As a barber, you get to be the expert in men’s sophistication and style. In prominent Nevada cities, such as Las Vegas and Reno, sophistication and style is key to standing out in the crowd. One of the best barbershops in Las Vegas according to Best of City Search Spa & Beauty, American Male, offers the utmost masculine experience in men’s grooming services, including haircuts, facials camouflaging, paraffin hand dips, massages and more. Because men’s services are growing at a fast rate in the beauty industry, American Male has quickly grown into a franchise with little to no marketing. This type of growth makes Nevada a great place to begin your barbering career.
If you’re ready to join the ranks of men’s style experts in Nevada, you will first need to be licensed by the Nevada Barbers’ Health and Sanitation Board. The Nevada Board is responsible for regulating the licensing standards for barbers, barbershops, and barber instructors throughout the state.
For guidance on how to become a licensed barber in Nevada, follow these simple steps:
Step 1. Attain a Diploma from a 1500-Hour Barber Training Program
Your first step toward a Nevada barber license is graduating from a barber training program. The Nevada Board requires that you complete at least 1500 hours of training from a formal barber college. Of the required 1500 hours, 200 may be in theory, and 1300 must be in practical barber services.
The training hours your school provides must meet the following Nevada Barber’s Health and Sanitation Board requirements:
Theory – 200 hours
- Science of Barbering
- Barbershop Management
- Ethics
- Salesmanship
- State Laws and Regulations
Practical – 1300 hours
- Haircuts – 700 hours
- Shaves – 100 hours
- Shampoos – 75 hours
- Scalp Treatments – 50 hours
- Facials – 50 hours
- Tonic Application – 15 hours
- Hair Coloring – 15 hours
- Hair Straightening – 15 hours
- Styling – 50 hours
- Hairpiece Fittings – 15 hours
Step 2. Submit an Application for a Nevada Apprentice License and Examination
For your second step, you will need to submit an application for the apprentice license and examination. To obtain an application, you have two choices. You may go to the Nevada Board office, submit your $15.00 fee, and pick up the application. Otherwise, you may send the $15 with $2 postage to the Nevada Board, and an application will be mailed to you.
Once you obtain this application, you will need to submit it to the Board. To submit this application, you will need to make sure to complete the following steps:
- Submit Completed Application (with page 3 and health certificate notarized)
- Include a Copy of your High School Diploma
- Include Graduation Letter from a recognized Barber School
- Include 2 Passport Photographs
- Attach $85 Application Fee (certified check or money order ONLY, payable to the Nevada State Barbers’ Health and Sanitation Board)
Once you submit this application, you will be licensed to work as a barber apprentice. You will then need to complete 18 months of full-time apprenticeship work underneath the direct supervision of a licensed barber. Once you have completed this barber apprentice experience, you will need to come before the Board to take your exams. You must take the exams on one of the first two exam dates immediately after finishing your apprenticeship work.
Once you submit this application, you will then need to take and pass the Nevada apprentice licensing examination.
Registered Barber, Out-of-State Applicants
Nevada does not have reciprocity with any other state. Because of this, you will need to submit the application and pass the Nevada licensing exams in order to work as a licensed barber. If you have previously held an out-of-state license, you will need to provide proof that you have worked for at least 5 years in the past 10 prior to submitting the application. Once you are ready to apply, submit the following information:
- Submit Barber Application (with page 3 and health certificate notarized)
- Submit High School Diploma
- Complete 2 Work Experience Affidavits (attached to application)
- Include 2 Passport Photographs
- Include Copy of Barber License from Previous Licensing State
- $85 Application Fee (certified check or money order ONLY, payable to the Nevada State Barbers’ Health and Sanitation Board)
Your application must be in the Nevada Board office by the 15th of the month prior to your examination month. If your application is late, you will need to be scheduled for the next examination. Your application will only cover the next two offered examinations, so make sure to take the exams as soon as possible.
You may mail your request for an application or your completed application to the Board at the following address:
Nevada Board of Barber Examiners
4710 E. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, NV 89121
Step 3. Pass the Nevada State Board Apprentice Barber Examination
The third step toward attaining your license is completing the Nevada barber licensing exams. The Nevada Board offers barber exams four times a year, in March, June, December, and either August or September. You will be notified of the location, date, and time of your exam after the deadline for that exam. Once you are notified, plan to show up at least 15 minutes prior to the exam. If you come late, you will not be able to take the exam, and you will forfeit your application and exam fees.
You will need to pass two different exams to obtain your Nevada barber license: the practical and the theory exam.
Practical Exam
For the section of this exam in which you will need to demonstrate barber services in a barber chair, you will need to bring your own living model. Other registered or apprentice barbers will not qualify as a valid model. The model must have sufficient facial hair on all parts of the face and neck, and must have 3-3 ½ inches of hair on their head. You are allowed to bring your model to the Board office for an inspection prior to your examination date. Along with your model, you will need to bring a supply kit, including, but not limited to, the following items:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Sprays
- Smock
- Chair Cloth
- Tools and Implements
- Hair Dryer
Included in the practical portion of the exam will be barber services, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Sanitation Procedures
- Shampooing
- Haircutting
- Facial Shaving
- Hairstyling
Theory Exam
This exam consists of 45 written questions and 5 oral questions. You will have one hour to complete the exam. It will cover all aspects of barber theory and science, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Barber History
- Structure and Function of the Human Body
- Elementary Chemistry
- Sterilization
- Disinfectants
- Antiseptics
- Sanitation
- Documented Facts of the Barber Profession
- Barber Shop Management
- Nevada State Laws
You will need to achieve a 75% on both the written and practical portions of the exam. Once you complete the exam, your results will be mailed to you within 10 days, and you will receive your Nevada apprentice barber license to work as a barber apprentice.
Once you obtain the apprentice license, you will complete 18 months of full-time apprenticeship work underneath the direct supervision of a licensed barber.
Step 4. Submit the Nevada Registered Barber Exam and License Application
After working as a barber apprentice for 18 months, you will be eligible to submit your full barber application. You will be able to obtain an application for the registered barber license in the same way that you obtained the application for the apprentice barber license. Once you’ve submitted this application, you will take the final step before receiving your full Nevada barber license—passing the licensing exams.
You must take the exams on one of the first two exam dates immediately after you’ve completed your apprenticeship work. These exams are the same two exams you took for the apprentice barber license. You will re-take the practical and written examinations. If you pass these exams again with a score of 75% or higher, the Nevada Board will issue your first full barber license.
Step 5. Begin Working as a Barber in Nevada
Two of the major hubs of classic men’s style and fashion in Nevada are Las Vegas and Reno. In those cities, you are apt to find many classic American barbershops dedicated to the very best in men’s grooming.
You may find conventional employment, a commission-based position or chair rental opportunities in the following shops:
- Mr Barber Shop – Reno
- Best Cutters Barber shop – Las Vegas
- Don’s Barber Shop – Reno
- Masterpiece Barberhop – Las Vegas
- Classics Barber Shop – Sparks
- Gentleman’s Barber Shop – Reno
- Long’s Barber Shop – Reno
Step 6. Renew your Nevada Barber License Biannually
You will need to make sure that you renew your barber license by May 1st every two years. The Nevada Board will send you a renewal notice, and you will then be able to submit the renewal form along with your $50 renewal fee.
If you do not renew your license, you will need to submit a late fee of $50 within two licensing periods or you will be obligated to retake the barber licensing exams. If you are found working with an expired license you may face fines, so be sure to renew your license promptly every two years.
Barber Salaries in Nevada
Barbers in Nevada had the second highest average salary in the country in 2013 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Their salary in 2014 was $29,450 according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation (DETR).
The actual take-home pay of these barbers should be much higher than what is reported here. Customers usually tip 10-25%, and this adds substantially to a barber’s income. Salary figures such as these do not take tips into account.
Since experienced barbers are usually more skilled than new ones, they earn substantially higher salaries. For instance, experienced barbers in Nevada earned 2.22 times more than their colleagues who were new to the profession. Those in the 90th percent salary bracket earned $38,750 on average, while newer barbers in the 10th percent bracket averaged $17,430.
Barber Salaries in Nevada Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas
The salaries for barbers in Nevada varied depending on their location. Those who worked outside of the major metropolitan areas had an average salary much higher than that for Nevada as a whole. These barbers earned $32,830 on average.
The reason for this higher average is that entry-level barbers in the nonmetropolitan areas made much more than Nevada’s average for this category. They earned an average of $25,085—44% more than the state’s average.
In contrast, experienced barbers outside of the major cities earned slightly less than the state’s average. They made $38,230 in 2014.
Entry-level barbers in Nevada’s major cities had salaries close to the state’s average for that category. Experienced barbers earned more in the Reno area:
Nevada Barber Employment Levels and Job Growth Rates
Nearly 89% of Nevada’s 1,765 barbers worked in the Las Vegas area in 2012. The BLS reported that this area had the fourth highest employment level of barbers in any metropolitan area in the country in 2013.
The DETR expects the number of Nevada barbers to increase by 11.7% in the ten-year period ending in 2022. Growth should be even higher in the Las Vegas area and in Nevada’s nonmetropolitan areas. The number of jobs should increase by 13.2% and 16.2% respectively in these locations.