobs · $37k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV5,740 jobs · $39k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX5,160 jobs · $34k median
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA4,820 jobs · $47k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA4,760 jobs · $37k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD4,410 jobs · $38k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Bakers interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.