Barber job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$38,210

BLS May 2025

1. Clean and sterilize scissors, combs, clippers, and other instruments. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Cut and trim hair according to clients' instructions or current hairstyles, using clippers, combs, hand-held blow driers, and scissors. importance 4.9 of 5
3. Question patrons regarding desired services and haircut styles. importance 4.9 of 5
4. Clean work stations and sweep floors. importance 4.8 of 5
5. Drape and pin protective cloths around customers' shoulders. importance 4.8 of 5
6. Apply lather and shave beards or neck and temple hair contours, using razors. importance 4.5 of 5
7. Record services provided on cashiers' tickets or receive payment from customers. importance 4.4 of 5
8. Shape and trim beards and moustaches, using scissors. importance 4.4 of 5
9. Perform clerical and administrative duties such as keeping records, paying bills, and hiring and supervising personnel. importance 4.2 of 5
10. Keep card files on clientele, recording notes of work done, products used and fees charged after each visit. importance 4.1 of 5
11. Stay informed of the latest styles and hair care techniques. importance 4.0 of 5
12. Suggest treatments to alleviate hair problems. importance 3.8 of 5
13. Curl, color, or straighten hair, using special chemical solutions and equipment. importance 3.7 of 5
14. Provide face, neck, and scalp massages. importance 3.5 of 5
15. Recommend and sell lotions, tonics, or other cosmetic supplies. importance 3.5 of 5
16. Provide skin care and nail treatments. importance 3.0 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Scheduling Work and Activities and Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Identify hair problems, using microscopes and testing devices, or by sending clients' hair samples out to independent laboratories for analysis.
• Measure, fit, and groom hairpieces.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Sales and Marketing, Education and Training and Public Safety and Security.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Facebook, Linux, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Windows. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a barber.

The most common answer among O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation is a high school diploma or equivalent (45%).

Job title: Barber
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Barber to provide barbering services, such as cutting, trimming, shampooing, and styling hair; trimming beards; or giving shaves.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Clean and sterilize scissors, combs, clippers, and other instruments.
- Cut and trim hair according to clients' instructions or current hairstyles, using clippers, combs, hand-held blow driers, and scissors.
- Question patrons regarding desired services and haircut styles.
- Clean work stations and sweep floors.
- Drape and pin protective cloths around customers' shoulders.
- Apply lather and shave beards or neck and temple hair contours, using razors.
- Record services provided on cashiers' tickets or receive payment from customers.
- Shape and trim beards and moustaches, using scissors.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, social perceptiveness and speaking
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Facebook or Linux]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $38,210 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $18.37. BLS estimates about 15,000 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of barbers to grow 3.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,900 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full barber salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real barber posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Clean and sterilize scissors, combs, clippers, and other instruments”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only barber work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and social perceptiveness).