Head pastry chef
Also known as: executive dessert chef, master dessert chef, master patissier, executive pastry chef, master pastry chef
About this occupation
Head pastry chefs manage pastry staff and ensure the preparation, cooking and presentation of desserts, sweet products and pastry products.
A specialisation of pastry chef.
Essential skills and knowledge
- keep up with trends in eating out
- decorate pastry for special events
- plan medium to long term objectives
- maintain a safe, hygienic and secure working environment
- order supplies
- handle customer complaints
- maintain personal hygiene standards
- use culinary finishing techniques
- plan menus
- create innovative desserts
- recruit employees
- set prices of menu items
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Bakers (O*NET 51-3011.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Measure or weigh flour or other ingredients to prepare batters, doughs, fillings, or icings, using scales or graduated containers.
- Set oven temperatures, and place items into hot ovens for baking.
- Check products for quality, and identify damaged or expired goods.
- Check equipment to ensure that it meets health and safety regulations, and perform maintenance or cleaning, as necessary.
- Adapt the quantity of ingredients to match the amount of items to be baked.
- Place dough in pans, molds, or on sheets, and bake in production ovens or on grills.
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Artistic
Top skills: Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$37,160 a year (2025), 236,200 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Agriculture or Foods and NutritionO*NET: Food ProductionImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Food Batchmakers
- Chefs and Head Cooks
- Cooks, Restaurant
- Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
- Food Preparation Workers
- Butchers and Meat Cutters
- Cooks, Fast Food
- Cooks, Short Order
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.