Everyone is aware that a chef is a professional who is responsible for preparing different types of foods from a wide range of cuisines. However, you might not be aware that there are actually different kinds of chefs assigned for a specific field of food preparation. One of such types is a pastry chef. The job of this professional is one of the most prominent and creative career opportunities in the culinary arts field. Job Description As the name suggests, a pastry chef is an expert in preparing baked foodstuffs in a professional setting. His services are primarily required in facilities like hotels, cake joints, bakeries, and restaurants. He focuses on the preparation of pastries, cakes, cookies, puddings, icings, breads, desserts, and almost any sort of baked foods. If he is working in a big hotel, he is handed over the responsibility of overseeing the pastry section. This includes guiding members of the kitchen staff to prepare different types of foods. Owing to the preparation of baked products, a pastry chef needs to do much of his work using hands. He might take the help from an assistant while doing these tasks though. On a given working day, he is supposed to experiment with different recipe ideas to come up with unique servings which can be liked by customers. In a big hotel, the dessert menu is normally prepared by this specialist. He makes sure that the dishes are baked, prepared, and presented well within the given time frame. He has to use his creativity to decorate cakes and desserts beautifully. This consists of cutting and peeling fruits to decorate desserts. A pastry chef might also need to work upon projects which require a lot of additional attention to customized preparations, such as in the case of preparing big multi-tiered wedding cakes. Along with the management of kitchen staff and preparation of baked goods, a pastry chef has to look after the cleanliness of the kitchen. He has to inform the manager if there is a shortage of supplies used for preparation in baked products. In addition to all these tasks, he is supposed to create an estimate of the cost required to prepare a particular baked item and offer the delicacy at a certain price. He also prepares a periodical budget for things and supplies to be used to run the department. A pastry chef who has a substantial amount of hands-on experience can even work as a professor in a culinary arts school. Education Requirements When it comes to the educational requirements, successful completion of a course from a culinary arts school is necessary. Make sure you undertake a specialization in the field of pastry and dessert preparation. Along with the course, you can even look forward to work as an apprentice under the supervision of a professional pastry chef in a good restaurant. After gaining the basic work experience needed, you can start searching for a job as an assistant pastry chef in a small restaurant and keep excelling in your career. Salary Range The base salary range starts at $24,500 per annum. However, with around five to nine years of experience, you can earn a maximum of $48,000, which is pretty decent. The state of Colorado is reported to be the highest paying in the profession, with a range of about $34,000 to $57,000 per year. New York is the second highest paying state, with an annual pay up to $55,000 approximately. Likewise, the salary classification for this job can be done using a many different factors. These are just the general points in a pastry chef job description. It is a proven fact that these type of careers are quite stressful at the start, but turn out to be lucrative once you become a seasoned professional. Note that this is not a job for those who do not like or can't wake up early. Pastry chefs working in bakeries usually start their normal day at about 5 a.m. or earlier, to make sure the products are fresh for serving. If you want to become a pastry chef, along with the educational qualifications, you should be willing to try your skill in preparing unique recipes.