Bakers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for bakerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $38,480 ≈ $19/hr
National median salary $37,160
Total employment 236,200 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +5.6%
Faster than average
Annual openings 39,900 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 249,100 → 263,200 (+14,000)
Typical entry education No formal educational credential
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Hawaii$48,390
- Washington$46,720
- District of Columbia$45,380
- California$44,130
- Alaska$44,070
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$29,780
- Mississippi$30,040
- West Virginia$31,130
- Oklahoma$31,320
- Arkansas$31,560
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $48,390 | $46,710 | $23 | +25.8% | 1,580 |
| 2 | Washington | $46,720 | $46,140 | $22 | +21.4% | 6,270 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $45,380 | $44,040 | $22 | +17.9% | 1,270 |
| 4 | California | $44,130 | $43,120 | $21 | +14.7% | 30,020 |
| 5 | Alaska | $44,070 | $39,710 | $21 | +14.5% | 430 |
| 6 | Colorado | $43,240 | $40,650 | $21 | +12.4% | 4,680 |
| 7 | Vermont | $42,830 | $39,980 | $21 | +11.3% | 580 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $42,120 | $40,210 | $20 | +9.5% | 2,660 |
| 9 | New York | $42,010 | $38,660 | $20 | +9.2% | 15,130 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $42,010 | $38,140 | $20 | +9.2% | 560 |
| 11 | Nevada | $41,950 | $39,540 | $20 | +9% | 2,040 |
| 12 | Oregon | $41,520 | $39,500 | $20 | +7.9% | 4,160 |
| 13 | Delaware | $41,500 | $36,730 | $20 | +7.8% | 290 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $41,280 | $38,130 | $20 | +7.3% | 6,070 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $41,210 | $39,500 | $20 | +7.1% | 880 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $40,930 | $40,000 | $20 | +6.4% | 240 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $40,660 | $36,960 | $20 | +5.7% | 8,110 |
| 18 | Maryland | $40,120 | $37,040 | $19 | +4.3% | 2,740 |
| 19 | Arizona | $40,010 | $37,700 | $19 | +4% | 4,000 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $39,250 | $36,460 | $19 | +2% | 3,670 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $39,050 | $38,340 | $19 | +1.5% | 330 |
| 22 | Maine | $39,030 | $37,390 | $19 | +1.4% | 1,380 |
| 23 | Illinois | $38,960 | $37,030 | $19 | +1.2% | 12,420 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $38,740 | $37,310 | $19 | +0.7% | 4,930 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $38,400 | $36,900 | $18 | -0.2% | 830 |
| 26 | Montana | $38,140 | $37,200 | $18 | -0.9% | 990 |
| 27 | Iowa | $37,180 | $37,210 | $18 | -3.4% | 2,150 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $37,090 | $36,360 | $18 | -3.6% | 10,380 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $37,080 | $35,280 | $18 | -3.6% | 1,030 |
| 30 | Michigan | $36,950 | $35,830 | $18 | -4% | 7,290 |
| 31 | Utah | $36,790 | $36,670 | $18 | -4.4% | 3,190 |
| 32 | Florida | $36,680 | $35,870 | $18 | -4.7% | 12,320 |
| 33 | Indiana | $36,050 | $36,150 | $17 | -6.3% | 3,600 |
| 34 | Virginia | $35,960 | $34,430 | $17 | -6.5% | 7,820 |
| 35 | Missouri | $35,920 | $35,130 | $17 | -6.7% | 4,190 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $35,660 | $34,850 | $17 | -7.3% | 1,540 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $34,980 | $35,460 | $17 | -9.1% | 2,940 |
| 38 | Kansas | $34,920 | $34,300 | $17 | -9.3% | 1,370 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $34,760 | $33,890 | $17 | -9.7% | 1,630 |
| 40 | Georgia | $34,540 | $35,010 | $17 | -10.2% | 7,350 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $34,530 | $34,440 | $17 | -10.3% | 5,200 |
| 42 | Ohio | $34,430 | $34,560 | $17 | -10.5% | 8,890 |
| 43 | Texas | $33,830 | $33,790 | $16 | -12.1% | 16,710 |
| 44 | Idaho | $33,790 | $34,060 | $16 | -12.2% | 2,230 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $33,750 | $34,510 | $16 | -12.3% | 9,320 |
| 46 | Alabama | $33,440 | $34,030 | $16 | -13.1% | 1,880 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $31,560 | $30,380 | $15 | -18% | 2,400 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $31,320 | $31,460 | $15 | -18.6% | 1,980 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $31,130 | $28,480 | $15 | -19.1% | 750 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $30,040 | $28,920 | $14 | -21.9% | 1,300 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $29,780 | $28,020 | $14 | -22.6% | 2,450 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 492 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chambersburg, PA | $48,640 | $44,300 | 200 |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48,180 | $48,930 | 3,560 |
| 3 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $47,150 | $47,930 | 1,090 |
| 4 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $47,020 | $52,420 | 190 |
| 5 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $46,960 | $47,540 | 180 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $46,600 | $47,540 | 4,820 |
| 7 | Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $46,530 | $45,570 | 210 |
| 8 | Napa, CA | $46,360 | $46,400 | 170 |
| 9 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $45,830 | $47,460 | 290 |
| 10 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $45,480 | $48,600 | 1,240 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing bakerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned | $57,990 | $57,470 | 240 |
| 2 | Educational Services, State Government Owned | $56,020 | $53,030 | 480 |
| 3 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $55,850 | $52,610 | 500 |
| 4 | Florists | $52,580 | $46,740 | 70 |
| 5 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, State Government Owned | $50,500 | $48,540 | 240 |
| 6 | Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services | $48,580 | $43,430 | 50 |
| 7 | Traveler Accommodation | $47,520 | $50,170 | 3,170 |
| 8 | Accommodation | $47,460 | $50,110 | 3,200 |
| 9 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $47,080 | $47,260 | 460 |
| 10 | Elementary and Secondary Schools | $46,970 | $47,540 | 490 |
| 11 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $46,930 | $50,740 | 50 |
| 12 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $46,930 | $50,740 | 50 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do bakers make in the U.S.?
The median bakers salary in the United States is $37,160 per year (mean $38,480), and about 80% earn between $28,120 and $49,020.
How much do bakers make per hour?
Roughly $19 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $38,480 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays bakers the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for bakers at $48,390 per year (median $46,710).
What is the job outlook for bakers?
Employment is projected to change +5.6% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 39,900 openings per year.