What's the Difference Between a Barber and a Stylist?

<p>As an aspiring barber, you might enroll in a certificate or technical diploma program, although your state may allow apprenticeships as an acceptable form of training. A barber's course of study takes about one year to complete. You could participate in hands-on training in a school-operated salon. </p> <p>If your goal is to become a stylist, your education may take longer than a year, depending on the academic credential you want to earn. You'll usually study cosmetology in a certificate, diploma or associate's degree program. Apprenticeships might be another possibility in your state. A hands-on component will also be a requirement of your learning. </p> <h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutBarbersAndHairstylists">Important Facts About Barbers and Hairstylists</h3> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> </td><td> Barbers</td><td> Hairstylists</td></tr> <tr><td> Entry-level Education </td><td> Postsecondary non-degree award</td><td> Postsecondary non-degree award</td></tr> <tr><td> Work Environment</td><td> Barbershops, salons, spas</td><td> Salons, spas, resorts</td></tr> <tr><td>On-the-Job Training</td><td> Not provided</td><td> Not provided</td></tr> <tr><td>Key Skills</td><td> Physical stamina, tidiness, listening skills</td><td> Creativity, physical stamina, customer-service, and time-management skills</td></tr> </table><h3 id="section---ProfessionalTasks">Professional Tasks</h3> <p>If you are a barber, you'll specialize in performing grooming services exclusively for men with a few exceptions, while as a stylist, you may serve male or female clients. Both barbers and stylists can cut, color, perm or style hair. Only barbers, though, may perform razor shaves for men. As a barber, you'll have mastered techniques in stropping, honing and shaving, along with hair and scalp care, skin care and facial massage, disinfection procedures, and sanitation practices. </p> <p>It is possible that you might perform nail care and manicures as a stylist, utilizing skills you learned in a cosmetology program. Barbering programs do not include these classes, because these tasks are not typically part of barbering services. </p> <h3 id="section---LicensingRequirements">Licensing Requirements</h3> <p>Every state will require that you hold a license, regardless of whether you're a barber or a stylist. Required instructional hours and practical training vary by career and state law. Typically, as a stylist, you would earn a cosmetology license, and as a barber, you would earn a barber license. With progressive experience and time on the job as a working barber, you may qualify to earn a master barber license, if that's offered in your state. </p> <h3 id="section---SalaryAndJobOutlookInformation">Salary and Job Outlook Information</h3> <p>Barbers and stylists earned similar salaries in 2021. As reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), barbers earned an annual median salary of $29,970. The BLS counts stylists along with hairdressers and cosmetologists; the agency reports that in 2021 these workers earned an annual median wage of $29,670, with most employed in the personal care services industry. </p> <p>The employment of barbers and stylists had been predicted by the BLS to grow by 11% from 2021 to 2031, which is considered much faster than the national average. This growth is primarily attributed to the country's expanding population.</p>