How to become a Pastrycook
Prepares and bakes buns, cakes, pastries and desserts in a kitchen.
Main tasks
- Weighs and measures ingredients according to recipes
- Makes, mixes, kneads, shapes and moulds dough for various pastries and desserts
- Prepares pastry fillings
- Bakes buns, cakes, pastries and desserts, monitoring oven temperatures and product appearance
- Decorates and finishes pastries, cakes and desserts with icing, glaze or other toppings
- Orders and maintains inventory of pastry supplies and ingredients
- Maintains the cleanliness of equipment and operation of a kitchen to ensure compliance with work health and safety regulations
- Collaborates with other kitchen staff to coordinate pastry production
- May package finished pastries for sale
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Certificate III in Cake and Pastry. Trade occupations are usually entered through an apprenticeship: paid work plus this qualification, typically 3 to 4 years.
- TAFE and VET: Certificate III in Cake and Pastry (FBP30321); Certificate III in Patisserie (SIT31021); Certificate IV in Patisserie (SIT40721); Certificate IV in Baking (FBP40221); Certificate III in Asian Cookery (SIT31121); Certificate III in Baking (FBP30521); Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (SIT30821); Certificate II in Cookery (SIT20421)
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Typical full-time pay: $73,684 a year
- About 34,300 people work in this job group now, and about 37,000 are projected by 2035. (+8%)
- AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Pastrycook?
Ways in include: Certificate III in Cake and Pastry; Certificate III in Patisserie; Certificate III in Cake and Pastry.
How much does a Pastrycook earn in Australia?
Median full-time pay is $73,684 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Is a Pastrycook a growing career in Australia?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 8% by 2035, from about 34,300 to about 37,000 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Do you need a degree to become a Pastrycook?
Usually not. Only 19% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate III in Cake and Pastry; Certificate III in Patisserie; Certificate III in Cake and Pastry.
Will AI change the work of a Pastrycook?
AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.
Sources
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04
Updated 2026-10-04