Barbers
Personal Care and Service
Clients say what they want, then hair is cut and trimmed with clippers, scissors, and a hand-held dryer, and beards or moustaches are shaped. Shaves use lather and a razor on the face, neck, or temples. Between customers, tools are cleaned and sterilized, protective cloths are draped, and the floor is swept. Services are written on a ticket or paid for at the chair. Suits people who like close, hands-on work with hair, listening to specific requests, and a repeating shop routine.
Typical education: Post-Secondary Certificate (vocational/technical)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$38'210
Median Wage Market Position
$38'210
What you might do
- Cut and trim hair to the client's request
- Shape and trim beards and moustaches
- Lather and shave necks, temples, or beards
- Ask clients what cut or style they want
- Drape a cloth around the client's shoulders
- Clean and sterilize clippers, combs, and scissors
Skills that matter
- Hearing the cut a client wants
- Talking through length and haircut style
- Judging face shape before you cut
- Choosing clippers, scissors, or a razor
- Shaping beards and moustaches to order
- Sterilizing scissors, combs, and clippers
AI & the future of this role
Haircuts, shaves, and grooming require live dexterity, client taste, and face-to-face rapport that automation rarely matches well. Booking or marketing aids may trim admin time, but the chair-side craft tends to stay human-centered.
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Related careers
Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details