Barber Industry Statistics 2026: Jobs, Pay, and Growth
There were 75,800 barber jobs in the US in 2025, and four out of five of them belonged to people who work for themselves. Mean pay for barbers on a payroll is up 34% since 2019, and by 2022 shops with employees brought in more than three times their 2012 revenue.
If you own a shop, rent a chair, or are thinking about opening your own place, these numbers help you price your services, set expectations for hiring, and see where the industry is headed. We pulled every figure from government sources like the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the US Census Bureau, and the Government of Canada, plus one named market research firm for market size.
Key Barber Industry Statistics at a Glance
- There were 75,800 barber jobs in the US in 2025, counting both employees and the self-employed.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - 80% of US barbers are self-employed, compared with 48% of hairstylists and cosmetologists.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - Barbers on a payroll earned a mean of $47,070 a year in May 2025 ($22.63 an hour).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, Table 1, 2026 - The median barber wage was $18.37 an hour in May 2025, or about $38,210 a year full time.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - The top 10% of barbers earned more than $36.76 an hour, while the bottom 10% earned less than $13.75.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - Mean barber pay rose 34% between 2019 and 2025, from $35,190 to $47,070 a year.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2019 and May 2025, 2026 - Oregon is the highest-paying state for barbers, with a mean annual wage of $83,650 in May 2025.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS Barbers 39-5011, 2026 - Barber jobs are projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, adding about 2,500 jobs.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - Barber shops with employees brought in $1.82 billion in 2022, more than triple the $536 million they reported in 2012.
Source: US Census Bureau, Service Annual Survey (via FRED), 2024 - Barber shop revenue fell 22% in 2020 and passed its pre-pandemic level by 2021.
Source: US Census Bureau, Service Annual Survey (via FRED), 2024 - IBISWorld counts 154,925 barber shop businesses in the US in 2025, up at a 4.6% compound annual growth rate since 2020.
Source: IBISWorld, Barber Shops in the US, 2025 - IBISWorld puts the US barber shop market at $7.0 billion in 2025.
Source: IBISWorld, Barber Shops in the US, 2025 - The median barber wage in Canada is C$19.88 an hour, with British Columbia highest at C$23.00.
Source: Government of Canada, Job Bank, 2026 - Canada expects 36,100 job openings for hairstylists and barbers from 2024 to 2033, almost exactly matched by 36,200 job seekers.
Source: Employment and Social Development Canada, COPS 2024–2033, 2025
How Many Barbers Are There in the US?
The answer depends on who’s counting. The BLS counts every barber job in its Occupational Outlook Handbook, including people who run their own chair. Its wage survey only counts barbers on a business’s payroll. Look at how the two groups split.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Barbers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists, 2025 data, updated August 2026.
Of the 75,800 barber jobs in 2025, about 60,600 were self-employed and roughly 15,200 were on a payroll, almost all in personal care services. That’s a much higher self-employment rate than for hairstylists and cosmetologists (48%). For a shop owner, it means most of the barbers you’d want to hire are already running their own book, so your offer has to beat independence: a full book, less admin, and tools like barber shop booking software that fill chairs without extra work.
Barber Shop Revenue in the US, 1998–2022
The Census Bureau tracked revenue for barber shops that have employees every year from 1998 to 2022. Watch where the line bends, and what happened in 2020.
Source: US Census Bureau, Service Annual Survey, Total Revenue for Barber Shops, Employer Firms (via FRED), 1998–2022 data, updated January 2024.
Revenue sat around $500 million for most of the 2000s, then took off: from $536 million in 2012 to $1.82 billion in 2022. The pandemic knocked it down 22% in 2020, to $1.13 billion, but shops were back above their 2019 level ($1.45 billion) by 2021. These figures leave out nonemployer shops and solo barbers, so they understate the whole industry. For a wider view, IBISWorld estimates the total US barber shop market at $7.0 billion in 2025, after 9.8% compound annual growth from 2020 to 2025, and counts 154,925 barber shop businesses. If you’re wondering whether a shop can still make money in that crowd, our guide on whether barbershops are profitable walks through the math.
Barber Salary Trends, 2019–2025
The BLS publishes pay for barbers on a payroll every May. Here are four of those snapshots, two years apart. Keep in mind these are employees, not chair renters or owners.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Barbers 39-5011, May 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 estimates.
Mean pay for employed barbers went from $35,190 in 2019 to $47,070 in 2025, a 34% jump. Almost all of that happened after 2021, when pay was $35,700. For comparison, the mean for all personal care and service jobs was $41,070 in May 2025, so barbers now out-earn their category. If your prices haven’t moved since 2021, your barbers’ take-home probably hasn’t either. Our guide on how to raise barbershop prices covers how to do it without losing regulars.
Barber Pay Range: What Top and Bottom Earners Make
An average hides a lot. This chart lines up what the lowest earners, the middle, and the top earners made in May 2025.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and OEWS May 2025, updated August 2026. Annual figures are hourly wages x 2,080 hours.
The median barber made $18.37 an hour, about $38,210 a year, while the top 10% made more than $36.76 an hour ($76,460 a year). The mean ($47,070) sits well above the median, which tells you a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up. In real life, the gap between a $28,600 barber and a $76,460 barber is mostly a full book, loyal regulars, and higher prices, not a different set of skills.
Barber Salary by State
Where you cut hair changes what you earn. The BLS publishes state pay for barbers where it has enough payroll data (36 states in May 2025). These are the top 10.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, Barbers 39-5011, state estimates, May 2025.
Oregon leads at $83,650 a year, followed by Washington ($67,540) and Colorado ($59,140). At the other end, Utah’s mean was $25,890, Arkansas $28,260, and Alabama $28,320. State figures for barbers rest on small payroll samples, so treat single-state numbers as a guide rather than a guarantee. What they do show is that the same haircut can support very different incomes depending on local prices and demand.
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Barber Job Outlook, 2025–2035
The BLS updated its 10-year projections in August 2026. Barbers are growing, but more slowly than the wider hair care workforce.
| Occupation | 2025 jobs | 2035 projected | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbers | 75,800 | 78,300 | +2,500 (3%) |
| Barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists (all) | 670,800 | 719,200 | +48,400 (7%) |
Barber jobs are projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, while the combined group of barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists is projected to grow 7%, which the BLS calls much faster than average. Most openings will come from people retiring or leaving the trade rather than new jobs. For owners, slow growth in the barber headcount means good barbers stay in demand, so keeping the ones you have matters as much as hiring. Our barbershop management tips cover retention and scheduling.
Barber Industry Statistics in Canada
Canada groups barbers with hairstylists in one occupation code (NOC 63210), which employed 90,500 people in 2023. Job Bank reports barber wages by province. Look at how far apart the coasts are.
Source: Government of Canada, Job Bank, Barber wages in Canada, 2023–2024 data, updated August 2026.
The median barber in Canada earns C$19.88 an hour. British Columbia pays the most at C$23.00, followed by Quebec (C$21.63) and Saskatchewan (C$21.15). Manitoba is lowest at C$16.32, and Ontario, the biggest market, sits below the national median at C$18.00.
Canada’s projections show where future openings will come from for hairstylists and barbers.
Source: Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS), 2024–2033 projections, January 2025. Split derived from COPS shares (25% growth, 78% of replacement from retirement) and rounded.
Canada expects 36,100 job openings for hairstylists and barbers from 2024 to 2033, and 36,200 job seekers to fill them, so the market should stay balanced. About three in four openings come from people leaving the trade, mainly retirement: 38% of workers in this occupation are already 50 or older. If you own a shop in Canada, that’s a hiring pipeline worth planning for now.
What These Numbers Mean for Your Business
- Price for what barbers now earn. Mean pay is up 34% since 2019. Shops that haven’t adjusted prices are squeezing either their margins or their barbers.
- Compete for talent like a small business, because you are. With 80% of barbers self-employed, your pitch to a new barber has to beat running their own chair: steady bookings, less admin, and a shop they’re proud of.
- Protect every booked slot. At the median wage, one empty 30-minute slot a day costs a barber about $2,300 a year over 250 working days. Deposits and reminders help, and our guide to barbershop deposit policies shows what to charge.
- Know your local market. Mean pay for barbers on a payroll ranges from $25,890 to $83,650 a year depending on the state, and from C$16.32 to C$23.00 an hour across Canadian provinces. Benchmark against your own area, not the national average.
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References and Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Barbers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists, 2025–2035 projections, last modified August 27, 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025, Table 1: National Employment and Wage Data by Occupation, 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, Barbers (39-5011), May 2025 national and state estimates, 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: Barbers, 2024.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021: Barbers, 2022.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019: Barbers, 2020.
- US Census Bureau, Service Annual Survey: Total Revenue for Barber Shops, All Establishments, Employer Firms, via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), updated January 31, 2024.
- IBISWorld, Barber Shops in the US: Market Size Statistics, 2025.
- IBISWorld, Barber Shops in the US: Number of Businesses Statistics, 2025.
- Government of Canada, Job Bank, Barber in Canada: Wages, updated August 7, 2026.
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System: Hairstylists and Barbers (NOC 63210), January 30, 2025.
Methodology Note
As of September 2026, this page uses the newest edition of each source. Total barber jobs and projections come from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025 base year, 2025–2035 projections, updated August 2026), which counts both employees and the self-employed. Wages come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, which covers only barbers on a payroll (about 15,000 in May 2025) and excludes the self-employed and chair renters, so real earnings for owners and renters can differ. The OEWS trend uses the May 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 estimates; OEWS is not designed for year-over-year employment comparisons, so we show wages, not headcount, as the trend. State wages are published for 36 states only. Annual percentile figures are hourly wages multiplied by 2,080 hours. Barber shop revenue comes from the Census Bureau’s Service Annual Survey (NAICS 812111, employer firms only, 1998–2022; the survey has since been folded into the Annual Integrated Economic Survey) and is not mixed with IBISWorld’s market-size estimate, which uses its own method and includes nonemployer businesses. Canadian figures are in Canadian dollars and cover NOC 63210, which combines hairstylists and barbers for employment and projections; the job-opening split in the donut chart is derived from COPS percentages and rounded to the nearest hundred. Percentages are rounded to whole numbers.
About the Author
With over a decade of experience across startups, online publications, and agencies, Marcy is all about delivering content that connects brands with the audiences they're trying to reach.
