Choosing a barber school requires a student to make an educational decision that will prepare them for a successful career. The best school will lay a strong foundation for the future igniting a passion for barbering and providing the necessary education. Barbers primarily cut the hair of men, but some also serve women and children. Barbers can work in a shop or open their own salon, and the average annual salary for a barber is between $15,000 and $30,000 US Dollars (USD).
Barber school’s two main goals are to provide students with the job skills they need to succeed in the barbering industry and to prepare them for tests and licenses. A barber school will usually concentrate on one of these two objectives. A barbering program can either enhance basic skills already known students or start from scratch in order to provide necessary job skills. The curriculum is tailored toward the regulations for passing the state board examination, which will allow the student to obtain a license, in schools that are designed to prepare students for tests and licenses.
Individual goals and basic knowledge of the field should be considered before a student chooses a barber school. A barber student should consider how much theory he or she already knows versus how much practice is required. When researching barber schools, it’s important to look into each one’s curriculum and practical training methods. Because most states require a cosmetology license to become a barber, but some grant a specific barbering license, the laws of the state where the barber intends to work should be understood.
Other factors to consider when choosing a barber school are whether or not the school is accredited professional barber organizations, how closely the school matches the student’s background, how much of the student’s current knowledge in the field will be put to use, whether or not credits will transfer if the student has already had some related education, and how rigid or flexible the curriulum is. Location, cost, and class times are all factors to consider when making a decision. All of this must be balanced against the student’s current lifestyle and obligations. The majority of barber school programs last nine to twenty-four months and cost between $6,500 and $10,000 per year.
Barber schools teach students how to cut and style hair, use chemicals on hair, shave and trim facial hair, apply hair and scalp treatments, recognize skin diseases, use barbering instruments, adhere to sanitary procedures, and learn chemistry, anatomy, and physiology. A barber student must pass a written and sometimes an oral examination after completing their education. Most states require barbers to complete continuing education hours each year in order to receive additional training.