What Does it Take to Be a Barber?

Career Description Provide barbering services, such as cutting, trimming, shampooing, and styling hair, trimming beards, or giving shaves.

Life As a Barber: What Do They Do?

• Clean work stations and sweep floors.
• Question patrons regarding desired services and haircut styles.
• Cut and trim hair according to clients’ instructions or current hairstyles, using clippers, combs, hand-held blow driers, and scissors.
• Recommend and sell lotions, tonics, or other cosmetic supplies.
• Suggest treatments to alleviate hair problems.
• Perform clerical and administrative duties such as keeping records, paying bills, and hiring and supervising personnel.

Qualities of a Barber

Barbers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Related Job Titles

• Barber
• Stylist
• Barber Instructor
• Hair Cutter
• Barber Stylist

What Kind of Barber Job Opportunities Are There?

There were about 56,400 jobs for Barber in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 13.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 7,600 new jobs for Barber by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 6,200 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Barber are Washington, New Jersey, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in North Dakota, Nebraska, or Pennsylvania. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Barber Average Salary

The salary for Barbers ranges between about $19,280 and $52,600 a year.

Barbers who work in Washington, Maryland, or Illinois, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Barbers in different U.S. states.

What Tools do Barbers Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Barbers may use on a daily basis:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Windows
• Linux
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Appointment scheduling software
• Customer information databases

Becoming a Barber

What education is needed to be a Barber?

What work experience do I need to become a Barber?

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: Tiffany Bumgardner via Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license

More about our data sources and methodologies.