Where is it easiest to open: Cosmetology and Barber Schools
44 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 25-1194” (soc) for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 184 | 9.3 | $38,965 | exam | BARBER; COSMETOLOGIST |
| CA | 165 | 12.2 | $41,121 | licence | Baton Training Instructor; Driving School Instructor License |
| FL | 94 | 12.2 | $39,336 | exam | Firearms Instructor ; Full Specialist |
| IL | 62 | 10.0 | $37,500 | exam | BARBER; BARBER TEACHER |
| NY | 47 | 11.0 | $39,336 | exam | Driving School Instructor |
| AZ | 40 | 12.0 | $40,906 | not matched | — |
| PA | 36 | 8.3 | $34,853 | exam | Barber; Barber Teacher |
| OH | 33 | 13.6 | $39,742 | exam | Cosmetology Instructor License |
| MI | 32 | 11.4 | $118,283 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| NJ | 31 | 11.9 | $45,323 | exam | COOPERATIVE EDUCATION COORDINATOR; DRIVING INSTRUCTOR |
| GA | 29 | 11.0 | $37,300 | exam | Appraiser Instructor; Barber Instructor |
| TN | 29 | 12.3 | $36,604 | exam | COSMETOLOGIST; COSMETOLOGY INSTRUCTOR |
| OR | 25 | 10.0 | $39,526 | not matched | — |
| IN | 24 | 13.5 | $35,354 | exam | Barber Instructor; Beauty Culture Instructor |
| UT | 23 | 29.4 | $20,630 | licence | BARBER |
| WA | 23 | 8.1 | $39,909 | exam | Driver Training School Instructor; Instructor (Cosmetology) |
| LA | 22 | 12.9 | $35,314 | not matched | — |
| MA | 21 | 9.9 | $39,401 | not matched | — |
| CO | 21 | 10.0 | $38,386 | not matched | — |
| NC | 20 | 10.1 | $36,527 | exam | Barber Instructor; Certified Electrolysis Instructor |
| AR | 20 | 9.2 | $32,670 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| NV | 19 | 19.8 | $41,337 | licence | Cosmetologist |
| MO | 17 | 12.7 | $35,116 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| VA | 14 | 9.8 | $37,686 | exam | Cosmetology License and Cosmetologist ; Esthetician License and Esthetics Inst |
| KY | 14 | 8.6 | $37,583 | exam | Apprentice Instructor/Cosmetologist In; Barber Instructor |
| WI | 13 | 13.5 | $40,347 | exam | AESTHETICS INSTRUCTOR; ASBESTOS PRINCIPAL INSTRUCTOR |
| SC | 13 | 14.1 | $42,224 | licence | Barber Instructors; CEU Association |
| MD | 11 | 16.3 | $36,721 | licence | ASSISTANT TEACHER; STUDENT - ASSISTANT TEACHER |
| OK | 10 | 12.8 | $44,602 | exam | Barber / Barber Instructor; Cosmetology Instructor |
| KS | 10 | 17.5 | $36,691 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| CT | 10 | 11.8 | $36,720 | not matched | — |
| ID | 8 | 21.2 | $32,141 | exam | Barber - Instructor; Cosmetologist - Instructor |
| NE | 7 | 13.9 | $43,258 | licence | Barber Instructor; Cosmetology Instructor |
| AL | 7 | 11.0 | $42,416 | exam | Licensed Barber; Licensed Cosmetologist |
| MN | 7 | 7.9 | $43,491 | licence | Barbers / Barbershops / Barber Schools; Cosmetology -Individual Licenses |
| DC | 7 | 14.1 | $43,596 | exam | BARBER; DENTIST |
| IA | 6 | 7.0 | $38,452 | exam | Barber Instructor; Cosmetology Instructor |
| NM | 6 | 11.5 | $33,145 | exam | Barber/Cosmetologist Instructor; Barber Instructor |
| RI | 5 | 13.8 | $41,841 | licence | Real Estate Salesperson Instructor |
| HI | 4 | 12.8 | $32,059 | exam | Beauty Instructor; Real Estate Prelicense Instructor |
| ND | 3 | 15.0 | $38,133 | exam | Barber Instructor; Cosmetology Instructors |
| DE | 3 | 15.3 | $24,130 | exam | Teacher of Trade & Industry: Allied He; Teacher of Trade & Industry: Auto Body |
| MS | 3 | 1.7 | $82,400 | exam | Barber; Cosmetologist |
| NH | 3 | 4.0 | $38,750 | exam | Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetics, or ; Driver Education Instructor |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.