Some possible jobs within this career area are:
Your career goal will determine the type of certification you need. In fields related to the culinary arts, you could earn a:
- Certificate
- Associate’s Degree
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Master’s Degree
- PhD
Many careers in the culinary arts stem from entrepreneurship. In short, a lot of people who are successful in these careers start their own business. If you want to own a restaurant or be a chef, you’ll need to be a self-starter who can devote the time to grow a business. Beyond self-owned businesses, the culinary arts are related to luxury, or dispensable income items. People tend to eat in restaurants more when they have more money on hand, which means restaurant and food careers are more plentiful when the economy is good. The same is true for hospitality management and catering careers.
The time it takes to complete your degree or course of study depends on your career goal. You could get your Associate’s Degree and become a certified chef in two years, or you could continue school and get a four-year degree in business.
How to Become a Pastry Chef
If you are a baker to the extreme and enjoy using your artistic creativity and culinary talents to construct intricate pastries, specialty desserts, and edible masterpieces then you may want to become a pastry chef. Whether you decide to work for a four star restaurant, hotel, cruise line, or a private employer, a pastry chef career can be a rewarding profession.
Although no formal training or licensure is required to become a pastry chef, most pastry chefs receive their initial training through a certificate program, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree from a culinary institute or a college that has been accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF).
A certificate program typically takes a year or less training and prepares the student for an entry level job such as a pastry chef assistant or wedding cake decorator. Besides specific hands-on training you will take classes in areas such as math, nutrition, and food preparation.
Because many pastry chefs have their own business a two year associate’s degree will provide training in food management, meal planning, sanitation and catering as well as chemistry, safety, personnel management, and other business-related classes. A four year bachelor’s degree provides additional training of the same subjects and may include food chemistry, inventory control, staff selection and training, and other food and business subjects that pertain to bakers baking, and those who plan to become a pastry chef.
Once you’ve landed your first job, consider attaining ACF certification. Most employers look for those that have attained ACF certification as a Certified Pastry Culinarian, which is the first of the four pastry chef certification levels. The other certificates you can achieve in your pastry chef career are Certified Working Pastry Chef, Certified Executive Pastry Chef, and for those who have the highest mastery of the profession, Certified Master Pastry Chef.
Pastry Chef Salaries
According to Salary.com, beginners in the pastry chef profession earn an average annual wage over $28,000; Salary.com reports that median assistant pastry chef salaries are $38,374. Median executive pastry chef salaries are $58,853; those who own or manage a successful pastry business report earnings as high as $100,000 per year. (Salary data retrieved 5/24/11)
To get the training you need to become a pastry chef, find a program now!