💈
Franchise Barbershops
Great Clips, Sport Clips, Supercuts
Barbers
Barbers cut hair, shape beards, and give close shaves in a chair-to-chair business built on repeat customers and word of mouth. The work is hands-on and highly personal: success depends on speed, clean technique, and reading what each client wants, even though pay is often modest and growth is slow.
Also known as BarberLicensed BarberMaster BarberProfessional BarberMen's Barber
Median Salary
$38,960
Mean $47,800
U.S. Workforce
~18K
8.4K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+4.1%
76K to 79.2K
Entry Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Barbers sits in the Personal Services category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~18K workers, with a median annual pay of $38,960 and roughly 8.4K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 76 K in 2024 to 79.2K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Post-Secondary Certificate, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Barber Apprentice and can progress toward Barber Shop Manager or Owner. High-value skills usually include Clippers, Trimmers & Straight Razors, Haircutting, Fades & Beard Shaping Techniques, and Sanitation, Sterilization & Tool Cleaning, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Service Orientation, and Social Perceptiveness.
Core Responsibilities
- Talk with clients about the cut or beard style they want and adjust it to fit their hair, face, and routine.
- Use clippers, scissors, and razors to cut hair, clean up fades, and shape beards and mustaches.
- Give close shaves and edge up the hairline, sideburns, neck, and beard line.
- Put protective capes on customers and keep them comfortable during the service.
Keep exploring: more Personal Services careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Talk with clients about the cut or beard style they want and adjust it to fit their hair, face, and routine.
02 Use clippers, scissors, and razors to cut hair, clean up fades, and shape beards and mustaches.
03 Give close shaves and edge up the hairline, sideburns, neck, and beard line.
04 Put protective capes on customers and keep them comfortable during the service.
05 Clean, disinfect, and store tools, then sweep hair and tidy the station after each client.
06 Handle shop paperwork when needed, such as appointments, records, bills, or staff scheduling, while keeping up with new styles and techniques.
Industries That Hire
🏨
Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines
Marriott, Hilton, Royal Caribbean
🎓
Beauty Schools & Barber Education
Paul Mitchell Schools, Empire Beauty School, Aveda Institutes
🎬
Entertainment & Events
Disney, Universal Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
You can enter the field without a long degree path; BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry point, with no prior work experience or on-the-job training usually required.
+
There are steady openings: the occupation is projected to add about 8.4K annual openings, which helps job seekers find entry points even with only 4.1% growth.
+
The work gives immediate feedback, so you can see right away when a client likes the cut, shave, or beard shape you created.
+
Regular clients can make the schedule more predictable than many hourly service jobs, especially if you work in a busy neighborhood shop.
+
The craft can be specialized and personal, which gives skilled barbers room to build a loyal following and earn more through repeat business and tips.
Challenges
-
The pay is not especially high for skilled hands-on work: the median is $38,960 a year, and the mean of $47,800 shows that better earners pull the average up.
-
Growth is only 4.1% from 2024 to 2034, so this is a slow-expanding field rather than a fast-growing career.
-
There is a real ceiling for many workers unless they move into ownership, management, or teaching, which limits how far the job can advance on its own.
-
Income can be uneven because it depends on walk-ins, repeat customers, tips, and local competition, especially in small shops.
-
The job is physically repetitive: barbers stand for long stretches, use their hands all day, and have to keep tools and workstations clean between every client.
Career Progression
Barber Apprentice
0-1 years
$25K-$31K
Learns basic cuts, sanitation, and shop routines while working under supervision and building speed.
Barber
1-4 years
$32K-$43K
Handles regular clients, simple fades, beard trims, and shaves with little oversight; this band includes the median pay of $38,960.
Senior Barber THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$44K-$58K
Takes on more complicated cuts, loyal repeat clients, and sometimes helps train newer barbers or cover front-desk tasks.
Barber Shop Manager or Owner
8+ years
$59K-$85K
Oversees scheduling, staff, money, and customer experience, or runs an independent shop with a full client book.
Education Paths
Post-Secondary Certificate
The most common entry point, held by 28.7% of workers in this role.
High School Diploma
A common route, held by 24.55% of workers in this role.
Less than a High School Diploma
Still seen in the field, held by 20.94% of workers, but most people in this path still need licensing or shop-based training.
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
A less common option, held by 11.13% of workers, and it can help if you want a stronger base for managing a shop later.
Key Skills
Technical
Clippers, Trimmers & Straight Razors 86%
Haircutting, Fades & Beard Shaping Techniques 84%
Sanitation, Sterilization & Tool Cleaning 80%
Barber Licensing, Safety & Infection Control 76%
Appointment Booking, POS & Cash Handling Systems 68%
Grooming Product Knowledge 64%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningService OrientationSocial PerceptivenessSpeakingJudgment and Decision MakingCritical Thinking Job Outlook and Trends
+4.1%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
8.4K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 76K to 79.2 K over the next decade, representing 4.1% growth. Around 8.4 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.