Bakers

Low pay & highrisk
High Risk
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Occupation snapshot

What does this snowflake show?
The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
JOB SCORE
3.6/10
What's this?
Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

Risk & user votes

Calculated automation risk

65% (High Risk)

High Risk (61-80%): This occupation shows a significant risk of end-to-end replacement by automation. Many core parts of the role may be structured, repeatable, software-driven, or physically predictable enough for AI, machines, or robotic systems to take over. If you work in this area, it may be worth exploring safer related careers or moving towards more human-centred responsibilities.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Human strengths important in this job

These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.

Critical thinking

Quite important
Why this matters
Weigh options using logic and evidence, spot weaknesses in arguments, and choose the best approach when there isn’t a single clear answer.
Jobs that also use this strength

Active learning

Quite important
Why this matters
Keeps learning from new information and applying it to make better decisions now and in the future, especially when situations change.
Jobs that also use this strength

What users think

Based on 320 votes

53% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted they are unsure if this occupation will be automated. However, the automation risk level we have generated suggests a much higher chance of automation: 65% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Bakers will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

Sentiment

Based on user votes over time

View sentiment trend

How opinions have changed over time

Pay & outlook

Wages

Very low paid relative to other professions

In 2024, the median annual wage for Bakers was $36,650 ($18 per hour).

The median annual wage for Bakers was 26.0% lower than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.

View wage trend

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Growth

Fast growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Bakers' job openings is expected to rise 5.6% by 2034

View employment trend

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Volume

Greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2024 there were 231,890 people employed as 'Bakers' within the United States.

This represents around 0.15% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 664 people are employed as 'Bakers'.

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What people are saying (22)

Leave a comment
Guy (Low)
09 Oct 2024 17:30
Robots will not replace humans in the near future when it comes to baking. Because baking has steps that are very challenging for an ai to compute and would need a physical robot to do them. Not like the ordering menus at McDonalds with ChatGPT on a screen. People also simply like real bakers more. If bakeries all became ai generated nobody would go to them after a few years.
Bruce Jackson (No chance)
17 Jul 2023 01:01
Imagine a robotic Baker kneading or proofing dough. Adjustments due to altitude or touch must be made by human hands. Dough contains live microorganisms that respond to human hands. The taste of robotic baked goods would ruin the food industry.
Guy
09 Oct 2024 17:26
Yeah thats accurate. Im surprised it was rated this high of a risk.
Sofia
21 May 2021 15:49
Damn way to crush a child’s dream
Malcolm, (No chance)
27 Aug 2025 11:34
Almost impossible, AI cannot feel, taste, and such. For a AI to do such thing, we would have to find ways around it to make it work, again baking is a art for humans, something far too complicated for a AI.
B
09 Sep 2020 17:38
Reading comments like these make me think everybody thinks of a robot a big metal android like in movies, and not as specially made robots designed specifically to do a job with the intent of replacing people
naturalbeauty (Low)
07 Feb 2020 10:32
products made by robots are not made by heart.
MAR (Uncertain)
19 Apr 2021 17:48
that is sooo true. nothing would be made with love if it was made by AIs.
Mille
04 Sep 2019 09:50
They have no taste buds or smell so it will probably end up in disgusting food if they create food.
dd123abc
10 Nov 2019 16:11
I want to be a pastry chef and now I can't thanks
Lily
07 May 2020 10:58
You can still be one its just that some robots are doing that job... their are still pastry jobs available
Guy
09 Oct 2024 17:32
You could also start your own bakery, though it is very expensive and requires more management than other bakery jobs.
AHHHH AH AHHHHHHH
30 Sep 2025 17:56
Don't worry, as seen by others in these comments, it probably won' and i dont think there will be any demand for it.
Annie123
24 Feb 2020 02:45
Robots would be such bad bakers. There is no chance anyone would go to bakeries anymore this is crazy.
Guy
09 Oct 2024 17:28
True, if I saw a bakery that used ai im not going
Millie (No chance)
04 Sep 2019 09:49
Because they can knock something over or do something wrong and create chaos
Hey peeps
01 Jul 2019 10:51
It is not a good idea for robots to be bakers
David Kohen (No chance)
17 Apr 2019 12:51
Requires computers with the ability to taste, to project how others will react to taste and innovate food. In my opinion, one of the last to go. However as a profession it will be impacted by ex-lawyers, doctors and especially computer engineers who enter the field after losing their forst profession.
Matthew J Watson
17 Jun 2019 19:30
Perhaps the job can change which could focus on designing and decorating custom pastries. While robots replicate them
Millie
04 Sep 2019 09:51
Good point they can not taste
Ale
22 May 2020 00:48
It doesn't require for a robot that has taste buds, just one that can follow directions, and one human to taste the recipes, that's it. Honestly i like being a Baker more than a chef, way more, but it suffers from similar problems. It needs to go, and i will be thankful for it. I guess in the next few years it's time to learn a new job, don't go to chef school like i did. Terrible job overall.
michael
06 Nov 2023 06:53
Why chef is terrible job? You mean cookery chef? I guess bakery & patisserie chef is far easier compare with cookery chef
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Job description

Mix and bake ingredients to produce breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, or other baked goods.

O*NET-SOC code: 51-3011.00