Barber

Also called: Hair Cutter, Men's Stylist

Cuts, trims, fades and styles hair, and shapes beards and mustaches.

A day in the life

A barber's day is a steady line of clients: a skin fade, a beard trim, a kid's first haircut, a retiree's regular trim. Between cuts he cleans clippers, catches up on the game on TV, and rebooks regulars.

Pay over a career

Starting
$25k
Typical
$39k
High
$70k

BLS median about $18.73/hour plus tips; chair renters keep more.

Training

Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Barber license from a barber school or apprenticeship (about 1,000-1,500 hours) plus a state exam.

Ways in: Trade school, Apprenticeship, Certification. Training cost: Under $15k.

Majors to look at: Barbering (trade school).

Outlook

Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). BLS combined barber/hairstylist projection.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. Online booking and payment are automated; the cut, the shave and the chair-side conversation stay human.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Barbering CTE program, Art, Business.

Official data: O*NET occupation 39-5011.

More Barbering careers

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.