What are the pros and cons of being a barber?

The pros and cons of being a barber relate to education requirements, work environment, and pay. Here are the top pros and cons of being a barber:

Pros:

• Education requirements

You can attend barber or cosmetology school to become a barber which is far cheaper and less time-consuming than traditional college degree programs. Some barbers even bypass school by being self-taught or even better getting a barber apprenticeship where they are paid to learn and work at the same time.

• Fun working environment

If you enjoy cutting hair then the environment of a barber shop can actually be a really fun job. Not only do you get to create hairstyles, but you also get to hang out and talk with clients and other barbers all day.

• You get to help people look better

Barbers can experience satisfaction and fulfillment when they are able to make a person look better. This service often makes clients feel better about themselves, which in turn, makes the barber feel good about their job.

• Work is normally pretty easy

If you are good at cutting hair, being a barber is usually pretty easy and not stressful. Barber shops can get busy, but even during these times, the general feeling is one of low stress and fun. The typical day for a barber sees them cutting several clients' hair, cleaning the shop, and taking care of any necessary bookkeeping or scheduling.

Cons:

• In general, barbers do not make really good money

Barbers on the whole do not make good money. The average annual salary of a barber is $37,230 in the United States. Most barbers put in at least 40-hour work weeks and considering the amount of time the average barber works, they are not well-compensated.

• It's hard to make good money if you don't own a barber shop

A haircut at a barbers establishment is normally between $20 to $30, but if the barber cutting your hair does not own the shop, he gets only a fraction of this charge. Barbers in cities generally have a steady stream of customers every day, while those in smaller cities and towns can sometimes have little to no customers on a given day.

Barbers in the city tend to have a more steady stream of clientele than those working in a suburban or rural area. The latter two can often see sharp decreases in pay due to a lack of consistent customers.

• Building a strong client base isn't usually a quick process

Barbers that do well for themselves often have a strong client base that consistently comes in every few weeks or every other month for a haircut. Gaining a clientele is not exactly easy, in fact when you are new to a barber shop you are likely to see that most of the people coming through the doors are already a client of one of your fellow barbers.