How to Become a Confectioner

Confectioner Key Stats
Avg. Salary / year	$25,970
Avg. Pay / hour	$12.49
Education	2-4 Years
Job Outlook	11%

Have a sweet tooth that can’t be satisfied? Then maybe you might like to become a confectioner.

If you have a knack for cooking, are creative, and also have a fine eye for detail, then you might just be the next Willy Wonka!

While working as a confectioner sounds like a fun job filled with candy bars and gummy bears, the work is actually very detailed and specialized.

When you become a confectioner, your occupation is part pastry chef, part designer, part chemist.

Being able to put together sweet treats that taste and look amazing can be harder than it seems.

Often, the secret to a confectioner’s success is in the small details.

Education Requirements to Become a Confectioner

There is not really a set educational path to become a confectioner.

Some that work in this field are self-taught where their sweet ambitions started in their home kitchens.

They learned as amateurs, and gradually became good enough to work as a professional confectioner.

There are many books and websites dedicated to the art of confectionary.

If you’re in high school, or perhaps just wanting to get a better feel for this role, then it’s a good place to start.

With time, you’ll improve.

Many who take this path go on to sell their creations to independent restaurants and cafes, or simply open their own boutique stores.

The alternative way to become a confectioner is to attend culinary school, enrolling in a program to become a pastry chef.

There will be a lot of coursework that is based around confectionary.

The skills you learn as a pastry chef will assist you in your career as a confectioner.

There are some schools that even have a specialized confectioner degree program.

The third option to become a confectioner is to complete an apprenticeship.

Studying under an accomplished confectioner is a great way to learn your trade.

These positions are very few and far between since there are not that many practicing confectioners out there.

Confectioner Job Description

A confectioner creates sweet treats such as candy, chocolate, and other similar goodies.

Some confectioners may work in a cafe or restaurant, preparing gourmet candy, while others could be working in their own boutique shop.

Some work in product development, working with big companies to create the next new candy bar.

Here are some of the tasks a confectioner might complete in a day:

• Coming up with new dessert dishes
• Creating new ideas for candy
• Product development
• Testing new candy ideas
• Preparing sweets and candies
• Cleaning

Confectioner Salary and Career Path

If you have decided to become a confectioner, you may have some hard work ahead of you.

You’ll need to be really passionate about your job because there are not a lot of opportunities out there to work as a confectioner.

However, like with any sought after job, if you are willing to work hard and go the extra distance, you will be able to work in this field.

Be prepared to put in some long hours at low pay for the first few years.

You might work at a candy store, or even for a large confectionery company in an entry level role.

Once you have worked a few years and been able to prove your abilities, you will likely get an opportunity to move into a more coveted position, with greater responsibilities and more earning potential.

The median salary of a confectioner is $38,000 a year.

The key to success as a confectioner is to identify the kind of role you want to achieve, then get an entry level position in the kind of business that role is in.

Some similar roles to a confectioner you might be interested in include:

• Bakery Chef
• Caterer
• Chef
• Pastry Chef
• Sous Chef

The path to become a confectioner is definitely a challenging one, not so much because of the nature of the work but because of the lack of opportunities available.

However, if you are willing to putting the hard work and effort, you will be able to succeed in this occupation.

If you love candy and sweets, and want to see people enjoying your creations, then you should definitely consider becoming a confectioner.

The below information is based on the 2021 BLS national averages.

• Annually
• Monthly
• Hourly

* Salary information based on the May 2021 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Bakers, OCC Code 51-3011, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a confectioner?

A confectioner is someone who makes fine crafted sweets.

Confectioners usually work in kitchens and prepare candies, candy canes, lollies, chocolate, chewing gum and other sweets.

The process of creating confections starts with weighing, measuring and mixing the ingredients using special equipment.

The mixture is afterward heated to a specific temperature and put into molds.

Confectioners use compressed air to take the sweets out of the molds.

In order to be a successful confectioner, you will need many skills, including patience, dexterity, a kin sense of smell and taste, and creativity.

How much does a confectioner make?

A confectioner is a chef specialized in making sweets.

According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the median wage for chefs and head cooks was $48,460 in May of 2018.

How much a confectioner actually makes depends on their level of experience and their employer.

How much does it cost to become a confectioner?

Although there are no educational requirements for confectioners, a degree in bakery and pastry arts can teach you how to make delicious sweets and can give you an advantage over the other competitors on the job market.

The total costs for obtaining your associate’s degree vary from $10,000 to $40,000 a year, depending on the school.

A bachelor’s degree in this field can cost anywhere between $35,000 to more than $100,000 a year.

There also many books and websites that can teach you the art of confectionery.

Some confectioners are self-taught and learned how to make amazing sweets by practicing in their own kitchen.

You will need a lot of practice before being ready to become a professional confectioner.

What is the demand for confectioners?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the demand for chefs, in general, is expected to grow by 11 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations.

The changes of you finding a job as a confectioner depend on the region, your skills, level of experience and education.

If you’re passionate about making sweets and you want to turn your hobby into a profession you could start by getting an entry-level job in the field; this will give you the chance to gain experience and to learn from an experienced confectioner.

How long does it take to become a confectioner?

The answer to this question depends on the path you choose and how invested you are in transforming the art of crafting amazing sweets in a profession.

If you choose to get a degree at a cooking school or college, you will spend between two and four years of learning and practicing cooking techniques that will get you ready for the job market.

After graduation, you will continue to perfect your skills through on-the-job training.

You can also learn the craft of making sweets alone, by reading books and websites and by practicing in your own kitchen.

All in all, confectionery is not an easy craft, it takes a lot of patience and years of practice before you’re ready to create sweets that look and taste amazing.