L.A. Barbers Are Facing Close-Shave Competition
California is listed among the nation's top regions where barbers are gainfully employed. Of the near 1,300 persons whose occupation is to cut, trim or groom the hair or beard of customers, more than 700 are holding down jobs in greater Los Angeles, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A continued need for tonsorial artists will stem from an increasing population that relies on basic hair-care services.
In L.A., barbers earn an average annual salary of nearly $32,000, with top coiffeurs bringing home yearly paychecks in excess of $44,000, according to current employment data. Although many may work under their own shingles, quite a few are hired by personal care organizations. Some are recruited by employment services and even substance abuse and psychiatric hospitals. Professional shavers that are on the payroll at medical institutions reap wages of around $37,000 annually.
Due to a demand for cutting-edge hair treatments, barbers face stiff competition from an expanding pool of skillful hairdressers and learned cosmetologists. The BLS projects that more than 77,000 fresh-faced, highly trained hair stylists will have already landed jobs nationwide by 2022, marking an anticipated 13 percent rise in the number of professionals that were creating hair designs in 2012. In comparison, only 5,800 barbers countrywide are expected to enter the field during that same timeframe.
To vie for good-paying jobs and a sustainable vocation, endeavoring barbers are earning certificates, associate's degrees and diplomas in such areas as electrolysis technology, esthetics and massage therapy. They are learning how to color, bleach and add highlights to hair, and analyze common scalp disorders and recommend treatment options.
Because barbers, especially self-employed laborers, are on their feet for the majority of their shift, physical stamina is of utmost importance.
To practice as a barber in California, one must be aged 17 and licensed. To acquire a permit, students are mandated to attend a state-recognized barber school and complete 1,500 hours of training. After graduation, they will need to pass the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology exam. Most training programs cost between $10,000 and $19,000. For a list of state-approved programs, follow this link.
Sharon Raiford Bush is an award-winning journalist who covers topics of social interest in greater Los Angeles. Some news articles she has authored have been archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Sharon also contributes to Examiner.com.
