How much makes a mobile barber or mobile hair stylist
Barbers are licensed professionals who cut and style the hair of their predominantly male client base. They can either work in a traditional barbershop, where clients come to them to receive services, or they may travel to the client’s home or office, taking their tools with them. So if you are considering to become a mobile barber, you certainly want to know more about what the compensation can be.
Barber salaries
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage of a barber in the United States was $14.50 in 2019. This translates into just over $30,000 per year. Of course, salaries can vary widely from state to state, with large cities on both the east and west coast (specifically, Seattle, Boston and San Francisco) paying the most and rural areas generally paying less.
Licensing and experience
Additionally, the type of license held can affect the salary. Standard barbers just starting out in their careers tend to earn less, while master barbers, presumably having more education and experience, can charge substantially more for their services.
Mobile versus regular
A mobile barber also tends to have a higher salary than one who works in a traditional barbershop. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, in a traditional barbershop, the space must be paid for and maintained. The individual barber helps pay this expense either through renting their chair from the shop owner or from the owner paying them a lower salary which leaves money for paying the shop’s expenses. Additionally, differences in clientele may help explain why a mobile barber might make a higher salary than a barber working in a traditional shop. Celebrity clients and/or business executives tend to prefer barbers that come to their homes and are willing and able to pay for the best. This, of course, comes with a higher price tag. Granted, not all mobile barbers work with these types of clientele, but those who do tend to drive up the average reported salary for mobile barbers.
Shop owners salaries
It’s important to keep in mind that many factors influence a barbershop owner’s salary. First, purchasing an existing business or starting one from scratch involves significant up-front costs that must be repaid. Location is also an important factor that determines rent prices and clientele. Shop owners can increase profitability, and therefore their salaries, by selling retail products, renting out chairs to other barbers and focusing on working with clients in order to bring in revenue rather than just focusing on managing the shop’s business operations.
The bottom line is that many factors influence a barber’s or hairstylist's compensation. It’s up to the individual to determine their level of income. Fortunately, there’s a great deal of leeway.
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