For anyone who works in a bakery as a cake decorator, what's in the normal range as far as salary? I'm asking this because I have an interview at a bakery coming up and I'm pretty confident that I'll get the job but I don't want to be underpaid for my work. Or is it like a comission thing? TIA!

Where do you live? I live in CA, and I always ask for $10, then OF COURSE they lower it to $9 or something. Nothing wrong with aiming high, hey?

$12.00 per hour starting for me. I live in Florida.

karenging, you seem to be closer to my neck of the woods...I'm in South Carolina. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of work do you do for $12/hr? Do you do just BC or do you fondant as well?

I only do BC. I work for Winn Dixie, and I believe you have those where you live.

Noot much help, im not good enugh to work in a backery, so I dont have a clue, I jsut wanted to say good luck on your interview.

We do have Winn Dixie here and that's really good pay for just BC! I would be doing fondant as well if I get hired. This is a small bakery that also has a cafe restaurant thingie to go along with it about 2 store fronts down from the bakery. They were slammin' busy when I went in to turn in my application. So hopefully, I will get a decent wage and plenty of hours. Lord knows I need it....got 4 kids to support and the bills never stop coming! Enough blabbing said, I have an interview at 2:00 today. Keep your fingers crossed !!!!!!! And thank you for the good luck Sheilain22!

GOOD LUCK on your interview!

I can't help you on the bakery question, but fingers are crossed! Good Luck.

Good luck!

I was a bakery manager for 9 years. My advise would be to start high. If you feel like your work is worth top pay, then that's what you should ask for. (I live in Tx.) and as of 2 years ago when I was doing a lot of hireing top pay around here was $12.00 per hour. If they are not willing to pay you top, then I would take into consideration what type of hours, benifites ect. they are offering. Sometimes its worth making a little less$$ if the extras are good enough.

But after looking at all of these things if you are not 100% satisfied with what they offer, then maybe you should walk away from that company. You don't want to work for a company that dose not see your talent, and appreciate it.

Hope this helps
God Bless

Hey Tobinx,
Where in SC are you located? I'm in Greenville. I thought all of the Winn-Dixie stores were closed down? Anyway, I think their top pay is around $11.00 or $12.00 an hour, not positive. I used to work in the deli and our cake decorator was paid something like that. Good Luck!!

WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got the job! I go back tomorrow to work out the hours and the money. Dl5crew, I'm in Conway, SC. I was going on my husband's word about the Winn Dixie. I believe I saw one maybe a few months ago... but I'm not totally sure. Thanks to everyone for crossing their fingers!!!

Best of Luck!!!!
Let us know how everything goes!!!!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is awesome! Congrats to you, I'm sure they know they are getting a talented employee!

Way to go!!!!!! Congrats to you!! Hope you enjoy yourself. I KNOW you will enjoy the big mixer!!!! I miss mine soooooo much. I worked in a grocery store bakery for almost 10 years. I am in Nevada and I left in 1999. I made $11.30 at the time I left. Good luck to you!!!!!!!! and think of me when you use the big mixer!!!!! LOL PM me if I can help you in any way.

God Bless, Donna

I am so happy for you. Good Luck in you new Job. That it's Great. And belife you me. When you do something you like you don't mind going to work.

Best of Luck Good Wishes & God Bless

Thank you so much to everyone

I just do cakes for my family, and never really knew what people make as a professional. I have to say that I am surprised at how little you make as a baker at a grocery store. I didn't think that you would get rich off it, but I sure thought you would make more than $10-$12 an hour. Maybe I though $15-$20. I guess people really don't appreciate all the hard work and time it takes to learn how to decorate cakes in the first place, and then do them for others on a daily basis.

My hat is off to all of you who do this professionally.

I'm a Bakery Manager in a big box club store. Everything is designed to make it easy for things to get done. This last graduation period it was expected that a decoartor would spend,on average, 15 minutes per cake. For the most part it was actually doable. The frosting is pre-made and precolored, the roses are premade, and the cake is frozen and in some cased prefrosted. When you are given all those tools all one needs to add is creativity. In some cases that'st not necessary because you have to make the cake look like the picture. So is really necessary for grocery/club stores to pay high salaries? The corporations don't think so. I won't knock my bakery because I have a great team and it allows me to test ideas out on customer cakes and it cost me nothing. I get paid to hone my skills as a decorator. I would expect that working in a free standing bakery would bring a higher salary since the baker has to do it ALL. From mixing frosting to designing everything the goes out the door.

I think if you work from home you should always charge enough to make AT LEAST 10 dollars per hour so i would definately ask for no less than that to start. I live in southwest missouri and that is a little higer than what is started out at a small local bakery.

Tobinx, congratulations on the job...let us know how you like it!!

Thats terrific! I got to Myrtle beach all the time (8-9 times a year) ALWAYS looking for a decent bakery! Where in Conway is the bakery?
Good luck on your new job!!