Barber School

Barbering is a field with a long and storied history that you can become a part of. As a barber, you get to focus on hair care, of course. You also get to form relationships with clients. People can sometimes return to the same barber for years, if not generations.

Skip to popular topics on this page: What Does a Barber Do? | What to Expect | How to Choose a Barber School | Barber Apprenticeships | Getting Your License After Barber School | Barber Salary and Job Growth | Barbering Schools by State | Hot US Cities for New Barbers

If becoming a barber feels like a great path, read on! This page details what barbers do and how they get trained.

Learn More About Barbering

• Barbering Career Information
• Barbering Licensing Requirements

What Does a Barber Do?

Barbers generally perform hair, facial hair, and scalp treatments. Some specialize in wig and hairpiece creation or fittings as well.

Cutting, styling, dyeing, and perming short hair are usually within a barber's skill set. A person with long hair can go to a barber, but it's usually for a major cut.

Barbers can trim, blend, fade, style, treat, and remove beards and mustaches. As a barber, you may use oils, special cleansers, and wax on facial hair. You might also perform old-fashioned shaves using straight razors, brushes, and other tools.

You'd also be a bit of an educator, as barbers teach people how to care for their facial hair between sessions.

Barber School: What to Expect

Barber school students focus on short hair and facial hair in classes and hands-on work. They also prepare for state exams and a barber career.

Independent barber schools are common, though some cosmetology schools offer barber programs. Registered teachers should always train and prepare you for state exams.

Coursework in Barber School

Each state has a unique barber school curriculum, but all need work on hair and facial hair. Classes often include topics on the NIC barber exams, but programs in some states teach to other licensing exams. Common coursework includes:

• Anatomy and physiology
• Artificial hair
• Bloodborne pathogens
• Facial hair skills
• Hair design and treatments
• Hair and skin care
• Safety, sanitation, and infection control
• Skin and hair conditions
• State laws and rules
• Tools and other equipment, including straight razors
• Customer service and basic business skills

Barber School Requirements to Enroll

Barber school enrollment requirements vary by state and school. If you're interested in barber school, you often need to:

• Interview and apply (the application process is often online)
• Pay an application fee or tuition down payment
• Provide your high school diploma or GED, state ID, and proof of residency or citizenship
• Turn in relevant financial aid details

In some cases, barber schools need enrollees to:

• Prove they speak and write English at a 10th-grade level or higher
• Provide medical exam results
• Submit ADA accommodation information, if relevant

These three final requirements are often more related to state licensure. You may not have to give these to the school and just hang on to the details until you apply for your license. But, ensure you meet licensure requirements before spending time and money in school.

Barber School Costs

Barber school costs vary by state and program, but typically cost somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000. The cost of living and type of school (community college, independent, or big brand) affect cost. You can reduce barber school costs by getting scholarships.

How Long Does Barber School Take?

Barber school lasts an average of 1,500 hours over 18 months. States set hours requirements, so there isn't a straightforward amount of time to expect nationwide.

How to Choose a Barber School

When choosing a barber school, consider your needs and career goals. The best barber schools for others may not be the best for you. A few things to consider when researching are:

• Student reviews: Did students have a great experience and feel they received an adequate preparation for their barbering career?
• Course offerings: Does the school offer everything you want to learn about?
• Enrollment dates: Can you start when it works for you?
• Class schedules: Does the school offer classes when you can attend them? Can you attend school for the number of hours required per week?
• Program length: How long does this program take to complete?
• School costs vs. your budget: Can you afford this program? Does the school help you with financial aid?

Barber Apprenticeships

Barber apprenticeships are more common than apprenticeships in related fields like cosmetology or esthetics apprenticeships. The big upsides are that you should be paid as an entry-level employee and get hands-on experience in a real barber shop early in your training. However, not every state allows apprenticeships as a way to complete training hours for a barbering license.

When they are offered as a path to licensure, apprenticeships often take twice as many hours as barber school programs do. In a few cases, though, some states use a more traditional apprenticeship approach. In this, the mentor has a lot of control over when training ends.

Getting Your License After Barber School

Generally, the biggest barbering licensure requirements are completing your barbering training through a state-approved path and passing written and practical tests. However, each state’s requirements differ. For example, some states may require a background check, medical exam results, or sexual assault or domestic violence awareness training.

Barber Salary and Job Growth

Barbering is a growing field, and pay can be steady. Barbers who run their own barber businesses seem to have even better financial luck.

The number of barber jobs should grow by 8% between 2021 and 2031. The highest anticipated growth is in California, where they anticipate a 50% increase in barber jobs!

Barbers earn an average of $35,700 annually ($17.16 per hour) as of 2021, not including self-employed barber pay. ZipRecruiter, a self-reporting site, shows self-employed barbers average over $78,000 per year.

Barbering Schools Near Me

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• D.C.
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Hot US Cities for New Barbers

If you're a new barber, some cities are begging for skilled folks like you. Here are some of the hottest cities for beginning your barber career.

Salary data from Salary.com is self-reported rather than government-reported.

Austin, TX

Austin is a popular place to become a barber. The city has many barbers, like Scissors & Scotch, Agape Family Barbershop, and Olde Soul.

The median salary for barbers in Austin is $32,793 (Salary.com, 2022).

Austin beauty student's guide

Baltimore, MD

With The Fading Theory, Illusions Barbershop, and more, Baltimore rocks for many barbers.

The median salary for barbers in Baltimore is $34,277 (Salary.com, 2022).

Baltimore beauty student's guide

Charlotte, NC

Charlotte combines history and style, making it the ideal city for many new barbers. Some popular barbershops include Crown Chakra Barbering Company and SWAG Barber Shop.

The median salary for barbers in Charlotte is $32,572 (Salary.com, 2022).

Charlotte beauty student's guide

Chicago, IL

Popular shops in Chicago include Luxe Barber & Shave Lounge and V's Barber Shop. If you're a new barber, you could check out the city's many barbershops to determine what would fit you best.

The mean salary for barbers in Chicago is $30,280 (BLS, 2021).

Chicago beauty student's guide

Detroit, MI

The largest city in Michigan, Detroit is a popular place to begin a career as a barber. Some exciting shops include The Bearded Lady, Detroit Barbers, and The Social Club.

The mean salary for barbers in Detroit is $48,120 (BLS, 2021).

Detroit beauty student's guide

Miami / Fort Lauderdale, FL

Miami and Fort Lauderdale could be great places to begin your barber career. With shops like The Mens Room Barbershop in Miami and Barbers & Beer Barbershop in Ft. Lauderdale, it's a unique set of cities to get your career going.

The median salary for barbers in Miami is $32,360 and $32,380 in Fort Lauderdale (Salary.com, 2022).

Miami beauty student's guide

Nashville, TN

Nashville is a unique and exciting town to start a career as a barber in. With celebrity-loved Kingpin, The Bears' Den Barbershop, and more, you may find a great job.

The median salary for barbers in Nashville is $31,087 (Salary.com, 2022).

Nashville beauty student's guide

Phoenix, AZ

Pinky's Barbershop, The Stache House Barbershop, and Ace of Fades are a few of Phoenix's barbers. So if you don't mind the heat, Phoenix could be the place for you to start your barber career.

The median salary for barbers in Phoenix is $32,938 (Salary.com, 2022).

Phoenix beauty student's guide

Tampa / St. Petersburg, FL

Tampa and St. Petersburg are great places to begin your barber career if you want to work with people from all over. Tampa has some cool offerings, like Westside Barbershop & Shave Lounge. Also, you can find Against the Grain Barbershop in St. Petersburg.

The median salary for barbers in Tampa is $31,736 (Salary.com, 2022).

Tampa beauty student's guide

Washington, DC

Barber of Hell's Bottom and Bearded Goat Barber are a couple of the unique (and uniquely named!) barbershops in Washington, D.C. If you want to be at the center of the country's action, D.C. could be the place for you.

The mean salary for barbers in Washington, DC is $32,030 (BLS, 2021).

Washington DC beauty student's guide

Barbering Resources and Articles

Barber Salary
Barber Licensing
Barber Salary
Barber Careers
Beauty Crossover Programs