Why Baking School Can Equal Big Dough

Can You Make A Living As a Baker?

Baking school tends to get a bad reputation when set against its bigger, more glamorous older brother culinary school. Culinary school is often viewed as the place for the creative artist, where cooking food takes second place to the act of combining ingredients with flair, panache, and all those things that bring something new and interesting to the palate.

Baking school, on the other hand, is where students go to learn facts; where ingredient ratios are considered just as important as new creations.

While there is certainly more to both culinary school and baking school, there is one factor that’s often overlooked in the comparison of the two. Baking school often leads to more opportunities in the culinary field and a higher income upon graduation. Here’s why:

Baking school has less competition. Because baking school doesn’t have quite the same reputation as culinary school, baking programs tend to be easier to get into—particularly at the more prestigious schools. This means you have a better chance of boosting your resume with a name employers recognize. It also means there are fewer graduates competing for jobs.

Baking school leads to incredible specializations. Nothing spells profit quite so much as the baking industry, especially when you consider things like wedding and special event cakes. At up to $2,000 per cake, this higher end of the baking industry can really help you turn a profit.

Baking school is part of a booming industry. Bakers tend to be in higher demand than those with a culinary degree. After all, even most grocery stores have a bakery, and a quality education can go a long way in moving you up the ranks to the top tier of professionals in these more low-key venues.

Although you should never choose any culinary career based solely on earning potential, baking school is worth a second look. If you simply love being around food, it might be a better long-term investment to find a school that teaches culinary basics as well as a specialization in baking and pastry arts.