AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Barbers?

Task-level automation exposure for Barbers: 20 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

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Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

28% weighted task index

20 of 20 tasks scored

Median Salary

$38,210 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Low

15,000 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+3.3% employment change

6,900 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 36 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$24,690 – $77,430

Highest medians

Oregon $77,430

Illinois $65,430

Colorado $61,500

Washington $61,150

Iowa $58,900

Lowest medians

Tennessee $24,690

Utah $25,370

Arkansas $25,640

Alabama $29,120

Georgia $30,750

State figures come from the 39-5011 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.

What the score is made of

Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.

Automation potential 28%

Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.

Physical work 55%

Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.

Judgment & influence 18%

Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.

Routine administration 16%

Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.

Rewritten by O*NET 0%

Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.

Consequence of error 21/100 Low

O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.

Constituent Task Mix

20 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.

High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 20%

4 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 20%

4 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 60%

12 tasks

How would you survive?

Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.

Simulate Upskilling →

Constituent Tasks

#8049 · Core · 10% automatable

Clean and sterilize scissors, combs, clippers, and other instruments.

physical manipulation — Tool cleaning is physical manipulation

Clean tools or equipment.

#8050 · Core · 5% automatable

Cut and trim hair according to clients' instructions or current hairstyles, using clippers, combs, hand-held blow driers, and scissors.

physical manipulation — Hair trimming is hands-on with unpredictable clients

Trim client hair.

#8052 · Core · 50% automatable

Question patrons regarding desired services and haircut styles.

interpersonal — Client service-option discussion needs human relationship

Discuss service options or needs with clients.

#8053 · Core · 5% automatable

Clean work stations and sweep floors.

physical manipulation — Physical cleaning of facilities and work areas

Clean facilities or work areas.

#8051 · Core · 4% automatable

Drape and pin protective cloths around customers' shoulders.

physical manipulation — Manual application of protective coverings

Apply protective coverings to objects or surfaces near work areas.

#8063 · Core · 5% automatable

Apply lather and shave beards or neck and temple hair contours, using razors.

physical manipulation — Hair trimming is hands-on with unpredictable clients

Trim client hair.

#8054 · Core · 80% automatable

Record services provided on cashiers' tickets or receive payment from customers.

data analysis — Maintain financial records; human reconciles exceptions

Maintain financial or account records.

#8056 · Core · 5% automatable

Shape and trim beards and moustaches, using scissors.

physical manipulation — Hair trimming is hands-on with unpredictable clients

Trim client hair.

#8061 · Core · 44% automatable

Perform clerical and administrative duties such as keeping records, paying bills, and hiring and supervising personnel.

text generation — Broad clerical tasks partly automatable, human oversees exceptions

Supervise service workers. Perform administrative or clerical tasks. Perform human resources activities.

#8060 · Core · 72% automatable

Keep card files on clientele, recording notes of work done, products used and fees charged after each visit.

text generation — Maintain client records; human owns sensitive judgment

Maintain client information or service records.

#8057 · Core · 70% automatable

Stay informed of the latest styles and hair care techniques.

information retrieval — AI supports study; certification requires human

Maintain professional knowledge or certifications.

#8059 · Core · 5% automatable

Shampoo hair.

physical manipulation — Applying agents to hair and skin is hands-on care

Apply cleansing or conditioning agents to client hair, scalp, or skin.

#8055 · Core · 75% automatable

Order supplies.

decision support — Ordering via systems automatable; human approves spend

Order materials, supplies, or equipment.

#8058 · Core · 50% automatable

Suggest treatments to alleviate hair problems.

decision support — Medical/cosmetic advice needs accountable clinical judgment

Provide medical or cosmetic advice for clients.

#8062 · Core · 5% automatable

Curl, color, or straighten hair, using special chemical solutions and equipment.

physical manipulation — Hair treatment application requires manual skill

Apply solutions to hair for therapeutic or cosmetic purposes.

#8066 · Core · 3% automatable

Provide face, neck, and scalp massages.

physical manipulation — Massage is skilled manual physical contact

Administer therapeutic massages.

#8065 · Core · 44% automatable

Recommend and sell lotions, tonics, or other cosmetic supplies.

text generation — Promotional materials drafted; human executes outreach

Sell products or services. Promote products, services, or programs.

#8067 · Core · 5% automatable

Provide skin care and nail treatments.

physical manipulation — Nail shaping requires fine manual dexterity

Treat nails by shaping, decorating, or augmenting. Apply cleansing or conditioning agents to client hair, scalp, or skin.

#8068 · Supplemental · 8% automatable

Identify hair problems, using microscopes and testing devices, or by sending clients' hair samples out to independent laboratories for analysis.

physical manipulation — Physical sample collection

Collect samples for analysis or testing. Prepare biological specimens for laboratory analysis. Prepare biological samples for testing or analysis.

#8064 · Supplemental · 18% automatable

Measure, fit, and groom hairpieces.

physical manipulation — Hands-on dimensional measurement of material

Measure product or material dimensions. Measure clients to ensure proper product fit. Groom wigs or hairpieces.

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Community Sentiment

Do you agree?

Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?

Method

How this was scored

1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.

Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.

Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast

See the full method →

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