Barbers
Barbers (SOC 39-5011) earn a median $38,210 a year ($18.37 an hour) in the United States, with 15,000 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Oregon.
What barbers do
Barbers cut, trim, wash, and style hair, trim beards, and give shaves. They ask patrons what services and styles they want, put protective cloths around the customer's shoulders, and cut to the client's instructions or current fashions using clippers, combs, hand-held dryers, and scissors. They lather and shave beards or the lines at the neck and temples with a razor, and shape beards and mustaches with scissors. Between customers they clean and sterilize their scissors, combs, clippers, and other instruments, wipe down the work station, and sweep. They also note services on cashiers' tickets or accept payment. Titles used for the work include barber stylist, hair cutter, licensed barber, and barber shop operator. O*NET treats these as names for the same occupation.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a post-secondary certificate as the usual education level (about 29 percent).
Also called: Barber, Barber Shop Operator, Barber Stylist, Hair Cutter, Licensed Barber.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.75 | $15.18 | $18.37 | $28.35 | $36.76 | $22.63 | 15,000 |
| Annual | $28,600 | $31,570 | $38,210 | $58,960 | $76,460 | $47,070 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where barbers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $30.92 | $30.92 | $37.22 | $49.90 | $49.90 | $40.22 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $64,310 | $64,310 | $77,430 | $103,800 | $103,800 | $83,650 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.12 | $16.56 | $31.46 | $34.58 | $34.61 | $26.70 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $31,460 | $34,430 | $65,430 | $71,930 | $71,990 | $55,540 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $15.93 | $16.20 | $29.57 | $37.75 | $38.97 | $28.44 | 480 | 0.17 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $33,130 | $33,690 | $61,500 | $78,510 | $81,060 | $59,140 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $25.26 | $28.81 | $29.40 | $36.14 | $36.77 | $32.47 | 1,220 | 0.34 | 3.57 |
| Annual | $52,540 | $59,910 | $61,150 | $75,160 | $76,480 | $67,540 | ||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.36 | $28.32 | $29.16 | $39.28 | $26.19 | 130 | 0.08 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,960 | $58,900 | $60,660 | $81,710 | $54,470 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $13.63 | $14.16 | $14.79 | $17.87 | $38.67 | $20.01 | 2,580 | 0.18 | 1.90 |
| Annual | $28,340 | $29,460 | $30,760 | $37,160 | $80,430 | $41,630 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.26 | $17.81 | $18.45 | $21.53 | $33.43 | $22.94 | 1,390 | 0.08 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $35,900 | $37,040 | $38,380 | $44,790 | $69,530 | $47,720 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.91 | $16.72 | $23.76 | $28.48 | $38.22 | $25.47 | 1,240 | 0.13 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $31,000 | $34,780 | $49,410 | $59,240 | $79,490 | $52,980 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $25.26 | $28.81 | $29.40 | $36.14 | $36.77 | $32.47 | 1,220 | 0.34 | 3.57 |
| Annual | $52,540 | $59,910 | $61,150 | $75,160 | $76,480 | $67,540 | ||||
| Missouri | Hourly | $17.65 | $18.67 | $23.02 | $36.76 | $38.92 | $26.88 | 580 | 0.20 | 2.05 |
| Annual | $36,710 | $38,840 | $47,880 | $76,460 | $80,950 | $55,900 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Colorado Springs, CO | Hourly | $14.81 | $22.33 | $34.60 | $35.01 | $35.20 | $29.80 | 70 | 0.23 | 2.39 |
| Annual | $30,800 | $46,440 | $71,970 | $72,830 | $73,220 | $61,980 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $26.94 | $28.81 | $30.92 | $37.22 | $49.90 | $34.51 | 180 | 0.15 | 1.54 |
| Annual | $56,030 | $59,910 | $64,310 | $77,430 | $103,800 | $71,770 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $29.05 | $29.40 | $30.49 | $36.14 | $36.96 | $34.21 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $60,430 | $61,150 | $63,410 | $75,160 | $76,880 | $71,150 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $15.93 | $16.18 | $29.37 | $37.88 | $38.01 | $28.19 | 290 | 0.18 | 1.88 |
| Annual | $33,130 | $33,640 | $61,080 | $78,800 | $79,060 | $58,640 | ||||
| St. Louis, MO-IL | Hourly | $17.65 | $20.09 | $27.86 | $38.83 | $39.32 | $28.50 | 260 | 0.19 | 1.99 |
| Annual | $36,710 | $41,790 | $57,960 | $80,770 | $81,780 | $59,280 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $14.21 | $14.43 | $15.86 | $18.48 | $39.26 | $21.32 | 790 | 0.20 | 2.04 |
| Annual | $29,550 | $30,010 | $33,000 | $38,440 | $81,660 | $44,340 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $14.13 | $14.53 | $14.76 | $17.95 | $37.99 | $19.40 | 630 | 0.19 | 1.98 |
| Annual | $29,400 | $30,210 | $30,690 | $37,330 | $79,010 | $40,350 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.77 | $17.91 | $18.11 | $21.50 | $42.82 | $22.91 | 470 | 0.08 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $36,960 | $37,250 | $37,680 | $44,710 | $89,070 | $47,660 | ||||
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | Hourly | $14.47 | $14.78 | $15.75 | $19.00 | $39.78 | $21.59 | 400 | 0.31 | 3.17 |
| Annual | $30,100 | $30,730 | $32,770 | $39,520 | $82,740 | $44,910 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $14.39 | $14.45 | $14.79 | $32.17 | $44.29 | $23.23 | 360 | 0.13 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $29,930 | $30,060 | $30,750 | $66,920 | $92,130 | $48,320 | ||||
Top industries employing barbers
Personal Care Services employ 97.8% of barbers nationally (14,670 jobs) at a median $37,990 a year ($18.26 an hour), followed by State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (0.3%) and Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals (0.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Care Services NAICS 812100 | 14,670 | 97.8% | $37,990 | $18.26 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 50 | 0.3% | $57,730 | $27.76 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals NAICS 622200 | 40 | 0.3% | $39,270 | $18.88 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (15,000). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,970 for barbers in May 2021 and $38,210 in May 2025, with employment of 12,910 and 15,000.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,970 | $14.41 | 12,910 |
| May 2022 | $34,990 | $16.82 | 12,690 |
| May 2023 | $36,150 | $17.38 | 15,990 |
| May 2024 | $38,960 | $18.73 | 18,100 |
| May 2025 | $38,210 | $18.37 | 15,000 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
36 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon profile | $37.22 | $77,430 | $64,310 | $103,800 | ** | ** | ** |
| 2 | Illinois profile | $31.46 | $65,430 | $31,460 | $71,990 | ** | ** | ** |
| 3 | Colorado profile | $29.57 | $61,500 | $33,130 | $81,060 | 480 | 0.17 | 1.73 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $29.40 | $61,150 | $52,540 | $76,480 | 1,220 | 0.34 | 3.57 |
| 5 | Iowa profile | $28.32 | $58,900 | $31,200 | $81,710 | 130 | 0.08 | 0.87 |
| 6 | New Jersey profile | $26.37 | $54,850 | $32,220 | $88,440 | ** | ** | ** |
| 7 | Minnesota profile | $25.96 | $53,990 | $39,000 | $59,170 | 260 | 0.09 | 0.90 |
| 8 | Florida profile | $23.76 | $49,410 | $31,000 | $79,490 | 1,240 | 0.13 | 1.30 |
| 9 | North Dakota profile | $23.34 | $48,540 | $28,760 | $59,070 | 80 | 0.18 | 1.91 |
| 10 | Missouri profile | $23.02 | $47,880 | $36,710 | $80,950 | 580 | 0.20 | 2.05 |
| 11 | Virginia profile | $22.47 | $46,730 | $37,270 | $75,860 | 160 | 0.04 | 0.41 |
| 12 | Louisiana profile | $21.36 | $44,430 | $22,340 | $56,110 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.19 |
| 13 | Connecticut profile | $19.90 | $41,400 | $38,500 | $48,600 | 330 | 0.20 | 2.02 |
| 14 | New Mexico profile | $18.80 | $39,100 | $36,440 | $41,180 | 50 | 0.05 | 0.56 |
| 15 | Nebraska profile | $18.79 | $39,090 | $30,570 | $58,390 | ** | ** | ** |
| 16 | New York profile | $18.55 | $38,580 | $35,430 | $63,180 | ** | ** | ** |
| 17 | Mississippi profile | $18.50 | $38,480 | $26,290 | $42,870 | ** | ** | ** |
| 18 | California profile | $18.45 | $38,380 | $35,900 | $69,530 | 1,390 | 0.08 | 0.79 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania profile | $17.75 | $36,920 | $30,410 | $46,700 | 530 | 0.09 | 0.91 |
| 20 | Wisconsin profile | $17.57 | $36,540 | $30,530 | $61,200 | 450 | 0.15 | 1.58 |
| 21 | Idaho profile | $17.33 | $36,040 | $21,880 | $59,590 | 130 | 0.15 | 1.53 |
| 22 | Michigan profile | $17.06 | $35,490 | $28,840 | $71,810 | ** | ** | ** |
| 23 | Maryland profile | $17.02 | $35,400 | $32,720 | $58,510 | ** | ** | ** |
| 24 | Maine profile | $16.97 | $35,300 | $30,470 | $74,930 | 50 | 0.08 | 0.87 |
| 25 | Rhode Island profile | $16.78 | $34,900 | $34,480 | $63,230 | ** | ** | ** |
| 26 | Oklahoma profile | $16.76 | $34,860 | $29,340 | $35,820 | 170 | 0.10 | 1.01 |
| 27 | Arizona profile | $16.53 | $34,380 | $31,950 | $37,440 | ** | ** | ** |
| 28 | Indiana profile | $16.15 | $33,600 | $29,670 | $60,060 | 370 | 0.12 | 1.20 |
| 29 | South Carolina profile | $15.82 | $32,900 | $23,240 | $74,570 | 220 | 0.09 | 0.97 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $14.93 | $31,050 | $28,370 | $90,270 | 330 | 0.07 | 0.70 |
| 31 | Texas profile | $14.79 | $30,760 | $28,340 | $80,430 | 2,580 | 0.18 | 1.90 |
| 32 | Georgia profile | $14.79 | $30,750 | $27,950 | $78,710 | 550 | 0.11 | 1.16 |
| 33 | Alabama profile | $14.00 | $29,120 | $26,380 | $29,120 | ** | ** | ** |
| 34 | Arkansas profile | $12.33 | $25,640 | $24,240 | $33,750 | 170 | 0.13 | 1.33 |
| 35 | Utah profile | $12.20 | $25,370 | $23,890 | $26,810 | 320 | 0.18 | 1.91 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | $11.87 | $24,690 | $22,850 | $43,620 | ** | ** | ** |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (39-5010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Personal Care and Service Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 39-5011 Barbers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 39-5011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 39-5011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.