Baker Jobs in Tucson, AZ

Baker jobs in Tucson start early and pay about $16.50 to $19 an hour to start, at scratch bakeries, campus kitchens, resort pastry shops and grocery bakeries. Tucson is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and its bakers feed that reputation. Current openings are below, followed by who hires and what it pays.

Baker Work in Tucson

Tucson's baking jobs fall into four kinds of kitchen. Local bakery-cafe chains run commissary bakeries that bake overnight for all their stores. The University of Arizona bakes for its campus dining through the Arizona Student Unions. Resorts and casinos keep pastry kitchens for restaurants, banquets and room service. Grocery stores, from the south side's Food City stores to the big supermarket chains, staff in-store bakeries.

The hours set this job apart. Commissary bread shifts can start at 10 pm or midnight, and most bakery shifts finish by early afternoon. Tucson's summer heat makes the overnight schedule easier to live with than it sounds, and it leaves afternoons free for school.

Top Tucson Employers for Bakers

These Tucson employers hire bakers and pastry cooks:

• Beyond Bread - the local bakery-cafe chain hires commissary bread bakers and pastry staff for overnight and early-morning production.
• University of Arizona - Arizona Student Unions hires Pastry Cook/Baker I and Baker II staff for its campus production kitchen.
• Canyon Ranch - the east side wellness resort hires full-time pastry cooks.
• Food City - the grocery chain hires bakers for its in-store bakeries, including the store at West Ajo Way and South Mission Road.
• Casino Del Sol - the Pascua Yaqui Tribe's resort off West Valencia Road runs a pastry kitchen led by a pastry sous chef.

Baker Salaries in Tucson

• Entry level (production or bakery clerk): roughly $16.50 to $18 an hour.
• Experienced (bread production, pastry cook): roughly $18 to $21 an hour.
• Lead baker or pastry lead: roughly $21 to $25 an hour.

The University of Arizona posted $16.50 to $18.75 an hour for Pastry Cook/Baker I, a Beyond Bread commissary listing showed about $16 to $19 after training plus a team tip pool, and Canyon Ranch posts $19 an hour for pastry cooks. Overnight shifts, pastry and decorating skills, and resort or casino kitchens push pay up. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.

How to Become a Baker in Tucson

Many Tucson bakeries train bakers on the job, starting them on mixing, shaping and packaging. Arizona has no baker license. For formal training, Pima Community College offers a Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at the Desert Vista Campus, about one year, and the one-semester Hospitality Fundamentals Certificate there. High school students can study culinary arts through Pima JTED at JTED @ The Bridges or JTED @ Mountain View. Pima County requires each food establishment to have at least one certified food protection manager, and the Pima County Health Department runs a food handler class and exam at the Abrams Public Health Center.

What the Job Involves

Bakers scale ingredients, mix and knead dough, proof, shape and bake breads, and make cookies, cakes and pastries from set recipes. They run deck and convection ovens, decorate and package finished goods, label and rotate stock, and clean as they go. Production bakers lift heavy flour sacks and dough tubs.

Skills Employers Look For

• Measuring and following recipes precisely
• Understanding proofing, fermentation and oven timing
• Consistent shaping, portioning and decorating
• Food safety, labeling and stock rotation
• Comfort with overnight or very early shifts
• Strength to lift 50 pounds and stand for a full shift

Career Path and Advancement

The Tucson ladder runs production baker, then lead baker or Baker II, then head baker or bakery manager, with commissary manager roles at the local chains. Pastry cooks at resorts and casinos move up to pastry sous chef and pastry chef. Some Tucson bakers go on to open their own shops or sell at the city's farmers markets.

Related Careers in Tucson

These Tucson guides cover the closest kitchen and cafe jobs:

• Prep Cook
• Line Cook
• Barista
• Kitchen Manager

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need culinary school to become a baker in Tucson?

No. Many Tucson bakeries, grocery bakeries and campus kitchens train bakers on the job. Pima Community College's Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate helps if you want pastry or resort work.

How long is Pima Community College's baking program?

The Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate takes about one year and is offered at the Desert Vista Campus. The shorter Hospitality Fundamentals Certificate takes one semester.

How much do bakers make in Tucson?

Expect roughly $16.50 to $18 an hour to start and $18 to $21 with experience. Lead bakers and pastry leads at resorts and larger bakeries earn roughly $21 to $25 an hour.

What hours do Tucson bakers work?

Early ones. Commissary bread shifts can start at 10 pm or midnight, and most retail and cafe bakery shifts start before dawn and end by early afternoon. Weekends and holidays are the busiest days.

Which Tucson employers hire the most bakers?

Local bakery-cafe chains such as Beyond Bread, the University of Arizona's Arizona Student Unions, grocery chains such as Food City, and resorts and casinos such as Canyon Ranch and Casino Del Sol hire bakers and pastry cooks most often.

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