How much do barbers make in Australia?

A qualified adult barber employed full time can't be paid less than $28.87 an hour (about $57,047 a year) under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award in 2026-27, before penalty rates. Shops on BarberRise are advertising $25 to $70 an hour for hourly barber roles right now. Commission, a busy book and chair rental can all take earnings above that.

Do barbers get paid hourly or per cut?

Both, depending on the shop. Most roles pay an hourly wage, a base plus commission, or commission with a guaranteed minimum. Chair rental is the exception: you pay the shop rent and keep what you take. Every listing on BarberRise states which model it uses.

Can a shop pay commission only?

For an employee, commission doesn't remove award entitlements: total pay for the hours worked has to meet the award minimum, and the shop makes up any shortfall. Chair renters are usually contractors, so the award doesn't cover them. Fair Work's Pay and Conditions Tool is the place to check a specific situation.

What do apprentice and junior barbers get paid?

The award sets separate, lower minimums for apprentices, by stage of the apprenticeship, and for junior employees. They change every July, so check the current figures in Fair Work's pay guide for the Hair and Beauty Industry Award rather than an old listing.

Pay transparency

What barbers and hairdressers get paid in Australia

The legal pay floors under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award (MA000005) for 2026-27, what shops are advertising on the board right now, how each pay structure works, and the rates verified candidates are asking for. Use them together to sanity-check an offer before you sign anything.

Hair and Beauty Industry Award (MA000005), 2026-27

These are legal minimums for a qualified adult barber or hairdresser (Cert III, award level 3), not a recommendation and not payroll advice. Penalties, allowances and junior rates sit outside this figure, and individual awards or agreements can differ. When in doubt, check with Fair Work or a payroll professional.

Full-time hourly (base)

$28.87

per hour

Casual hourly

$36.09

base + 25% loading

Full-time weekly

$1,097

38 hour week

Full-time annual

$57,047

approximate

What shops are advertising right now

Straight from the 102 open barber roles on the board today. Rent-a-chair listings are left out, because their figures are the rent you pay rather than pay you receive.

$25 to $70 an hour45 roles
$24,528 to $108,000 a year34 roles
$35 to $1,600 a week3 roles
$300 to $360 a day3 roles

City	Advertised hourly	Open barber roles	More
Sydney	$28-$59 /hr	21	Working in Sydney
Melbourne	$26-$51 /hr	17	Working in Melbourne
Brisbane	$25-$50 /hr	14	Working in Brisbane
Perth	$35-$50 /hr	9	Working in Perth
Gold Coast	$30-$70 /hr	5	Working in Gold Coast
Hobart	$29-$40 /hr	3	Working in Hobart
Launceston	$35-$40 /hr	3	Working in Launceston
Mackay	$35-$65 /hr	3	Working in Mackay

How barbers get paid: the four structures

Most Australian barber roles use one of these, and every listing on BarberRise says which. The first three are normally employment, so the award floor applies underneath them.

Hourly wage

The shop pays a set rate for every hour you work, however many clients come through. Easiest to compare between offers, and common in busy walk-in shops. As an employee you get at least the award rate, plus penalty rates where they apply and the casual loading if you're casual.

Base plus commission

A guaranteed hourly or weekly base, with a percentage of what you take on top once you pass a target. A full book pays well; a quiet week still pays the base.

Commission with a guaranteed minimum

You earn a percentage of your takings, and the shop tops you up to a floor when commission falls short. For an employee that floor can't sit below the award for the hours worked, whatever the deal is called.

Chair rental

You pay the shop a fixed rent, keep what you take and run your own book. That usually makes you a contractor rather than an employee, so the award doesn't apply, and tax, super, leave and insurance become yours to sort out.

Apprentices and junior employees have their own, lower award minimums, set by stage of the apprenticeship. They change every July, so check Fair Work's current pay guide for the award. How to become a barber in Australia →

Verified candidate rates by discipline and city

Averages of the rate ranges verified candidates have told us they're after, hourly rates only. Day rates, weekly rates and commission structures aren't comparable side by side, so they're left out of this table. We only publish a city and discipline once at least 3 verified candidates sit in it, so no individual can be identified.

Not enough verified candidates yet in any single city and discipline to publish a number without risking someone's privacy. Check back soon, or lean on the award floors and advertised pay above.

Based on 1 verified, hourly-rate candidates out of 1 verified profiles at time of publish. Figures are self-reported by candidates and are indicative, not a guarantee of what any shop will pay.

Frequently asked questions

How much do barbers make in Australia?: A qualified adult barber employed full time can't be paid less than $28.87 an hour (about $57,047 a year) under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award in 2026-27, before penalty rates. Shops on BarberRise are advertising $25 to $70 an hour for hourly barber roles right now. Commission, a busy book and chair rental can all take earnings above that.
Do barbers get paid hourly or per cut?: Both, depending on the shop. Most roles pay an hourly wage, a base plus commission, or commission with a guaranteed minimum. Chair rental is the exception: you pay the shop rent and keep what you take. Every listing on BarberRise states which model it uses.
Can a shop pay commission only?: For an employee, commission doesn't remove award entitlements: total pay for the hours worked has to meet the award minimum, and the shop makes up any shortfall. Chair renters are usually contractors, so the award doesn't cover them. Fair Work's Pay and Conditions Tool is the place to check a specific situation.
What do apprentice and junior barbers get paid?: The award sets separate, lower minimums for apprentices, by stage of the apprenticeship, and for junior employees. They change every July, so check the current figures in Fair Work's pay guide for the Hair and Beauty Industry Award rather than an old listing.