Barbering Schools in Minnesota

Browse our directory of barbering schools in Minnesota, or skip ahead to learn about the state's barbering licensing requirements and job outlook.

How to Become a Barber in Minnesota

Barbering — whether you choose to go into the field exclusively, or as part of broader training is cosmetology, hair dressing, and hair styling, is a wonderful career within the beauty industry. It is a group of services that focuses primarily, although not exclusively, on the hair and grooming needs of men. It covers haircuts and styling, grooming of facial hair including mustaches, beards, and sideburns, and shaving, as well as some specialty skills such as fitting hair pieces, hair coloring and highlighting, perming and straightening, and more.

Many men visit their neighborhood barber once a month or so for their regular haircut, enjoying the camaraderie and conversation, the company of other men, and the routine.

State License Requirements

To be eligible for the barbering license, you need to complete 1,500 hours of training at one of the three schools. You will then be able to sit for the Barber's Apprentice Licensing Exam given by the Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners. When you pass the test, made up of a theoretical (written) and practical part, you will receive your Barber's Apprentice License, which is valid for four years. Sometime within that four year window, you will need to take your Master Barber Exam and become licensed as a Master Barber.

Education Details

Courses typically cover the basics of hair care including shampooing and conditioning, cutting and styling, perming and straightening and coloring and highlighting using foils and caps. There are also courses in grooming facial hair, including different shaving techniques. Of course, you'll learn the latest fashions in hair styles and facial hair. There will be live demonstrations from your instructors, and video demonstrations. You''ll get to work on mannequins before you have a chance to work on actual live clients.

License Renewal

You will then need to renew your license on a yearly basis.

Minnesota Barbering Careers

Barbers in the state of Minnesota earned an average wage of $44,250 in 2020, which is considerably higher than the national median wage of $30,150 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). Of course once you become a Master Barber, you can charge a higher fee than you can as a Barber's Apprentice. The demand for barbers is expected to show some growth in the next decade or so, meaning it should be relatively easy for new barbers to find positions once they have completed their training.

Your day to day working life as a barber can be very pleasant. Most barbers work in free standing barber shops that exist in most every town across the country. Some barbers work in spas and salons. Others may work in special settings such as prisons, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and other places that serve special populations. You will see clients, mostly men, by appointment and as walk-ins. There will be some flexibility in your schedule, making it possible for you to fit other interests around your workday. Barbering is a job you can do either full or part time. Because you are on your feet most of the day, it does require energy and stamina. Many barbers work for someone else for a number of years, and then go into business for themselves. This allows them to experience the benefits as well as the responsibilities of small business ownership. Of course, to do that, you will need to add business skills to your repertoire, but there are available at the same schools where you studied barbering, or at schools of cosmetology. There is some controversy today over who should be able to display the traditional red, white, and blue barber's pole, that is, whether it should be reserved as the exclusive provenance of barber shops, or permitted to be displayed wherever hair is cut. Barbers argue that the tools of their trade and their unique services make them different from other cosmetologists offering hair care services, and that only shops employing a licensed barber should be permitted to display the classic barber's pole. In Minnesota, this is an ongoing issue that is the subject of legislative consideration. Barbering is a great career that enables you to be part of your community and enjoy the company of your friends and neighbors while performing a service that makes people look and feel their best, and while earning a good living. Consider enrolling in one of the barbering schools in Minnesota. Contact beauty schools in your area today!

Contact the Minnesota State Board of Barbering

Minnesota is notable across the nation for keeping to valued traditions. Among them is the fine art of barbering. The opportunities for growth in the number of information.

Minnesota Master Barber School Education
Minnesota Salon & Spa Association