Pastry Chef Assistant Certificate

Present sophisticated treats

With smaller class sizes, a student-managed restaurant and strong community partnerships, get ahead in your career in as little as a year with your pastry chef assistant certificate. The expertise you develop in this program gives you field-specific skills, including:

professionalism and teamwork
baking techniques and procedures
flavor profiles
functions of ingredients
reading recipes and creating desserts/plates

Whether you want to work in a cafe, restaurant or hotel, these courses prepare you for your future in baking and pastry. This certificate builds on the baking and pastry assistant certificate and provides students with advanced level baking and pastry skills. Give attention to recipe costs while making European torte, chocolate work and frozen desserts in our student-managed restaurant, Prairie at Brae Loch.

What can you do with a Pastry Chef Assistant Certificate?

With a pastry chef assistant certificate, you can begin or advance your career. If you’re just starting out, begin in an entry-level role, then advance from lead to possibly chef or manager.

Many of our students have become supervisors and managers within a short time after graduation.

Start right away with your certificate in roles such as:

baker
pastry cook
assistant baker

With additional education or experience, you can become:

assistant pastry chef
bakery manager
food stylist

Highlights

Career Certificate

Earn a career certificate in 1 year or less to refine your skills into an in-demand career.
Program Length: 1 Year

Full-time students finish in 1 year.
Financial Aid/Scholarships Available

Based on need and/or achievement. Explore ways to pay for college.
Prairie at Brae Loch

Gain hands-on learning at this student-managed restaurant.
Stackable Credentials

Earn and learn as you go with stackable credentials.

Career Outlook

Mix and bake ingredients to produce breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, or other baked goods.
- Salary Levels
  
  Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $27,318
  
  Median
  
  $33,308
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $48,067
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $13.13
  
  Median
  
  $16.01
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $23.10
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Top entry-level education
  
  Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
  
  High school diploma or less
  
  82.47%
  
  Certificate
  
  8.06%
  
  Some college
  
  9.47%
  
  Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.
- Salary Levels
  
  Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $33,924
  
  Median
  
  $58,557
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $112,357
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $16.31
  
  Median
  
  $28.14
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $54.01
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Top entry-level education
  
  Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
  
  High school diploma or less
  
  13.8%
  
  Certificate
  
  17.24%
  
  Some college
  
  3.45%
  
  Associate Degree
  
  51.72%
  
  Bachelor's Degree
  
  13.79%
  
  Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).

View more careers

Need help?

Your College & Career Navigator (CCN) is your "go-to person" ready to help you get started at CLC.

Your CCN guides you through the admission process, helps you choose your academic program, enroll in classes and connect you with resources.

Talk to a CCN

Recommended Pathway

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their College and Career Navigator (CCN) to identify coursework that will meet degree requirements based on individual academic goals. View degree requirements in the college catalog.

View program in catalog

Hospitality and Culinary Management at CLC

Get the bigger picture

This certificate is just one possible way to study Hospitality and Culinary Management. Get the bigger picture—degrees, credentials and extra options.

View the Hospitality and Culinary Management program overview

Frequently asked questions

Yes! Prairie at Brae Loch is a CLC student-managed restaurant relocating to Brae Loch Golf Club thanks to a recent 20-year agreement between CLC and the Lake County Forest Preserves. At Prairie at Brae Loch, you can practice all facets of running a restaurant in newly renovated, top-of-the-line kitchens.
Once Prairie at Brae Loch reopens in Fall 2023, this agreement also provides upscale dining at affordable prices to the local community at the golf course snack shop during golf season May 1 through Oct. 31.
You should understand a few basics, but the certificate has coursework designed to give you skills in baking and pastry-making. In the lab classes, you create baked goods and pastries, learn to present products and master time management and organization.

Your instructor teaches recipes and procedures to help you develop in-demand skills through:
- lectures
- group and individual projects
- guest speakers
- field trips
- in-person discussions
- hands-on labs
Absolutely! The pastry chef assistant certificate is stackable with the A.A.S. in Baking and Pastry Arts and 2-semester certificates in hospitality, such as:

*Cost includes tuition and other fees, including books and materials before financial aid is applied, such as grants, loans or scholarships. There are many opportunities for financial assistance at CLC. Learn more about Cost of Attendance.

Take the next step...

Be debt-free at CLC

CLC has some of the lowest tuition around. Financial aid and scholarships are available—even for working adults.

Paying for college

Explore careers

Discover majors and career paths to complement and extend your intuitive interests and abilities.

Explore Career Coach

Request info

Your education is a big investment of your time, money and attention. Gather all the info you need.

Send me info

Get started

Start your application today—it’s free and easy to complete. When you’re ready, we’re ready to help you take the next step.

Start today!

Present sophisticated treats

What can you do with a Pastry Chef Assistant Certificate?

Highlights

Career Certificate

Program Length: 1 Year

Financial Aid/Scholarships Available

Prairie at Brae Loch

Stackable Credentials

Career Outlook

Bakers

Salary Levels

Top entry-level education

Chefs and Head Cooks