Becoming a Baking and Pastry Chef in Wyoming
Do you like to bake wonderful treats for family and friends? Would you like to make money doing what you love? Perhaps a career as a baking and pastry chef would be a good fit for you.
Working as a baking and pastry chef would allow you to highlight your culinary skills and talents in a meaningful way. In order to work in the field successfully, you will need to acquire business management skills along with your culinary skills. Chefs (in particular, head chefs) are often responsible for the many varied tasks required to keep a business up and running. A few possible job duties might include managing staff, bookkeeping, inventory control, marketing and regulation compliance.
Wyoming Baking and Pastry Chef Regulations
There is no requirement for licensure for baking and pastry chefs in Wyoming, nor is there an overseeing regulatory board. In order to work as a pastry chef, one will need a minimum level of education and training, usually a high school diploma or equivalent followed by an apprenticeship or certified training course. Often top-level chefs will have completed a training course as well as apprenticeships to learn specific techniques or train under master chefs.
Baking and Pastry Chef Programs in Wyoming
There are two colleges within the state that offer culinary arts programs. These include:
- Central Wyoming College offers both a Certificate program and an Associate of Applied Science degree (AAS) in Culinary Arts at its campus in Jackson. Applicants to either program may also qualify for grants under the college’s Wyoming Works project, making tuition costs a little more attainable. The program offers both foundational and advanced culinary skills with internships at some of Jackson’s most popular restaurants.
- Sheridan College (part of Northern Wyoming Community College) in Sheridan also offers both a certificate and an Associate of Applied Science degree. The program boasts lower cost tuition, experienced instructors and a student run restaurant for hands-on experience. The college promises to prepare students for success in the culinary world.
Additional Certifications
The culinary arts professions are highly competitive, and those looking to improve their potential for earnings and employment will often seek additional certifications for their resume. One organization through which many seek credentialing is the American Culinary Federation (ACF). They offer six levels of certification for baking and pastry chefs from entry-level to advanced.
Salary and Growth Projections in Wyoming
The culinary industry in Wyoming is currently experiencing growth, making for a promising outlook for those in the profession. Salaries are also good, with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing a range of income from $32,070 to $76,310 per year for chefs and head cooks, including baking and pastry chefs, in Wyoming in 2018. The median wage in the state comes in at $56,150 for this field, which is higher than the national median.
There is also a good potential for career growth in the state with a predicted job growth rate of 12.1 percent between the years 2016 and 2026, again above the national rate of 9.6 percent.
Wyoming Opportunities for Baking and Pastry Chefs
Baking and pastry chefs find work in a large variety of industries. Industries with the highest level of these employees, according to the BLS, are restaurants and other eating establishments, special food services, traveler accommodations, other amusement/recreation industries and continuing care/assisted living facilities for the elderly.
Employers with the highest rates of pay for baking and pastry chefs include performing arts companies, scenic transportation (water), the federal executive branch and office administrative services.
A few possible employers of pastry chefs in Wyoming include Sodexo, Inc., Vail Resorts, Elior North America, Xanterra Leisure Holding, LLC. and Compass Group, North America.