- 1,000 education hours are required to become licensed.
- You must renew your license every 2 years.
- 0 continuing education hours are required to renew your license.
- The average salary for barbers in Texas is $37,330.
- There is a predicted 25% job increase between 2020–2030 for barbers.
To become a barber in Texas, you must complete a Texas barber program, pass written and practical exams, and pass a criminal background check.
All barbers in Texas must be licensed to practice. There are several barbering licenses, including the Class A Barber license, which is the most comprehensive. To be eligible for this license, you must:
- Be at least 16
- Complete 1,000 training hours
- Pass the Class A Barber written and practical exams
- Submit a completed application
- Pay the $55 application fee
- Submit to a criminal background check
All Texas barber license applicants must undergo a criminal background check. But, having a criminal record doesn't automatically exclude you from licensure.
State law allows students to find out if they're likely to be rejected due to their criminal history before going for licensure. This can protect them from wasting time and money trying to gain a license they are unlikely to get.
What to Expect from a Barber Program in Texas
1,000 Education Hours
Required to earn a barbering license
Barber programs in Texas include 1,000 hours of training for a Class A license over at least six months. You can expect to learn about hair cutting, dyeing, styling, massage, hair removal, and more.
Texas Class A barber programs must include the following areas:
Basics (150 hours):
- Anatomy and physiology
- Bacteriology, sterilization, and sanitation
- Barber history
- Barber implements, tools, equipment, and theory
- Chemistry (hair coloring, chemical waving, and relaxing)
- Skin, scalp, hair, and nail disorders
- Safety, first aid, and sanitation
Practice (750 hours):
- Chemistry (hair coloring, chemical waving, and relaxing)
- Face and neck massage and treatments
- Facial hair removal
- Hair and scalp treatments and massage
- Hair cutting
- Hair styling
- Hair weaving, extensions, and wigs
- Manicuring
- Mustaches and beards
- Razor techniques, safety, first aid, and sanitation
- Safety, first aid, and sanitation
- Shaving
Business (100 hours):
- Barbershop management
- Customer service
- Hygiene and good grooming
- Professional ethics and image
- Safety, sanitation, related practices, and theory
- Texas barber laws and rules
If you've already got your cosmetology license, you can train to be a barber via a crossover program. Crossover licenses require just 300 training hours, though you must still pass the state practical and written exams.
Trainee barbers in Texas can also obtain a maximum of 50 training hours through field trips.
Schools must be licensed and work to maintain that license over time. They're inspected by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)'s Field Operations Division. The inspectors ensure the school meets size, equipment, staff, code, and other requirements.
Can I Apprentice as a Barber in Texas?
No, it's not possible to gain your barber's license in Texas via apprenticeship. Instead, you must complete 1,000 training hours on a state-approved Texas barber program.
Texas Barber Licensing Requirements
To gain your Texas Class A barber's license, you must complete 1,000 training hours and pass written and practical exams. Both are administered by PSI Services LLC, and you have to complete the written exam first.
Once you've completed the required training hours (see below), you receive a postcard from TDLR with information on contacting PSI and scheduling your written exam. You can arrange your exam via the internet, telephone, or mail. After passing the written test, you have five years to pass the practical test, which you can take as many times as you need.
If you're enrolled in a 1,000-hour high school barber program, you can take your written exam after completing 900 hours. However, if you're in a post-secondary 1,000-hour program, you must wait until you finish all 1,000 hours before taking the exam.
Written Examination
The written exam can be taken online or in one of PSI's 22 testing centers around Texas. It costs $55, which is non-refundable and non-transferable. The tests are in English by default, but they may be available in Spanish or Vietnamese for no additional cost if you request this when you schedule your exam.
If taking the exam at a PSI center, arrive 30 minutes before your test time and bring a government-issued photo ID. If you're taking the exam online, you can log on up to 30 minutes before your scheduled exam time. The exam is closed-book.
The written exam consists of 85 scored items and eight non-scored items, and you have 90 minutes to complete it. It covers a variety of topics, split into the following areas:
- Chemical texture services: 12%
- Hair and scalp care: 4.5%
- Hair coloring: 10%
- Hair cutting and styling: 14%
- Licensing and regulation: 8%
- Nail and skin care: 4.5%
- Sanitation, disinfection, sterilization, and safety: 29.5%
- Shaving: 17.5%
You need at least a 70% score to pass. Your score is displayed on-screen when you finish the test, and a report is emailed to you. If you fail, the email includes a report discussing your strengths and weaknesses.
Practical Examination
You can schedule your practical exam after passing the written one. The practical takes place at one of PSI's testing centers and costs $76. You have three hours and 29 minutes to complete the test and need a score of at least 70% to pass.
The test is split into the following areas:
- Pre-exam set up and disinfection: 10 minutes
- Manicure: 22 minutes
- Professional shave: 42 minutes
- Blood exposure incident: 12 minutes
- Facial: 17 minutes
- Hair cutting: 37 minutes
- Blow drying and thermal curling: 22 minutes
- Chemical application preparation: 10 minutes
- Permanent wave: 17 minutes
- Single process color retouch: 10 minutes
- End of exam disinfection: 10 minutes
Just as with the written exam, you receive your score report instantly.
ADA Accommodations
All PSI exam centers are equipped to provide additional accommodations to meet candidate needs. Students with disabilities can request accommodations by filling out a request form when scheduling their exams.
Texas Barber License Reciprocity
If you already have a barber's license in another state, you might be able to transfer it to Texas via reciprocity. The state you trained in must have equivalent educational and exam requirements to Texas. Licensees from certain states must also fulfill a work experience requirement, as listed below:
- California (licensed before 01/01/2022): one year
- California (licensed after 01/01/2022): two years
- Connecticut: one year
- Florida: two years
- Hawaii: one year
- Idaho: one year
- Illinois: one year
- New Hampshire: one year
- New Jersey (Cosmetologist-Hairstylist): one year
- New York: three years
- Rhode Island: one year
- South Carolina: two years
- South Carolina (Master Hair Care): one year
To apply for a Texas barber license with out-of-state training and experience, you must:
- Submit a reciprocity barber license application
- Pay an application fee of $110
- Include a copy of your current and active barber license
- Include a letter of certification, in a sealed envelope, from your home state
- Include an official transcript of hours, in a sealed envelope, from your school
Additionally, active duty military, veterans, and spouses are eligible for help transferring their licenses to Texas.
Barber License Renewal in Texas
2 Years
License renewal period
0 Hours
Continuing education required
You need to renew your Texas barber's license every two years, but there are no continuing education requirements to fulfill. It costs $55 to renew your license.
Once your license expires, you have 18 months to renew it, and you can't work as a barber during that time. If your license has been expired for 18 months to three years, submit a "Request to Executive Director for Expired License Renewal" form with a required renewal fee.
If more than three years have passed, your license is void, and you have to apply for a new one. In Texas, the Attorney General can also refuse to renew your license for failure to pay child support.
Barber Salary and Projected Job Growth in Texas
$37,330
Average yearly salary for barbering in Texas
The average (mean) salary for barbers in Texas is $37,330 per year or $17.95 per hour. Wages range from around $23,800 to $60,000 or more.
Texas has the third-highest employment rate for barbers nationwide. The outlook continues to be good, with growth of 25% predicted between 2020-2030, much higher than the 8% predicted nationally.
The highest-paying metro areas for barbers in Texas are Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, with a median salary of $33,770, and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, with a median wage of $27,110.
Contact the Texas State Board of Barbering
Resources for Barbers in Texas
TDLR Facebook Page
Get up-to-date news and more from the official State Facebook page for licensing and regulations.
Pro Barber Association
This group aims to support barbers throughout Texas to build wealth, preserve health, and invest in the future.
Allied Beauty and Barber Association of Texas
This group gives a voice to licensed beauty and barbering professionals, students, and beauty associates in Texas.
