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Barber schools in Tennessee

Tennessee has 13 accredited campuses awarding barber credentials. If you finish and work as a barber in Tennessee, expect to start around $22,850–$23,080 and reach a median of $24,690 with experience; the top quarter earn $31,930 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Tennessee). Graduates of these Tennessee programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $15,394 in their first year, against $14,528 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.

What barbers earn in Tennessee

$22,850starting (10th percentile)
$23,080early career (25th)
$24,690median, all experience
$31,930experienced (75th)
$43,620top earners (90th)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national figures; the state estimate is not published). National median: $38,210.

Campuses in Tennessee, ranked by what their graduates earned

13campuses in Tennessee
184credentials awarded / yr
$15,394median earnings, yr 1 (Tennessee)
$14,528median earnings, yr 1 (U.S.)

Cities: BartlettChattanoogaClarksvilleCookevilleJohnson CityKnoxvilleMemphisNew TazewellNewbernOld Hickory

CampusCityTypeGrads / yrEarnings, yr 1Program debtCompletionCost / yr
Gould's Academy Bartlett for-profit 13 $19,220 $7,677 84% $23,699
Genesis Career College-Cookeville Cookeville for-profit 26 $17,462 $6,333 54% $15,788
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest Newbern Public 15 $16,145 not reported 69% $14,677
Paul Mitchell the School-Knoxville Knoxville for-profit 16 $16,003 $15,921 not reported not reported
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Memphis Memphis Public 30 $14,785 not reported 55% $18,418
Queen City College Clarksville for-profit 28 $14,669 $5,500 not reported not reported
TC Beauty Johnson City for-profit 8 $14,430 $7,917 88% $22,104
Mr Wayne's School of Unisex Hair Design Cookeville for-profit 16 $13,373 not reported 74% $22,450
Vibe Barber College Memphis for-profit 21 not reported $9,500 89% $23,739
Master's Barber & Styling College Old Hickory for-profit 6 not reported not reported not reported not reported
Sandra Academy of Salon Services New Tazewell for-profit 5 not reported $12,089 33% $19,276
Ezp's College of Barbering Chattanooga not reported not reported not reported not reported
Success Barber College Memphis not reported not reported not reported not reported

Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.

Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.

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