Barbers are experts at taming unruly hair and beards, helping any man find his inner classic, sophisticated sense of masculinity. North Carolina is a great place for barbers to create their own, unique brand of barbershop.
If you are ready to add your originality to the creative barbering culture in North Carolina, you will need to first be registered with the North Carolina Board of Barber Examiners. The Board provides registration for barbers, who are defined as specializing in shaving, trimming, and cutting hair and beards.
For a quick guide on how to become a registered barber in North Carolina, follow these simple steps:
North Carolina is home to barbershops such as Eastwood Barbershop, recognized by Star News as bringing back the old fashioned, manly man culture. It is also home to Echo Spa and Salon in Harrisburg, who employs barbers, and is Cabarrus County’s #1 Salon according to the Independent Tribune’s 2012-2013 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Tucked deep into the neighborhoods of North Carolina, you will find barbershops that do more than cut hair. Barber Kings in Fayetteville makes a point each year to sponsor nonprofit events, such as Haircuts for the Homeless, to be a pillar of strength for the next generation of boys in their neighborhood.
Step 1. Graduate From a 1,528-Hour Barber Program in North Carolina
Your first step toward attaining a North Carolina license is enrolling in a North Carolina Board-approved barber school. To be eligible to enroll in barber school, you will need to submit the following to the North Carolina Board of Barber Examiners:
- Completed Application to Enroll in Barber School signed by a representative of the school you plan to attend
- You must include an FBI Criminal History Summary along with your application
- You must include a $25.00 student permit fee with your application
Once you are enrolled, you will need to complete the 1,528 barber training hours required by the North Carolina Board. These hours must include training in the following barber theory and practice:
Classroom Lecture and Study Periods
- Hygiene and Good Grooming, Professional Ethics 25 hours
- Bacteriology, Sterilization, Sanitation 50 hours
- Implements, Honing, Stropping and Shaving 30 hours
- Men’s Haircutting 20 hours
- Cutting and Styling Curly Hair, Mustaches and Beards 10 hours
- Shampooing and Rinsing, Scalp and Hair Treatments 10 hours
- Theory of Massage and Facial Treatments 5 hours
- Men’s Razor Cutting, Women’s Razor and Shear Cutting 30 hours
- Finger Waving Men’s Hair, Air Waving and Curling Iron Techniques 5 hours
- Permanent Waving For Men, Chemical Hair Relaxing and Blow Drying 25 hours
- Hair Coloring 10 hours
- Men’s Hair Pieces 5
- The Skin, Scalp and Hair 30 hours
- Disorders of the Skin, Scalp and Hair 15 hours
- Anatomy and Physiology 10 hours
- Electricity Therapy, Light Therapy and Chemistry 10 hours
- Barber Styling, Shop Management, and Product Knowledge 70 hours
- Licensing Laws and Rules and History of Barbering 20 hours
Supervised Practice in Barbering
- Shampooing and Scientific Hair and Scalp Treatments 55 hours
- Shaving 50 hours
- Tapered Hair Cutting 250 hours
- Hair Styling of Men and Women 400 hours
- Facials, Massages and Packs 10 hours
- Bleaching, Frosting, Hair Coloring and Body Permanents 90 hours
- Cutting and Fitting Hair Pieces 5 hours
- Hair Straightening 5 hours
- The Analyzing and Treatment of Hair and Skin Disorders 10 hours
Lectures and Demonstrations on Practical Work
- Shampooing and Scientific Hair and Scalp Treatments 15 hours
- Shaving 20 hours
- Tapered Hair Cutting 70 hours
- Hair Styling of Men and Women 100 hours
- Facials, Massages and Packs 5 hours
- Bleaching, Frosting, Hair Coloring and Permanent Waving 30 hours
- Cutting and Fitting Hair Pieces 5 hours
- Hair Straightening 3 hours
- The Analyzing and Treating of Hair and Skin Disorders 10 hours
- Men’s and Women’s Razor Cutting 15 hours
Step 2. Test for a Certificate of Registration as an Apprentice Barber
After you complete barber school, you will need to first work as an apprentice barber. To attain your apprentice barber work experience, you will need to be licensed as an apprentice barber. In order to become licensed, you need to first pass the apprentice barber licensing exam. To apply for the exam, all you need to do is complete the following steps:
- Submit Application for Examination to Receive a Certificate of Registration as an Apprentice Barber
- Include FBI Criminal History Summary
- Attach $85.00 Application and Examination Fee
Passing the Apprentice Barber Licensing Exams
Once the Board receives your application, you will be scheduled to take the apprentice barber licensing exams in Raleigh. You will need to pass both a written and a practical exam, both with a score of 70% or higher in order to be licensed as an apprentice.
Written– The written exam will be a 90-minute, multiple-choice exam. It will include questions covering the following barber theory subjects:
- Hair Care Services
- Mustaches and Beards
- Beard and Mustache Design
- Facial and Shaving Services
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Infection Control and Safety
Practical- The practical exam will take approximately one hour. You will be graded on your ability to perform the following barbering services:
- Set Up
- Shaving with a Straight Razor
- Basic Facial
- Haircutting
- Hairstyling
- Final Cleanup
Once you pass these exams, you will be administered your apprentice license. You will need to work in North Carolina as an apprentice barber underneath the direct supervision of a licensed barber for 1 full year. This apprentice license expires on May 31 each year, so if you haven’t completed your apprenticeship, you will need to renew the license.
Step 3. Test for a Certificate of Registration as a Registered Barber
Once you have worked as a barber apprentice for one full year, you can apply to take the registered barber examination. To do so, you will simply need to complete the following steps:
- Submit Application for Examination to Receive a Certificate of Registration as a Registered Barber
- Complete Barber School Training Information
- Complete Barber Experience Record
- Complete Apprenticeship Experience Affidavit
- Attach $85.00 Examination Fee
When the Board approves your application, you will be schedule with the Board to complete the last licensing exam, which is another practical exam.
Practical- You will only need to re-take the practical exam. This exam is the exact, same exam as the apprentice barber exam, so it will take approximately one hour, and will cover the following barbering services:
- Set Up
- Shaving with a Straight Razor
- Basic Facial
- Haircutting
- Hairstyling
- Final Cleanup
Immediately upon your passing of the Board licensing exams, the Board will issue you a full, North Carolina barber license.
Step 4. Begin your Career as a Barber in North Carolina and Renew your
License Annually
Registered barbers may find work in North Carolina at barbershops, salons that employ barbers, or by opening independent barbershops! If you’re looking for great, local barbershops where jobs may be available, consider some of the following options:
- I.P. Barber Shop – Charlotte
- Dominican Barber Shop – Raleigh
- Eastwood Barbershop – Wilmington
- Barber Kings – Fayetteville
- Southpark Barber Shop – Charlotte
- Tower Place Barbershop – Charlotte
- Colonial Barber Shop – Charlotte
- Goodfella’s Barbershop – Charlotte
If you would like to open your own barbershop, where you get to decide how to perfectly encapsulate masculinity and style, you may apply for a North Carolina barber shop permit. To apply, follow these simple steps:
- Read through North Carolina’s Barbershop Manager’s Responsibilities
- Submit a Barbershop Pre-Inspection Form
- Submit a Barbershop Permit Application
You will need to renew your certificate of registration before May 31st each year. The Board will send you a renewal card, and you will return the card with the designated renewal fee. Although the North Carolina Board does not require continuing education at this point, it is always beneficial to take advanced courses in barbering.
Advanced courses will keep you up to date on the latest hair and facial hair designing trends, and they may teach you more efficient ways to run your barbershop business, which translates to more success as a barer overall.
Barber Salaries in North Carolina
The field of men’s hair and beard care is growing in North Carolina. The state’s Department of Commerce expects the number of licensed barbers in the state to increase by 8.9% between 2010 and 2020.
Two thirds of these positions are expected to come from the need to replace barbers who will be selling their shops and entering retirement. The remaining jobs will come from growth in the barber and tonsorial artist field.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce provides 2014 barber salary information, although it does not account for tips. Thus, the official salary figures described here are lower than actual take home pay by as much as 25%.
An Analysis of Earnings for Barbers in North Carolina
North Carolina’s barbers earned a higher median salary than that national average reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median barber salary in North Carolina was 7.1% higher than that reported for the country as a whole at $26,780 in 2013. The average salary earned by North Carolina’s barbers was $27,310 that year.
Barber salaries in North Carolina varied substantially depending on the experience level of these professionals. Skilled barbers command much higher earnings than those just starting out. Experienced barbers earned $14,900 more on average than those who were new to the profession. Their average salary among North Carolina’s most experienced barbers was $32,280, while entry-level barbers earned $17,370 on average.