So i have been looking for a part time cake decorator's position for a while now.One wanted to pay me $7.50 and i turn them down.
Now i applied for kroger and found out they would pay me$6.00 an hour.
What are u kidding me!!!!???????I am so p*ssed 
.That would pay only for my son's daycare
I am giving up!! I am gonna look for a job as a hairstylist after all i have my cosmetology license.
Thanks for listening to me!!!
I have a friend who decorates part time at HY-Vee supermarket here in KS. She makes 11or 12 per hour. Of course, her husband is the bakery manager. But it was not her husband who gave her the last raise. I think she probably made $10 /hour for a long time.
Keep asking around if you have experience.
Maybe try Costco or Sam's Club. I know Costco treats their employees very well, and you could get some other great benefits there.
Maybe even try Cold Stone Creamery, or Baskin Robbins or Dairy queen. They may need a part time decorator.
I wouldn't do it for near min wage either. Get what you're worth. You could save that much by staying home, for sure.
Maybe try Costco or Sam's Club. I know Costco treats their employees very well, and you could get some other great benefits there.
I used to work at Costco and if I remember correctly you start at $10/hour and on Sundays you are paid time and a half!
Don't apply at Cold Stone. I decorated cakes there for almost a year. It's really hard on your wrists, working with that hard (but oh, so yummy!) ice cream. My chiropractor was telling me to quit there long before I actually did. I should have listened to him.
I got my first job as a decorator in a bakery making $8.50 to start out with. At Cold Stone I got $7.
Deanna
Thank you guys for the advice.
I had called coldstone yesterday they pay $7.50 an hour. I tried costco they never called.
I live in Kansas like leta (from above post) and I interviewed at Hy Vee last fall. I was waaaay to slow and didn't get the job! Probably a blessing anyway! The work area was messy and unorganized and the frosting was too soft. I think it would have been a difficult transition from making cakes at home.
As far as wages go, the manager said they usually start between $9-$11 dollars depending on skill level. I wanted $11 minumum. When he first asked what I expected as an hourly wage I said $12-$14 and he said that was almost unheard of unless you were just exceptional. When he told me that $10 was a more realistic wage I kinda lost interest.
Wow wendysue i wish they would pay that much around here!
I told my husband yesterday maybe it is time to move to a bigger town 
I live outside houston. Everything else is going up why can't the pay!!!!!!
I wouldn't work for any less than that, doing anything! When I caught ear of what was involved I felt that even $10 wasn't a fair wage. I went in on a Tuesday and they were talking about how their main decorator walked on them. They had 9 wedding cakes to make for that Friday and Saturday on top of all the other cake orders that had come in and so were ready to hire on the spot. There's no way I was the right candidate! I like the art of cake decorating and that would have just been lost if I'd had to make so many so quick. I didn't even want the job after I saw the conditions of the bakery and the disorder. Just too chaotic for my taste. Like I said he didn't offer me a job, but that was just as well. I think we both knew it wasn't a good fit.
Definitely what they're paying in your area is way too low, especially if you'd be making wedding cakes. Unless you just really want the experience, I don't think I'd settle for so little.
Ashiana, Good for you!! This is one of things that I fet outraged about! This is why there are so many "working poor" in this country. Seeing that you already are a cosmetologist shows that you drive and ambition. I don't know what the laws are in Houston but you could be a cosmetoligist by day and baker at night by starting your own business. You would make than 6 bucks an hour to begin with baking. Oh, yes, as a second thought you might take your photos of your fabulous cakes and show them to caterers.
Hey Ashianadotkom,
I feel ya.....I'm here in Houston and I've heard some of the same things. I'm not quite that great yet but still you're worth what you're worth. I agree...take some of those wonderful pictures of yours with you and the next time someone says that they think that you should only be paid the minimum amount (whip out your portfolio and put them to shame), then you tell them "YOUR LOSS" 
one thing you all aren't factoring in here . . .the grocery stores are not aiming to be cake art, they are aiming to turn out moderately priced cakes in a mass production environment for the general public. People who buy cakes form grocery stores are getting (or expecting, generally) customized cakes. Churn 'em out and move on, is more like it.
Paying a high wage means the cakes have to be priced higher, and that isn't their market niche. Try applying to a high end bakery.
one thing you all aren't factoring in here . . .the grocery stores are not aiming to be cake art, they are aiming to turn out moderately priced cakes in a mass production environment for the general public. People who buy cakes form grocery stores are getting (or expecting, generally) customized cakes. Churn 'em out and move on, is more like it.
Paying a high wage means the cakes have to be priced higher, and that isn't their market niche. Try applying to a high end bakery.
ashain,
Go to the local Wal*Mart supercenter and apply. When you fill out the career preference questionaire, put down that you want to be a part time decorator in the bakery. When you have your interview, tell them what you know that you are worth but that you will accept thus and such, the absolute lowest that you will accept. And don't budge. Bring your portfolio with you. As of now, I think, even part time associates are eligible for benefits. Also, after 90 days, you will be up for review and will get your first raise.
And then you get a raise every year on your hire date regardless, but the amount depends on your performance.
Wal*Mart usually goes toward the higher end of the prevailing wage for their category. Let's say that there are a couple grocery stores paying min. wage and 4-5 paying union scale. They will go towards the higher end. If the prevailing wage is like o. say 6.00 at one of the lower end grocery stores and the higher end grocery stores are paying like 12-15 then you could probably see (don't quote me on it, but this is how it usually works, 9-10 dollars to start).
This all depends on the area that you are in. Big cities tend to have higher wages than small towns.
Case in point about the demographics: Our town (small) the starting wage at the lower end groc. stores is min. wage or 5.75. The absolute lowest starting wage at our walmart is 6.25. Each job is in a category and 6.25 is category 1. Cake decorators are category 3 which would be .40 more per hour than category one. That's if you don't have any experience. If you do have experience you can come in at a higher wage. I have a fellow associate who makes quite a bit more than that when she started. She came from a nationwide chain store and had experience. So she is compensated more for that.
Then again in the Denver area stores the category 1 jobs start at 10-12 an hour. So it just depends on where you live. And beings you live in the Houston area where the average hourly wage would be more than in a small town then you should do ok.
Glad you asked hun,
When I started in the bakery almost three years ago. (dang it's been that long already). I had an idea on how to do roses. Now i can whip them puppies out like nobodies business. I had a wonderful bakery manager who showed me how to do those. Now it's my turn to show the rest of my decorator crew how to do that too. To answer your questions; yes they will show you how to make roses, smooth the frosting. And on some cakes especially the "kit" cakes you have to follow the guidelines because they are liscenced products and shouldn't be deviated from the original design. But on wedding cakes and other decorated cakes, I, personally take creative liscence and have fun.
As you can see from some of my pics in my gallery I can get a little creative and have "my way" LOL. The eagle cake the mexican flag cake, the horse, colorado and the kitty cake are all cakes that I have done for work. I am constantly asked to draw this or that on cakes all the time. I did a "Lucille Ball" fbct on a cake. That's another thing that I brought to our bakery from this site was the fbct thing. The more creative the better I say on those particular kind of cakes, but then again that's how I run my dept. I ask that each of my decorators comes up with a "signature" cake. One that they will be noted for. One lady is very good at roses and kewl borders. One is excellent at different kinds of flowers and I like the drawing and airbrushing aspect and scroll work.
But, this all depends on the bakery manager and the dept lead and what they expect.
I am doing my best to get rid of the "slab" cake mentality. And it seems to be working. Just remember one thing though. You need to get to the point where you are fast. But on some you will be able to take your time and have fun. Yeah sometimes you have to wham bam thank you ma'am some of the cakes but the ones you get to take time on, don't forget to take pics of for your portfolio and for the bakeries.
chaptlps: thanks for answering my questions. I've been thinking about looking for a part time dec job on the weekends...I have a little shop, but haven't been able to be there much cause its in an office tower & the only business I have is during the day. I would love to learn roses & how to decently smooth a cake & make a little extra $ on the side. I think I might look into it. Thanks again 
I think Krogers starts everyone out at $6 an hr. I used to work there a couple years ago. That's one of those jobs you have to stick with to make your money on. But they do give frequent raises! I have a SIL who worked for them up until last year, and she started out at that pay rate, and within 5 yrs time she was making more then doubled that! She was up to over $14 an hr! And she wasn't even the cake decorator, just worked the deli and bakery both. She was taught how to do basic decorations, no way could she do what's done on these cakes from this site though . Just thought I'd throw that in here lol. Good luck
Here is an interesting story for all of you reguarding the wages of the retail decorator. I work for a hyvee in mo and make the much higher end of the wage bracket. I have 20 years experience in retail. They make a great profit off the production I can do. We had a really poor manager come in for awhile and I thought I couldent' take it any more so I applied at walmart. The most he could offer me was 9.00/hour. I asked how they could justify offering such a low rate. The manager explained it to me like this. A few years ago walmart had some bean counters work up the cost difference of continually retraining decorators vs. keeping the better paid ones for the long run. They decided since they did not desire to have top of the line quality it was perfectly acceptable to retrain a lesser paid employee. The cakes still sold so that was all that mattered. They made it mandatory across the co. that no store could hire a decorator for more than the 9.00/hr.... All the managers were outrages but teh bean counters results prevailed. Thus your offer of 6.00/hour. Because other companies now know you are not likely to get a higher wage at the other co.'s either. There will be execptions to this here and there but I have seen this effect for the last 5 years. I hear the same story quite often.
Makes you crazy sometimes don't it? 
Here is an interesting story for all of you reguarding the wages of the retail decorator. I work for a hyvee in mo and make the much higher end of the wage bracket. I have 20 years experience in retail. They make a great profit off the production I can do. We had a really poor manager come in for awhile and I thought I couldent' take it any more so I applied at walmart. The most he could offer me was 9.00/hour. I asked how they could justify offering such a low rate. The manager explained it to me like this. A few years ago walmart had some bean counters work up the cost difference of continually retraining decorators vs. keeping the better paid ones for the long run. They decided since they did not desire to have top of the line quality it was perfectly acceptable to retrain a lesser paid employee. The cakes still sold so that was all that mattered. They made it mandatory across the co. that no store could hire a decorator for more than the 9.00/hr.... All the managers were outrages but teh bean counters results prevailed. Thus your offer of 6.00/hour. Because other companies now know you are not likely to get a higher wage at the other co.'s either. There will be execptions to this here and there but I have seen this effect for the last 5 years. I hear the same story quite often.
Makes you crazy sometimes don't it?
Hi! I just accepted a temporary summer job as a Part-Time Cake Decorator for Food Lion here in FL (I will be moving to NC this Fall) and they are going to pay me $8 per hour. I requested to work no more than 25 hours per week and they accepted it. I filled out their application on their website (www.foodlion.com) and two weeks later, they called me and asked me if I'm still interesting in that position - YES!
My Bakery Supervisor will show me how everything, I mean EVERYTHING! At least, I will have some experiences before I can start my home business later this year.
I would say keep looking until you're happy with their hourly rate and schedule. Don't give up and Good Luck!
I started at Costco for $10.50 per hr part time took about 4.5 yrs to make $21.82. Costco pays very well but you work hard for it.
ashain,
Go to the local Wal*Mart supercenter and apply. When you fill out the career preference questionaire, put down that you want to be a part time decorator in the bakery. When you have your interview, tell them what you know that you are worth but that you will accept thus and such, the absolute lowest that you will accept. And don't budge. Bring your portfolio with you. As of now, I think, even part time associates are eligible for benefits. Also, after 90 days, you will be up for review and will get your first raise.
And then you get a raise every year on your hire date regardless, but the amount depends on your performance.
Wal*Mart usually goes toward the higher end of the prevailing wage for their category. Let's say that there are a couple grocery stores paying min. wage and 4-5 paying union scale. They will go towards the higher end. If the prevailing wage is like o. say 6.00 at one of the lower end grocery stores and the higher end grocery stores are paying like 12-15 then you could probably see (don't quote me on it, but this is how it usually works, 9-10 dollars to start).
This all depends on the area that you are in. Big cities tend to have higher wages than small towns.
Case in point about the demographics: Our town (small) the starting wage at the lower end groc. stores is min. wage or 5.75. The absolute lowest starting wage at our walmart is 6.25. Each job is in a category and 6.25 is category 1. Cake decorators are category 3 which would be .40 more per hour than category one. That's if you don't have any experience. If you do have experience you can come in at a higher wage. I have a fellow associate who makes quite a bit more than that when she started. She came from a nationwide chain store and had experience. So she is compensated more for that.
Then again in the Denver area stores the category 1 jobs start at 10-12 an hour. So it just depends on where you live. And beings you live in the Houston area where the average hourly wage would be more than in a small town then you should do ok.
Be careful of that oh so lovely pay scale because it can work against you. I am in the accounting office and they are restructuring the ones in the smaller Wal-Marts where I live to give the assistants more work to do. Anyways there were 5 of us in there (mind you we were already down a full timer and a part timer) and they decided we only need 120 scheduled hours in there which is 4 shifts NOT family friendly ones and they go by seniority. Of course I was the last one to be put in there (and I have been there 4 years) so I am the one that has to go somewhere else. The only places open are lower pay scales so they expect me to be ok with a pay decrease. WELL I AM NOT!!! I am soo irritated this is not the "family" company they say they are. So just beware
I must agree with chaptlips. In supermarkets, they expect you to be fast. I've been doing this for 4 years now and I learned the basics at my old job. I also ended up taking all 3 Wilton courses and a private course at the nearest cake & candy supply store. Where I am now, we had a girl come in from a private bakery and she taught me more high-end stuff. However, I still don't make a lot. I had to push to get them to hire at more than the union rate (which is $
...and I know that I am the second highest paid person in our bakery (second only to my boss) and I only make $10. I wish I made more. I think I'll probably start looking for a new job in the fall for more money. I tried to get a raise, but they said since I was highered at more than the union rate (damn union), it wouldn't happen. I'm up for a raise next month though, so we'll see how much they give me.
I worked for Kroger in Michigan. They paid me $6.44. And ge, Kroger is a grocery store in the midwest.
Chaptlips, I did a FBCT, but only for my own purposes once. I really don't think that it would be allowed in my store. My boss would be fine with it, but the higherups I'm so not sure about. I'll have to check out your pics as I can't draw to save my life...especially horses! LOL
ge978- I know that there are grocery stores out in Phoenix called Fry's, and they are the same as our Krogers. Maybe you've heard of those? I'm not sure where your located, but they are supposedly owned by the same chain. The last time I was in Phoenix my mom and I were using the Fry's stores as sort of a landmark to find our way back, well we had NO clue that there were THREE of them on the SAME road LOL, boy did we get turned around that day!!!
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