Barber vs barber shop operator

The differences between barbers and barber shop operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a barber has an average salary of $40,305, which is higher than the $38,176 average annual salary of a barber shop operator.

Barber vs barber shop operator overview

	Barber	Barber Shop Operator
Yearly salary	$40,305	$38,176
Hourly rate	$19.38	$18.35
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	2,823	38,845
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	Associate Degree, 50%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	-	-

Barber vs barber shop operator salary

Barbers and barber shop operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Barber	Barber Shop Operator
Average salary	$40,305	$38,176
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $53,000	Between $26,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Chicago, IL	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Life Care Centers of America	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between barber and barber shop operator education

There are a few differences between a barber and a barber shop operator in terms of educational background:

	Barber	Barber Shop Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	Associate Degree, 50%
Most common major	Cosmetology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Barber vs barber shop operator demographics

Here are the differences between barbers' and barber shop operators' demographics:

	Barber	Barber Shop Operator
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1%	Male, 93.8% Female, 6.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 6.6% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 20.1% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 25.3% Asian, 6.1% White, 44.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between barber and barber shop operator duties and responsibilities

Barber example responsibilities.

Train under license barber, oversee inventory control and manage cleanliness.
Work with all types of tools such as scissors, brushes, razors, trimmers, dryers, and clippers.
Provide leadership, mentorship, and training to staff.
Clean and sterilize various instruments including combs, clippers etc.
Shape, cut, adjust and curl wigs as required by clients.
Perform hair color, perms, shampoo clients, light housekeeping light laundry.

Barber shop operator example responsibilities.

Train under license barber, oversee inventory control and manage cleanliness.
Implement tool control and OSHA safety regulations while working independently on various machinery.
Perform maintenance as required on all the shop engraving equipment.

Barber vs barber shop operator skills

Common barber skills

Work Ethic, 18%
Customer Service, 17%
Clips, 17%
Cleanliness, 14%
Retail Sales, 7%
Skin Care, 7%

Common barber shop operator skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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