Barbers Salary: $46,773 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 18,100 barbers nationally earn a mean of $46,773. Employment in the series shown rose about 9% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 7.6% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Barbers: what the data shows
Common questions about barbers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a barbers?
Barbers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 39-5011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 18,100 workers.
What does a barbers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Thinking Creatively, Performing General Physical Activities, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Assisting and Caring for Others, Handling and Moving Objects, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a barbers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $38,960 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $46,773 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,833 |
| 25th percentile | $35,615 |
| Median (50th) | $37,630 |
| 75th percentile | $58,867 |
| 90th percentile | $65,727 |
What education do you need?
For Barbers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, English Language, Economics and Accounting. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is barbers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 7.6% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 44.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 107.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 18,100.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do barberss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 18,100 | 20.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 18,000 | 20.0% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 17,660 | 19.6% |
| Personal and Laundry Services | 17,660 | 19.6% |
| Personal Care Services | 17,260 | 19.2% |
| Other Personal Services | 390 | 0.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Barbers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | 26,830 | $33,880 |
| Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers | 16,570 | $53,990 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 270,480 | $102,140 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | 472,300 | $78,140 |
| Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers | 4,590 | $34,530 |
| Personal Care Aides | — | — |
| Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists | 295,460 | $35,250 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Barbers workforce.
Employment Over Time
18,100 Workforce in 2023
The Barbers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Barbers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$46,773 Average Wage
In 2023, Barbers earned an average of $46,773.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Barbers.
Salary distribution for Barbers.
Employment Growth Projections
7.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
5,767 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 44.2%
8,316 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 107.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 7.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Barbers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Barbers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Barbers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Barbers.
Wage Trends by Industry
8.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 11.4% growth (Current: $46,773)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Barbers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Barbers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 3,920 employees, $49,090 avg wage
- FL: 1,730 employees, $50,850 avg wage
- CA: 1,630 employees, $45,480 avg wage
- NJ: 1,150 employees, $48,880 avg wage
- PA: 920 employees, $40,580 avg wage
- GA: 650 employees, $47,780 avg wage
- CO: 630 employees, $58,860 avg wage
- SC: 490 employees, $40,620 avg wage
- MO: 470 employees, $50,440 avg wage
- WA: 360 employees, $82,730 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Barbers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 2,000 employees, $48,930 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,550 employees, $47,330 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 770 employees, $50,560 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 660 employees, $45,080 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 600 employees, $44,380 avg wage
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 540 employees, $55,110 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 430 employees, $52,900 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 420 employees, $50,980 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 420 employees, $51,760 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 320 employees, $61,600 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Barbers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Barbers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Barbers in 2023 was 18,100 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Barbers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Barbers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Barbers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Barbers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Barbers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Barbers workers.
Education level distribution for Barbers.
Skills
Barbers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making.
Required skills for Barbers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Barbers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Barbers include Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, English Language, Economics and Accounting, Psychology.
Knowledge areas required for Barbers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Barbers include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Finger Dexterity, Manual Dexterity.
Required abilities for Barbers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Barbers.
Daily Activities
Barbers spend their time on activities such as Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Thinking Creatively, Performing General Physical Activities, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Assisting and Caring for Others.
Most important work activities for Barbers.
About
Barbers
The average yearly wage for Barbers was $46,773 in 2023.
SOC Code
39-5011 - Barbers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Barbers reports an average salary of $46,773.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 18,100 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 7.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.