Also called: Mobile Shear Sharpener, Scissor Sharpening Technician
Drives a van of grinding machines from salon to barbershop, sharpening and repairing the expensive scissors that stylists and barbers depend on.
He parks his van outside a busy barbershop, collects 14 pairs of shears and clipper blades, and sharpens each on a flat hone, testing the edge on wet tissue. He fixes a wobbly pivot screw on a $600 Japanese shear, then drives to three more salons before 5 p.m.
Mostly self-employed; income depends on the route and how many salons you serve.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. No degree; learned from an experienced sharpener or a manufacturer course; many buy into a sharpening franchise.
Ways in: Apprenticeship, Certification, Self-taught. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Small Business (community college).
Growing about average. Small trade; steady demand from salons, barbershops, groomers and sewing shops.
Low risk for 10 years. Precision hand sharpening and building a route of loyal salons stay human; machines help but cannot replace the skill.
Classes: Shop or metals CTE, Business, Physics.
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.