Barbers
Overview
Introduction
Barbers shampoo, cut, trim, and style hair and shave, trim, and shape beards. While barbers are formally trained to perform other services such as coloring and perming hair, most barbers in barbershops do not offer these services. Barbers may also call themselves barber-stylists, and a few may even refer to themselves as tonsorial artists, an old-fashioned term that is derived from a Latin word meaning "to shear." There are approximately 20,130 barbers in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Incomes vary widely depending on a barber's experience, the location of the shop, the number of hours worked, tipping habits of the clientele, and whether or not a barber owns the business. The personality and initiative of a barber also impacts the ability to draw a loyal following. In August 2019, Salary.com reported that the average salary for barbers was $31,254. The U.S. Department of Labo...
Work Environment
Barbers generally enjoy pleasant work surroundings. The barbershop environment is usually friendly, clean, and comfortable. Many barbers can set their own hours, and although many work Saturdays, they typically take Sundays and weeknights off. Of course, this depends largely on the schedules of their clientele; barbers whose clientele consists mostly of retirees rarely find the need to work eve...
Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment for barbers will grow faster than the average for all careers through 2028. As the U.S. population continues to grow, demand will increase for basic hair-care services. Additionally, many job openings will also result from the need to replace retired workers. The outlook for this profession will be different for various cities, states, and r...
