Barber

Cut and style hair with barbering techniques, shape beards and give shaves, working with every hair type in a busy, sociable barbershop.

Salary£19,000 – £30,000
Hours37 to 40 hours a week, including evenings and weekends on a rota (National Careers Service hairdresser and barber profile)
Working for yourselfSelf-employment is common

What the job is like

Barbering is precise, sociable work. You will learn clipper and scissor techniques, fades and classic cuts, beard shaping and shaving, and how to work with every hair type from straight to tightly curled. Regular customers and good conversation are part of the appeal.

There is a dedicated Barbering Professional Level 2 apprenticeship, and many barbers start as trainees in a shop while studying. Once qualified, renting a chair or opening your own barbershop are common next steps.

What you'll do

Talk to clients about the cut or style they want and agree the service
Shampoo and condition hair before cutting
Cut hair using clippers, scissors and other barbering techniques
Style and finish hair to create a range of looks
Shape beards and moustaches and provide shaving services
Keep tools sterilised and the shop safe and clean
Promote yourself and the shop, including on social media
Keep up with new styles, products and techniques

Where you'll work

Indoors
In a team
On your own

Skills and hobbies that help

Weighted by how much they matter in this job, from the official job profile's skills and tasks. Tap one to see other careers that use it.

Key skills

Used a lot

Handy to have

Patience

Hobbies that give you a head start

How to become a barber

Apprenticeship

Barbering Professional Level 2 apprenticeship (typically about 18 months), then Advanced and Creative Hair Professional Level 3

College

Barbering or men's hairdressing courses; entry requirements vary

Direct application

Start as a trainee barber and study part-time at college or through the employer's training

Where it can lead

Senior barber or shop manager
Renting a chair as a freelance barber
Opening your own barbershop
Training or assessing apprentice barbers

Good to know

The National Careers Service covers barbers within its hairdresser profile; the salary and hours shown here come from that shared profile
The barbering apprenticeship expects you to work with all hair types, from straight to very curly

Courses and training

Apprenticeship search

Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK

The official GOV.UK service for searching and applying for apprenticeship vacancies in England.

Visit Find an apprenticeship
Course search

Find a course – National Careers Service

The National Careers Service search for college and training provider courses in England, including Skills Bootcamps.

Visit Find a course

See all courses and funding

Official information

Sources

We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.

National Careers Service: Hairdresser (and barber) nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/hairdresser
Skills England apprenticeship: Barbering professional (Level 2) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st1273-v1-0
Skills England apprenticeship: Advanced and creative hair professional (Level 3) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0214-v1-0