Barber apprenticeships in Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO is one of Colorado's largest labor markets for barbers. It is the 19th-largest metro area in the United States by population. This page collects what adults switching into a career as a barber inside the Denver metro need first: how local pay compares to the state, what the available labor-market data says about six-figure work, and which statewide programs and licensing rules apply locally.

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO barbers earn a median of $73,460 (BLS OEWS Denver MSA, May 2024). For Colorado context, statewide pay runs from $13/hr at entry to $20/hr at the state median and $33/hr at the experienced end. Statewide headline: $42K avg salary. The Denver metro is a top-50 U.S. MSA; local wages may run above or below the state median depending on sector mix.

In the Denver metro, estimated six-figure barber jobs: ~29 of 320 (~9.1%). Confidence: high. Log-normal fit residual is within tolerance. ACS 2024 5-year PUMS estimates ~16 $100K+ annual earners (~5.1% of employed barbers, ACS PUMS WAGP+SEMP). Projections Central long-term pressure score: 38/100 (Low, low confidence). Bachelor's-plus in the metro labor force: 979K (ACS 2022 5-year). For statewide context: Colorado shows ~19 of 630 (~3%). Sources: BLS OEWS, Census ACS PUMS, Projections Central, Census ACS.

Statewide barber programs and employer-sponsored paths are listed on the Colorado programs page; none are flagged as metro-exclusive. Metro program and association references are inherited from sourced state pages unless a metro-exclusive entity is explicitly sourced. Treat them as orientation, not a complete local inventory, and verify current intake details with the statewide source or sponsor before relying. Licensing is set at the state level: Colorado rules apply in the Denver metro unless a local authority says otherwise. Metro pages use state-level licensing and program context unless a city, county, or sponsor rule is explicitly sourced. Verify current licensing, local add-ons, and sponsor requirements with the official state or local authority before relying. barber apprenticeship sites cluster within a 45-60 minute drive of the Denver core; smaller employers may sponsor at the regional level when no in-metro slot is open.