11 of the Best Types of Pastry Chef Jobs in 2026

Discover some great types of Pastry Chef jobs that are hiring now.

High Paying Pastry Chef Jobs

• Executive Pastry Chef

  Salary range: $71,500 - $101,500

  There are several ways to become an executive pastry chef. Many pastry chefs choose to attend culinary schools that allow students to specialize in baking or pastries. However, you can also work your way up to the position of executive pastry chef by getting an entry-level job on a kitchen’s pastry team to learn the necessary culinary skills you need. Other qualifications include a passion for cooking and creativity when baking, decorating, and coming up with unique desserts to put on a menu and for client demonstration. Other soft skills to develop include organization, attention to detail, and leadership.

• Entry Level Pastry Chef

  Salary range: $38,000 - $65,000

  Entry-level jobs are positions that do not require any previous experience in the role. Most entry-level jobs are aimed at high school or college graduates as a starting point for a future career goal. A college student may have majored in their ideal career field, but will still need to start in an entry-level position to train in a real-world environment. Some students move from internships into entry-level jobs, but most entry-level jobs do not expect a candidate to have any prior employment or on-site training.

• Virtual Pastry Chef

  Salary range: $38,000 - $65,000

  A virtual job refers to a job that can be performed outside of an employer’s office. Also known as remote, work from home, or telecommuting jobs, these positions have become increasingly common because of technology like telephones, internet, email, and video conference calls, which help to facilitate employer-employee communication.

• Apprentice Pastry Chef

  Salary range: $38,000 - $65,000

  Apprentice Pastry Chef is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Apprentice Pastry Chef jobs pay between $38,000 (25th percentile) and $65,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Apprentice Pastry Chef job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Live In Pastry Chef

  Salary range: $38,000 - $65,000

  Live In Pastry Chef is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Live In Pastry Chef jobs pay between $38,000 (25th percentile) and $65,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Live In Pastry Chef job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Union Pastry Chef

  Salary range: $38,000 - $65,000

  For those who work for unions, some of the specific jobs include researchers, organizers, administrators, lawyers, communications workers, and clerical staff. Your duties include entering workplaces to speak with workers and provide them encouragement and support if they are interested in joining a specific union, or to negotiate with employers for better working conditions, pay, or benefits for union members. There are numerous types of unions, including health care, public sector, construction, writing, and service workers unions, and they represent a variety of professions, such as nurses, journalists, manufacturers, construction workers, municipal workers, and hotel workers, to name only a few.

• Independent Contractor Pastry Chef

  Salary range: $38,000 - $65,000

  You find Independent Contractors in many different industries, so the path to becoming one varies significantly. In general, you must have several years of experience in the field and have a track record of success in your industry. You also must pursue the kind of work that can be done on a consultant or contract basis. You may possess particular skills or expertise that a company needs temporarily, such as an IT Consultant, or provide a service that is required intermittently, like a Freelance Writer. Many Independent Contractors transition to becoming self-employed to have a more flexible schedule and the ability to choose their clients.

• Trainee Pastry Chef

  Salary range: $38,000 - $65,000

  The requirements to get a trainee job vary by industry. In some, such as architecture or accounting, you must graduate from an accredited college program before you can begin work. Other industries, such as retail, manufacturing, or telemarketing, may require only a high school diploma or a GED certificate to begin a training program. No matter what profession you are interested in, you should have strong verbal and written communication and an interest in continuing the career.

• Temporary Pastry Chef

  Salary range: $38,000 - $65,000

  A Temporary job is an employment arrangement in which both parties, the employee and employer, agree in advance that the position will be filled for a set period. Temporary jobs often are based on employers’ seasonal or specific project needs. Occasionally, Temporary employees will be offered ongoing, full-time positions if their performance is excellent and a position is available. However, you should not assume this will be the case.

• Full Time Pastry Chef

  Salary range: $38,000 - $65,000

  Full-time employment hours are generally determined by the employer. There is no single universal definition; however, various laws and policies govern different types of eligibility and statuses. For example, the Fair Labor Standards Act does not define full-time employment but does require overtime pay after 40 hours of work in a workweek for non-exempt employees. The Affordable Care Act, in determining Applicable Large Employers, defines full-time employees as those working an average of at least 30 hours per week, or 130 hours a month. The H-1B Visa Program defines full-time as 40 hours per week, normally, and in no event would less than 35 hours per week be considered to be full-time employment. In practice, full-time employment is typically between 32 and 40 hours per week.

• Pastry Chef Manager

  Salary range: $38,000 - $65,000

  Managers supervise a team of people; they establish goals, assign tasks, and measure progress. The specific responsibilities of someone in a management position will vary based on the company and industry they work in, but their primary responsibilities remain largely the same. Managers monitor the accomplishments of their staff, focusing on the overall goals of the department. They work with Human Resources to determine and address staffing needs, coordinate and delegate responsibilities, check employee performance, and provide additional training and direction when necessary.