There are 4,861 master barbers, 38,711 cosmetologists, and 24 barber technicians licensed in the state of Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance, as of March 20th, 2018. What does that mean? Barbers have the pick of the litter, per se, when it comes to getting a job. Not only that the demand for barbers is so high, but that the ability to make a lot of money is possible. Unfortunately, the cosmetology side of things is so overly saturated that it has made it hard for the cosmetologists to make a living. Besides the money aspect, the main reason I chose barbering vs cosmetology was that I didn’t want to mess with the long hair, blow outs and drama of a salon. I wanted to be in a relaxed atmosphere where I could hone my craft, and at the end of the day, I never felt like I went to work. Surprisingly, barbering lived up to that expectation, and 10 years into the industry I love it more each day!