Average Salary

• As of 2010, the average annual income for a barber is between $21,000 and $38,000, according to PayScale.com. Bonuses range between $100 and $1,500 a year. Barbers also report earning commission, some claiming $300 a year, while others make as much as $14,000 annually.
  
  

Salary Based on State of Residence

• A correlation seems to exist between where a barber works and how much he can earn, according to PayScale.com. As of 2010, a barber in Texas can make as much as $52,000 a year, while a barber in Michigan can make $50,000. In California, the top pay reported is $40,000 a year, while barbers in Georgia report topping out at $31,000.
  
  

Medical Benefits

• As of 2010, 88 percent of barbers report not receiving medical benefits, perhaps because nearly half of the entire personal appearance workforce is self-employed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of those that do receive benefits, 10 percent get dental insurance and 9 percent receive vision insurance, according to PayScale.com.
  
  

Job Outlook

• Barbers are expected to see a job increase of 12 percent over the 2008 to 2018 projection decade, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as compared to 20 percent in the entire personal appearance industry. The growth is based on an expected increase in the population.