Have you always dreamed of decorating cakes for a living? Is baking and cake decoration a great passion of yours? If this sounds like something you might be interested in, here are some things to know about becoming a professional cake decorator. What are the different career options for becoming a professional cake decorator? Here is a brief overview designed to give you some ideas about what a career in professional cake decoration may look like.

Why Formal Training Can Give You the Edge You Need

Although there is no formal training technically required for you to set up shop and become a professional cake decorator, there are many reasons why you would probably want to receive at least some degree of professional training. First, you want to make sure that you expose yourself to as many different baking and decorating techniques and methods before you set out on your own. This can be hard to accomplish if you are completely self-taught as a baker and cake decorator. Second, receiving formal training can give you an edge if you do decide to set up your own business someday. You can tout your credentials to potential customers. Of course, the more formal education and training that you have can give you a definite advantage over other job candidates if you are seeking out professional work as a pastry artist. Finally, getting formal training can help you make those important professional connections that are practically essential to getting started in this business and art, especially if you are working in a competitive region or market.

What You Can Do with a Culinary Degree in Cake Decorating

There are many different options if you do decide to get a culinary degree in cake decoration. You can start your own bakery or cake decorating business. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, but you are not sure how to get started, you can take on an apprenticeship in order to get your feet wet. There are many culinary apprenticeships available for culinary graduates who want to gain professional experience in baking and catering. You can see how a bakery or cake decorating business is run from the inside out. This can be tremendously helpful later on, if you decide to start your own cake design business.

Other Career Opportunities Available to You as a Cake Decorator

If starting and running your own cake design business or bakery does not particularly appeal to you, there are many other viable career options to you after receiving your culinary degree in the pastry arts. If you just enjoy the sheer pleasure of decorating cakes and baking, then you will find that there is plenty of work doing just this. For instance, you can get work in a bakery as a pastry artisan. You can get full or part-time work as a cake designer and cake decorator. Or you can choose to go into catering, either working on a freelance basis with bakeries and cake design firms. You can lend out your services to these businesses on a part or full-time basis.

What Kind of Salary Can You Expect as a Professional Cake Decorator?

Currently, the U.S. Department of Labor lists the average annual salary of a cake decorator to be in the low to mid-20s. However, your salary as a professional cake decorator can vary widely depending on what capacity you are decorating and baking. If you decorate cakes at your own bakery, you can probably expect to earn a substantially greater salary. If you only work on a freelance or part-time basis, you will probably earn less from your work as a professional cake decorator.