Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
Median $35,790
Occupation · SOC 39-5011
Barbers: pay and where the jobs are
What barbers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$38,210 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $47,070
- Median hourly wage
- $18.37
- Mean hourly wage
- $22.63
- Employment
- 15,000
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 39-5011.
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See where your pay falls among barbers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do barbers make?
The median annual wage for barbers was $38,210 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,600 and the highest-paid 10% more than $76,460. As an hourly rate, the median is $18.37. About 15,000 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Oregon ($77,430), Illinois ($65,430) and Colorado ($61,500). Oregon also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for barbers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28,600 | $13.75 | $2,383 | $2,097 |
| 25th percentile | $31,570 | $15.18 | $2,631 | $2,296 |
| Median | $38,210 | $18.37 | $3,184 | $2,740 |
| 75th percentile | $58,960 | $28.35 | $4,913 | $4,130 |
| 90th percentile | $76,460 | $36.76 | $6,372 | $5,218 |
Barbers: pay by state
36 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$55,743 take-home in national prices
2
$54,602 take-home in national prices
3
$51,681 take-home in national prices
Where a median barber paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | Not published | $77,430 | $64,310 | $103,800 | $57,617 | $55,743 |
| Illinois | Not published | $65,430 | $31,460 | $71,990 | $51,659 | $51,681 |
| Colorado | 480 | $61,500 | $33,130 | $81,060 | $49,327 | $47,866 |
| Washington | 1,220 | $61,150 | $52,540 | $76,480 | $50,466 | $47,159 |
| Iowa | 130 | $58,900 | $31,200 | $81,710 | $47,920 | $54,602 |
| New Jersey | Not published | $54,850 | $32,220 | $88,440 | $44,348 | $40,760 |
| Minnesota | 260 | $53,990 | $39,000 | $59,170 | $43,175 | $43,779 |
| Florida | 1,240 | $49,410 | $31,000 | $79,490 | $41,881 | $40,498 |
| North Dakota | 80 | $48,540 | $28,760 | $59,070 | $41,182 | $46,293 |
| Missouri | 580 | $47,880 | $36,710 | $80,950 | $39,339 | $43,316 |
| Virginia | 160 | $46,730 | $37,270 | $75,860 | $37,855 | $37,441 |
| Louisiana | 40 | $44,430 | $22,340 | $56,110 | $36,933 | $41,871 |
| Connecticut | 330 | $41,400 | $38,500 | $48,600 | $33,760 | $32,584 |
| New Mexico | 50 | $39,100 | $36,440 | $41,180 | $32,883 | $35,660 |
| Nebraska | Not published | $39,090 | $30,570 | $58,390 | $32,690 | $36,280 |
| New York | Not published | $38,580 | $35,430 | $63,180 | $31,495 | $29,183 |
| Mississippi | Not published | $38,480 | $26,290 | $42,870 | $32,291 | $37,137 |
| California | 1,390 | $38,380 | $35,900 | $69,530 | $32,002 | $28,903 |
| Pennsylvania | 530 | $36,920 | $30,410 | $46,700 | $30,686 | $31,450 |
| Wisconsin | 450 | $36,540 | $30,530 | $61,200 | $30,626 | $32,548 |
| Idaho | 130 | $36,040 | $21,880 | $59,590 | $30,336 | $31,768 |
| Michigan | Not published | $35,490 | $28,840 | $71,810 | $29,439 | $30,596 |
| Maryland | Not published | $35,400 | $32,720 | $58,510 | $29,308 | $27,924 |
| Maine | 50 | $35,300 | $30,470 | $74,930 | $29,538 | $30,435 |
| Rhode Island | Not published | $34,900 | $34,480 | $63,230 | $29,146 | $28,497 |
| Oklahoma | 170 | $34,860 | $29,340 | $35,820 | $29,167 | $33,203 |
| Arizona | Not published | $34,380 | $31,950 | $37,440 | $29,339 | $29,141 |
| Indiana | 370 | $33,600 | $29,670 | $60,060 | $28,216 | $30,233 |
| South Carolina | 220 | $32,900 | $23,240 | $74,570 | $28,259 | $30,143 |
| North Carolina | 330 | $31,050 | $28,370 | $90,270 | $26,399 | $27,986 |
| Texas | 2,580 | $30,760 | $28,340 | $80,430 | $26,896 | $27,711 |
| Georgia | 550 | $30,750 | $27,950 | $78,710 | $26,102 | $27,107 |
| Alabama | Not published | $29,120 | $26,380 | $29,120 | $24,444 | $27,520 |
| Arkansas | 170 | $25,640 | $24,240 | $33,750 | $22,254 | $25,598 |
| Utah | 320 | $25,370 | $23,890 | $26,810 | $22,246 | $22,502 |
| Tennessee | Not published | $24,690 | $22,850 | $43,620 | $21,942 | $23,884 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 39-5011. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.