In the western neck of the woods of Wyoming, hardworking men need their fair share of pampering and grooming. Barbers provide just that by specializing in the classic, American art of designing men’s hair, beards, and mustaches.
The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services states that personal appearance worker jobs, which include barbers, grew by over 14% between 2004 and 2014. This type of growth makes Wyoming ideal for aspiring, creative barbers, such as those at The Whiskey Barber in Jackson, Wyoming. The Whiskey Barber has created its own masculine twist on getting a hair cut and styled—where clients also get to throw darts, read magazines, and sip on a glass of scotch as they wait.
If you’re ready to begin a stable career in barbering, you will first need to be licensed through the Wyoming Board of Barber Examiners. This Board regulates the education and examination requirements for aspiring barbers and barber-stylists in the state. As a barber, you will get to specialize in the cutting, styling, and designing of men’s hair and facial hair, and as a barber-stylist, you will get to learn chemical hair coloring and styling techniques, as well.
For guidance on how to become a licensed Wyoming barber or barber-stylist, follow the steps in this simple guide:
Step 1. Graduate from a 1000 or 1250-Hour Barber Training Program
The first thing you need to do in order to obtain a Wyoming barber license is enroll in a barber school. When applying for barber school, you have two different options:
Regular barber training program – the Wyoming Board requires that a regular barber training program provide you with 1000 hours of both theoretical and practical barber instruction
Barber-stylist training program – the Wyoming Board requires the barber-stylist training program to provide at least 1250 hours of barber instruction
Your barber college courses will cover subjects including, but not limited to, the following:
Barber (1000)
- History of Barbering
- Shaving and Beard Trimming
- Clipper Cutting and Tapering
- Facial Hair Design
- Sanitation
- Infection Control
- Sterilization
- Professional Image
- Barbershop Management
Barber-Stylist (1250)
The barber-stylist courses will include all of the general barber courses, along with the following chemical services courses:
- Chemical Services
- Hair Coloring
- Chemical Waving
- Reformation Curls
- Color Theory
- Hair Lightening
- Color for Mustaches and Beards
Once you graduate from barber school, you may then be eligible to apply for the licensing exams. However, if you currently hold a Wyoming cosmetology license, and are working to obtain a crossover barber license, you will be eligible to take the licensing exams after you have completed just 750 hours of barber training school.
Step 2. Submit Application for Wyoming Exam and License
Once you graduate from barber school, you can submit your application to take the Wyoming licensing examination and receive your license. This application is the same for both barbers and barber-stylists. To complete this application, you will need to submit the following documents to the Wyoming Board:
- Notarized Examination Application
- Copy of Current License (if licensed)
- Copy of Government Issued ID
- Copy of Social Security Card
- Copy of Proof of Lawful Presence (birth certificate, passport, etc.)
- Official Barber School Transcripts
- $125.00 Examination Fee
- $60.00 License Fee
You must submit both fees in the form of money order or cashier’s check only.
Endorsement
If you have been previously licensed as a barber in a different state, you may apply for a Wyoming barber license through endorsement. In doing this, you will not need to re-take the licensing examinations. To apply for a Wyoming license by endorsement, simply submit all of the above application and identification documents, along with the following documents to the Board:
- Wyoming Barber License Application
- Certificate of Record(s) form previous licensing state
- Official Barber School Transcripts
- Official Licensing Examination Scores
- $210.00 License and Endorsement Fee
You must submit all of your application materials no later than 15 days before your desired examination date. You may send all of your application materials to the Wyoming Board at the following address:
Board of Barber Examiners
2515 Warren Ave., Suite 302
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Step 3. Pass Wyoming Written and Practical Licensing Exams
The licensing exams are provided by the Wyoming Board at least once every 6 months. Generally, they are provided on an as-needed basis in Casper, Wyoming. The Board will administer the licensing exams directly to each aspiring barber or barber-stylist. In order to be licensed as a barber or barber-stylist, you will need to pass two national, standard exams: the written exam and the practical exam.
Barber Written Exam
The written exam is a multiple-choice exam that will cover all aspects of barber theory that you learned in barber school. Some of the topics on this exam include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Wyoming Barber Laws, Rules, and Regulations
- Chemistry and Anatomy
- Infection Control
- Haircutting and Styling Procedures
- Draping Procedures
- Facial Hair Design
- Client Consultation
- Disorders of the Hair and Scalp
- Anatomy of the Skin
Barber-Stylist Written Exam
This exam will be exactly like the barber exam, but it will cover the following extra content areas:
- Chemical Services
- Draping Procedures Related to Chemical Services
- Safety Procedures Related to Chemical Services
- Performing Client Consultation and Hair Analysis
- Chemical Texture Services
- Hair Color and Lightener
Barber Practical Exam
For this exam, you will need to provide your own kit full of supplies and mannequin head or model. With these supplies, you will be graded on your ability to perform the following barber services:
- Set Up and Client Protection
- Shaving with a Straight Razor
- Haircutting
- Candidate Summary and Final Cleanup
Barber-Stylist Practical Exam
This exam will be exactly the same as the barber practical exam, except you will need to perform the following additional barber services, as well:
- Chemical Waving
- Hair coloring/lightening
- Chemical Relaxing
Once you pass these exams with the Board, the Wyoming Board will issue your initial Wyoming barber license.
Step 4. Start Working as a Barber or Barber-Stylist in Wyoming
Because of the growth in the personal appearance worker field in Wyoming, you may find luck in opening your own barbershop. You can do this as long as you obtain a barber shop license by following the Wyoming barbershop laws, rules, and procedures. To obtain this license, all you need to do is simple follow these steps:
- Submit a Wyoming Barber Shop Application
- Complete Attached Inspection Sheet and Floor Plan
- Pay $100 Inspection Fee
- Pay $60.00 License Fee
If you’d prefer to start your career by working in a local barbershop, you’ll find that Jackson and Cheyenne are great places to rent a chair or find traditional employment. When looking for local barbershops, consider some of these top-rated options:
- The Whiskey Barber – Jackson
- Elite Barbershop – Cheyenne
- The Presidential Barbershop – Cheyenne
Step 5. Renew your Wyoming Barber or Barber-Stylist License Annually
Renewal is a vital process for your Wyoming barber or barber-stylist license. You will need to renew your license every year in June. If you do not renew your license, you may face fines, the reinstatement process, or you may not be allowed to work as a barber at all.
To renew, you may submit a paper renewal form or renew online. With your renewal form, you will need to submit the $96.00 renewal fee, as well.
Barber Salaries in Wyoming
Barbers are licensed in Wyoming after graduating from a state-approved barbering school, passing the Wyoming Board of Barber Examiners and completing 1,000 hours or one year of direct work experience. There are six schools in Wyoming with highly skilled instructors to teach students the latest methods and techniques needed for a successful barbering career.
Barber salaries in Wyoming are very competitive. All of the following salary figures are taken from the Wyoming Workforce Development Council’s Labor Market Information Occupational Earnings Survey of March 2014 for “Personal Appearance Workers.”
Statewide earnings in Wyoming are:
Salaries in Wyoming’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
Cheyenne MSA
Casper MSA
Salaries in Wyoming’s Nonmetropolitan Areas
Northwest Wyoming
Northeast Wyoming
Southwest Wyoming
Central Southeast Wyoming