Barber Industry in Canada: Key Statistics and Market Facts for 2025

The barbering and hairstyling industry in Canada employs tens of thousands of people and operates through a combination of independent barbershops, franchise chains, salon-barbershop hybrids, and home-based practitioners. Granular national barber-specific data is difficult to isolate because Statistics Canada classifies barbers and hairstylists together under the same NOC code (NOC 63211). The data below reflects publicly available information from Statistics Canada, provincial regulatory bodies, and industry sources as of 2024-2025.

National Overview

Statistics Canada reports approximately 88,000 to 95,000 people employed in hairstyling and barbering occupations in Canada as of the most recent Labour Force Survey data (2023-2024). This number fluctuates with self-employment reporting and part-time participation. The majority of practitioners are self-employed or work as independent contractors rather than employees, which is the standard employment model in barbering across Canada.

The barbershop and hair salon industry in Canada generates approximately $5 billion to $6 billion in annual revenue (Source: IBISWorld Canada industry reports, 2023-2024). This figure encompasses both barbershops and hair salons; barbershop-specific revenue is a subset of this total.

Ontario

Ontario is the largest market by practitioner count and business count, reflecting its overall population size. The Hairstylist trade is classified as compulsory in Ontario, administered by Skilled Trades Ontario. As of 2024, Skilled Trades Ontario reports approximately 25,000 to 30,000 registered apprentices and certificate holders in the Hairstylist trade in Ontario. This number includes hairstylists operating in salons as well as barbers; the provincial regulatory framework does not separate the two.

The Greater Toronto Area is the highest-concentration market for barbershops in Ontario, with thousands of establishments ranging from single-chair operators to multi-location chains. Mississauga, where CADMEN Barber Academy operates, is part of the GTA market and home to a significant number of independent and franchise barbershops.

Career Earnings

Statistics Canada reports the median hourly wage for hairstylists and barbers in Canada at approximately $16 to $22 per hour for employed practitioners. However, this figure significantly undercounts self-employed barbers working on commission or booth rental arrangements, because self-employment income is not captured the same way as employment wage data. Experienced barbers with strong personal clientele in high-demand markets (GTA, Vancouver, Calgary) regularly report gross revenues of $60,000 to $120,000+ annually from self-employment. Chair owners and multi-location operators represent the upper income tier, where earnings depend on business performance rather than individual service volume.

Business Counts

Statistics Canada's Business Register and provincial business licensing data are the primary sources for barbershop counts; exact national numbers are not published in a single annual report. Industry estimates typically cite 15,000 to 20,000 active barbershop and hair salon establishments in Canada, with Ontario accounting for roughly 35 to 40% of that total. The barbershop-specific subset (versus full-service salons) is a minority of total establishments but has grown over the past decade as the category distinction between barbershops and salons has evolved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is barbering a growing industry in Canada?

Based on available data, yes. The post-2020 period saw employment in hairstyling and barbering recover to pre-pandemic levels, and the barbershop-specific segment has grown in visibility and consumer recognition as a distinct service category from general salons. Skilled Trades Ontario apprenticeship registration in the Hairstylist trade has remained consistent. That said, the industry faces the same competitive pressures as other personal services: price sensitivity, labor costs, and the ongoing fragmentation between self-employed and employed practitioners.

How many barbershops are in Ontario?

There is no single official count of active barbershop establishments in Ontario available from a public source. Industry estimates suggest several thousand active barbershop establishments across Ontario, with the highest concentration in the GTA. For a precise count, municipal business license databases and the Barbershop and Salon section of the Statistics Canada Business Register (available through official data access programs) are the closest public sources.

What are typical barbershop profit margins in Canada?

IBISWorld and industry practitioner estimates suggest operating profit margins for barbershops typically range from 10% to 20% of gross revenue for well-managed shops. Margins are affected primarily by the labor cost structure (employee vs. commission vs. booth rental models), rent as a percentage of revenue, and service pricing relative to local market. High-rent urban locations need higher average ticket prices or higher volume to maintain margin. Lower-cost suburban or secondary market locations can achieve similar margins with lower revenue. The business coaching content at CADMEN focuses specifically on the variables that drive margin for Canadian shop owners.