Key Takeaways: Despite the many benefits of a career in barbering, many barbers call it quits within their first three years. From burnout to high stress levels, the reasons for this are many, but they can be overcome with the right preparation.
UPDATED: JULY 23, 2025
Modern barbers have (in large part) moved past the spinning pole outside the shop and embraced hip, modern shops, upscale clients, and premium prices.
This evolution has made barbering more popular than ever, and with that popularity comes a lot of benefits. You can make great money, the job security is stellar, you get to interact with customers and build community, and you have the opportunity to develop both your creativity and business acumen.
Despite these barber benefits, lots of professionals will give up on the industry and abandon their barbering passion in the first three years of their careers. The hardships, obstacles, and challenges that hit barbers in their first three years tend to be substantial enough to knock even the most passionate barbers off their stools and into a different career.
What is it about barbering that makes the first three years such a common turning point for barbers, and how can you avoid the same fate? Read on to find out.
The Top Reasons Barbers Quit Within 3 Years
Fear, Insecurity, and Subpar Coverage
From the moment they enter school or training, barbers can face immense pressure. There’s no shortage of uncertainty and stress in a barber career, and these factors can quickly weigh on new barbers.
Working up close and personal with people is a significant reason for this pressure. You’re wielding sharp tools for a living, and your clients are the ones who could suffer if you make a mistake. Throw in the fact that you’re running a business, and every move you or a client makes suddenly seems like it could be the end of the world.
From a client tripping on an exposed cord to someone experiencing an allergic reaction under your supervision, the responsibility you bear is no joke. That pressure can be paralyzing, and many barbers simply don’t want to deal with it.
While there’s no quick fix for fear and anxiety, there is something you can do to get the peace of mind you need: invest in quality barber liability insurance. Every barber, starting with barbering students, needs barber insurance.
Not only does comprehensive barber insurance protect you when things go wrong, but it also can help dramatically reduce the fear, anxiety, and pressure you’re feeling. In other words, you can experience peace of mind and pursue your passion with renewed confidence.
No Passion, No Progress
Some barbers find out too late that the passion they thought they had for being a barber simply isn’t there. It can be hard to talk yourself into a career you don’t love, and sometimes, when passion is gone, stress and exhaustion have a way of winning out.
"From the moment they enter school or training, barbers face immense pressure. There's no shortage of uncertainty and stress in a barber career – and these factors can quickly weigh on newbies."
This is one of those unfortunate situations where you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. You invested time, money, and energy into the career you thought you would love, only to discover that it isn’t the right fit for you. That’s a tough spot to be in!
Before you turn in your barber tools and switch career paths, try finding ways to bring fun back to your work. Whether that's taking a course to learn some new techniques, sprucing up your work space, or new barber apparel, it's worth it to put effort back into rediscovering your barbering passion.
Delayed Gratification
While some barbers find instant success, the reality for most aspiring barbers is that it takes a little time and a lot of investment to achieve their barbering goals.
In a perfect world, you’d complete school, receive your barber certification, and start making the big bucks immediately. Unfortunately, it usually takes a little time and a lot of hard work to see those dreams become reality.
Embracing the grind, displaying patience, and understanding that delayed gratification is worth the wait are not easy truths to accept.
Tricky Work-Life Balance
Every job has some kind of imbalance when it comes to work and life. Sometimes, these dynamics ebb and flow, creating challenging times that are offset by times of joy. Barbering is an entirely different kind of difficult when it comes to work demands and attempting to lean into the non-work things that you love.
For starters, the hours are funky. Clients are demanding, too, and you need to be available when other people are off work. This means that sometimes you have to say bye-bye to holidays, weekends, and nights out on the town.
With tough workdays, unusual hours, and long days, there are times when you will be exhausted, sore, and ready to throw in the towel, but putting in the effort can be rewarding.
Barbering Is Physically Draining
Even if barbering is your passion and you absolutely love the work you do, there’s no denying that barbering can be physically draining. Barbers are often on their feet for up to 10 hours a day, leading to significant physical stress that includes back and knee pain.
You’re not just standing, either; you’re rotating, angling, stooping, craning, and otherwise exerting yourself all day every day. It’s an exhausting job that can be hard on your body. Your muscles, your skeletal system, your joints—everything is going to hurt, and the burden can become too much.
Is Barbering a Good Career?
There’s no question that barbering can be challenging. All of the difficulties mentioned above are compelling reasons to call it quits, but the truth is that barbering can be an excellent, fulfilling career if you manage to overcome the tough times.
We’re not going to pretend we have the ultimate solution for every burnt-out barber out there, but we do have some helpful tips and words of encouragement to offer you.
When the road is looking rough and the future is looking cloudy, sit down and reflect on your why. Your why is an abstract idea, but it’s rooted in concrete reasoning. It’s your entirely unique, one-of-a-kind, specific-to-you purpose that informs who you are, what you believe, and why you do what you do.
In other words, remember why you chose to be a barber.
Taking the time to rediscover why you chose barbering in the first place can provide you with the insight and perspective you need to keep going even when you might not want to.
Have you felt the barber burn out? Are you unsure if barbering is really for you? If you fall into these categories, we implore you to reach out, ask for help, and self-reflect.
Do you truly love barbering, but are feeling totally spent when it comes to energy and motivation? Do you think barbering is your passion, but you just don’t think you can hack it anymore?
We can’t pretend to know everyone’s situation, but we can say this: if you know, deep down, that barbering makes you happy, that it’s something that you feel passionately about, and that it’s part of what makes you who you are, don’t give up.
In this life, it’s worth it to work through the tough stuff in order to have a career you truly love. If barbering is for you, don’t walk away from it too quickly. Take some time, get your mental health right, and figure out what it is that’s making the barbering game feel insurmountable.
For more barbering insights, information, and motivation, be sure to subscribe to National Barbers Insurance and peruse our blog. We hope these resources help you navigate the tough times and emerge on the other side as a successful barber.
