Barbers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for barberss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $47,070 ≈ $23/hr
National median salary $38,210
Total employment 15,000 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +4.1% Faster than average
Annual openings 8,400 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 76,000 → 79,200 (+3,100)
Typical entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

Mean annual wage $26,000–$38,000 $38,000–$42,000 $42,000–$46,000 $46,000–$53,000 $53,000–$84,000 U.S. mean $47,070

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. Oregon$83,650
  2. Washington$67,540
  3. Colorado$59,140
  4. Missouri$55,900
  5. Illinois$55,540

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Utah$25,890
  2. Arkansas$28,260
  3. Alabama$28,320
  4. Tennessee$29,460
  5. Oklahoma$34,400
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Oregon $83,650 $77,430 $40 +77.7%
2 Washington $67,540 $61,150 $32 +43.5% 1,220
3 Colorado $59,140 $61,500 $28 +25.6% 480
4 Missouri $55,900 $47,880 $27 +18.8% 580
5 Illinois $55,540 $65,430 $27 +18%
6 Iowa $54,470 $58,900 $26 +15.7% 130
7 New Jersey $54,080 $54,850 $26 +14.9%
8 Florida $52,980 $49,410 $25 +12.6% 1,240
9 Virginia $51,480 $46,730 $25 +9.4% 160
10 Minnesota $49,400 $53,990 $24 +5% 260
11 California $47,720 $38,380 $23 +1.4% 1,390
12 North Carolina $47,710 $31,050 $23 +1.4% 330
13 Maine $46,800 $35,300 $23 -0.6% 50
14 North Dakota $46,770 $48,540 $22 -0.6% 80
15 Georgia $46,110 $30,750 $22 -2% 550

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 39 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Colorado Springs, CO $71,970 $61,980 70
2 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $64,310 $71,770 180
3 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $63,410 $71,150
4 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $61,080 $58,640 290
5 St. Louis, MO-IL $57,960 $59,280 260
6 Jacksonville, FL $57,860 $56,260 110
7 Springfield, MO $56,580 $58,500 100
8 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $55,890 $51,390 60
9 Tallahassee, FL $54,750 $62,400 40
10 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $49,700 $50,240

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing barberss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Other Personal Services $65,430 $65,420
2 State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $57,730 $61,980 50
3 Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS $56,120 $60,640 80
4 Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS $56,120 $60,640 80
5 Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS $46,990 $53,710 120
6 State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $45,620 $52,610 90
7 Sector 62 - Health Care and Social Assistance $39,310 $41,550 50
8 Hospitals $39,300 $41,200 40
9 Hospitals, State Government Owned $39,270 $40,830 40
10 Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals $39,270 $40,870 40
11 Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, State Government Owned $39,270 $40,830 40
12 Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local $38,210 $47,070 15,000

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
90,306
$10-20k
12,738
$20-30k
17,036
$30-40k
16,141
$40-50k
8,887
$50-60k
5,199
$60-70k
4,198
$70-80k
2,756
$80-90k
1,473
$90-100k
283
$100-110k
627
$120-130k
218

Pay by age band

16-24
$17,453
25-34
$18,324
35-44
$17,863
45-54
$15,093
55-64
$12,577
65+
$9,900

Education level

Regular high school diploma
$16,398
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$17,918
Some college, but less than 1 year
$13,414
Associates Degree
$16,617
GED or alternative credential
$13,482
Bachelors Degree
$17,959
12th grade - no diploma
$18,817
No schooling completed
$17,562
Grade 11
$6,655
Grade 10
$8,872
Grade 9
$15,071
Masters Degree
$18,134
Grade 8
$15,506
Grade 6
$7,178
Grade 7
$21,135
Professional degree
$4,521
Grade 5
$24,362
Grade 3
Doctorate degree
$19,507
Grade 4
$10,195
Kindergarten
Grade 2
$18,351

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
58,075 · $37,102
Part-time
17,587 · $16,932

Race / ethnicity

White
$16,589
Black
$15,156
Two or More Races
$16,662
Other
$14,068
Asian
$19,740
American Indian
$12,801
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$8,052
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$33,430

Top fields of study

General Business
$20,892
Business Management And Administration
$12,491
General Education
$5,990
Psychology
$22,229
Music
$4,684
Theology And Religious Vocations
$18,452
Mechanical Engineering
$2,039
Communications
$26,904

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Active Listening
3.4
Service Orientation
3.1
Social Perceptiveness
3.1
Speaking
3.1
Judgment and Decision Making
3.0
Critical Thinking
2.9
Monitoring
2.9
Reading Comprehension
2.8
Time Management
2.6
Active Learning
2.5
Coordination
2.5
Complex Problem Solving
2.3

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do barbers make in the U.S.?

The median barbers salary in the United States is $38,210 per year (mean $47,070), and about 80% earn between $28,600 and $76,460.

How much do barbers make per hour?

Roughly $23 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $47,070 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays barbers the most?

Oregon has the highest average pay for barbers at $83,650 per year (median $77,430).

What is the job outlook for barbers?

Employment is projected to change +4.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 8,400 openings per year.