Here at London School of Barbering, we quite often get asked, “What is the salary of a barber” or “How should I get paid as a barber”. In this post we provide some answers to your questions.
Take a listen to our exclusive interview below with professional barbers Kenny Scott and Richard Tucker who give a great insight into how much barbers make and the other elements that contribute to a good barber salary:
Another way to get an idea of the average barber salary is to check out our jobs page on our website, where there are a range of barber jobs advertised for all levels and pay outlined.
What is the salary of a barber?
As a junior barber, after completing your training, you can expect to earn about £40-£60 per day in salary, and £20 in tips. If you work a 6-day week and 50 weeks per year, this equates to earnings of £18,000 to £24,000. With time and experience, a pro barber can earn as much as £1000 per week or £50k per year.
Do I make money selling product?
Yes, in fact it is quite important to earn some extra money by selling hair product. Some shops will pay a £2 in commission for each pomade or wax sold. By simply advising each of your clients on how to recreate their look at home with product, you can bank an extra £2000 to £3000 per year. (If each customer buys 4 products per year and you earn £2 commission on each, then you earn £8 per customer per year. This means you need to convince 250 clients per year to buy product when they have their haircut. Alternatively you could set a target to sell 5 products per day x £2 each x 300 workdays = £3000 commission).
How can I expect to be paid?
Shops generally pay in 1 of 3 structures:
1. Hourly salary — A shop could pay an hourly salary, which at £10 per hour would be £80 for an 8-hour day. This means that you earn a set income regardless of how busy or slow the shop is.
2. Split or Commission — A shop could share your revenues with you, at say 60/40. This means that for every £10 that you make, you keep £6 and the shop keeps £4. This structure is very good if you work in a busy shop. Say you did 20 haircuts at £15 each, then your sales would be £300, of which you would keep £180.
3. Chair Rental — Here the barber pays the shop owner a set amount, say £150, to have a chair at the shop for 1-week’s time. The barber then keeps all of the sales. This structure is beneficial in a busy shop. Say you could do £200 in sales each day, then a 6-day week would earn you £1200 in sales, and £1050 in profits once you subtract your chair rental cost.
You can refer to our pay structure chart below for more clarity on pay structures in barbershops:
What does it mean to be self-employed?
Most shops will hire barbers under a self-employed status. You should not be intimidated by this, as it just means that you work as a freelance rather than for the employer. You will be responsible for paying your own taxes – filing taxes is not that difficult, but if you do need help then seek advice of an accountant for about £500
If you are looking to become a barber, or know someone who may make a good barber, then click below to see what it takes:
