Barbers
Also called: Barber Shop Operator, Barber Stylist, Hair Stylist, StylistProvide barbering services, such as cutting, trimming, shampooing, and styling hair; trimming beards; or giving shaves.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 20 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 3.3% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.3% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.7 hires for every 10 job openings in other services, which employs about 99% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.7 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $29,120 | $27,430 to $29,120 | not published |
| Arizona | $34,380 | $34,370 to $37,440 | not published |
| Arkansas | $25,640 | $24,460 to $30,040 | 170 |
| California | $38,380 | $37,040 to $44,790 | 1,390 |
| Colorado | $61,500 | $33,690 to $78,510 | 480 |
| Connecticut | $41,400 | $38,500 to $43,640 | 330 |
| Florida | $49,410 | $34,780 to $59,240 | 1,240 |
| Georgia | $30,750 | $29,930 to $60,150 | 550 |
| Idaho | $36,040 | $26,340 to $48,810 | 130 |
| Illinois | $65,430 | $34,430 to $71,930 | not published |
| Indiana | $33,600 | $31,040 to $55,850 | 370 |
| Iowa | $58,900 | $31,960 to $60,660 | 130 |
| Louisiana | $44,430 | $30,380 to $56,110 | 40 |
| Maine | $35,300 | $31,130 to $48,810 | 50 |
| Maryland | $35,400 | $35,230 to $48,670 | not published |
| Michigan | $35,490 | $30,480 to $53,960 | not published |
| Minnesota | $53,990 | $39,000 to $59,170 | 260 |
| Mississippi | $38,480 | $36,810 to $38,760 | not published |
| Missouri | $47,880 | $38,840 to $76,460 | 580 |
| Nebraska | $39,090 | $38,380 to $44,560 | not published |
| New Jersey | $54,850 | $32,220 to $63,170 | not published |
| New Mexico | $39,100 | $36,440 to $39,320 | 50 |
| New York | $38,580 | $37,680 to $44,670 | not published |
| North Carolina | $31,050 | $29,470 to $63,190 | 330 |
| North Dakota | $48,540 | $38,880 to $58,210 | 80 |
| Oklahoma | $34,860 | $31,570 to $35,370 | 170 |
| Oregon | $77,430 | $64,310 to $103,800 | not published |
| Pennsylvania | $36,920 | $31,490 to $39,030 | 530 |
| Rhode Island | $34,900 | $34,900 to $47,840 | not published |
| South Carolina | $32,900 | $29,920 to $61,770 | 220 |
| Tennessee | $24,690 | $23,080 to $31,930 | not published |
| Texas | $30,760 | $29,460 to $37,160 | 2,580 |
| Utah | $25,370 | $24,580 to $26,810 | 320 |
| Virginia | $46,730 | $44,120 to $57,620 | 160 |
| Washington | $61,150 | $59,910 to $75,160 | 1,220 |
| Wisconsin | $36,540 | $31,610 to $58,190 | 450 |
Nationally: $38,210. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 3 of its 20 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Clean and sterilize scissors, combs, clippers, and other instruments. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut and trim hair according to clients' instructions or current hairstyles, using clippers, combs, hand-held blow driers, and scissors. | Not published |
| Not much | Question patrons regarding desired services and haircut styles. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Clean work stations and sweep floors. | Not published |
| Not much | Drape and pin protective cloths around customers' shoulders. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply lather and shave beards or neck and temple hair contours, using razors. | Not published |
See all 20 tasks
| AI + software | Record services provided on cashiers' tickets or receive payment from customers. | Not published |
| Not much | Shape and trim beards and moustaches, using scissors. | Not published |
| AI + software | Perform clerical and administrative duties such as keeping records, paying bills, and hiring and supervising personnel. | Not published |
| Not much | Stay informed of the latest styles and hair care techniques. | Not published |
| Not much | Shampoo hair. | Not published |
| Not much | Order supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Suggest treatments to alleviate hair problems. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Keep card files on clientele, recording notes of work done, products used and fees charged after each visit. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide face, neck, and scalp massages. | Not published |
| Not much | Recommend and sell lotions, tonics, or other cosmetic supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Curl, color, or straighten hair, using special chemical solutions and equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure, fit, and groom hairpieces. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide skin care and nail treatments. | Not published |
| Not much | Identify hair problems, using microscopes and testing devices, or by sending clients' hair samples out to independent laboratories for analysis. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 20 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #30 Perform administrative or clerical activities
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groom or style hair | |||
| Apply hygienic or cosmetic agents to skin or hair | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Promote products, services, or programs |
Show all 20 activities
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Advise patients or clients on medical issues | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Sell products or services | |||
| Perform human resources activities | |||
| Maintain sales or financial records | |||
| Administer therapeutic treatments | |||
| Collect samples of products or materials | |||
| Set up protective structures or coverings near work areas | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Prepare specimens or materials for testing | |||
| Take physical measurements of patients or clients |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation27%
- An explanation or answer6%
- A document or report4%
- An email or message3%
- Ideas or a brainstorm2%
How they worked with Claude
31% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for barbers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 4,965 moves out
- 1 Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers High +3.7% 5%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 3 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 4,372 moves in
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 5%
- 2 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 5%
- 3 Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers High +3.7% 4%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 5 Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists Moderate +7.7% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 9% less than high school
- 51% high school
- 27% some college
- 7% associate's
- 5% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,108 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
4 programs, such as Barbering/Barber, Hair Styling/Stylist and Hair Design and Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager.
See all
- Barbering/Barber
- Hair Styling/Stylist and Hair Design
- Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager
- Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>99.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a certification | 6.0% | 5.8% |
| a license | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Barber). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Barbers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/39-5011.00