How to Become a Barber in Tennessee: Hours, Cost & Schools

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Becoming a barber in Tennessee means earning the Master Barber license: 1,500 hours at a registered barber school, then PSI’s theory and practical exams with a 70 or better on each. Full-time students typically finish in 10 to 15 months. Tennessee has two quirks worth knowing: an apprenticeship option built into school programs, and a state-mandated student kit that starts with adjustable clippers like the Wahl 5 Star Legend.

Master Barber, technician and instructor

The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, under the Department of Commerce & Insurance, licenses barbers. Applications go through the state’s CORE online portal. The board issues three main barber credentials:

• Master Barber: the full license for cutting, shaving and all barber services. It requires 1,500 hours in a registered barber school (board master barber page).
• Barber Technician: a limited license for tinting or dyeing hair, shampooing, manicures and applying cosmetic preparations, with no cutting or shaving. It requires at least 340 hours (technician page).
• Barber Instructor: requires three years as a master barber, or completing a board-approved instructor course of at least 300 hours.

If you want to cut hair, the Master Barber license is the one to aim for. The minimum age is 16. The board’s pages don’t state an education requirement, so confirm it with your school or the board.

School hours and the apprenticeship option

At 1,500 hours, Tennessee sits at the higher end nationally. College Navigator shows Tennessee barber programs taking about 10 to 15 months, depending on the school’s weekly schedule.

Tennessee’s apprenticeship works differently from most. There’s no standalone shop apprenticeship. Instead, the board’s rules (Chapter 0200-01, revised December 24, 2025) let a licensed school build an apprenticeship curriculum. Half your hours come in the classroom and half under a licensed professional in a shop. The rules include:

• You must stay enrolled in the school, finish your instructional hours, and pass the initial theory exam before you start working in the shop.
• Your supervisor must have at least ten years of experience and hold a master barber or barber instructor license.
• A supervisor can be responsible for up to three apprentices, but can teach only one at a time.
• The school keeps a daily log of your hours.

If a school offers this track, it can get you earning in a real shop sooner. Ask schools whether they run one.

The rule package that took effect December 24, 2025 amended several barber rules, including the ones on exams, fees and crossovers. The board’s rule PDF has the current text.

Crossover for cosmetologists

Tennessee cosmetologists have two ways to become master barbers under Rule 0200-01-.13. You can complete 300 hours at a registered barber college, focused on straight-razor shaving and barbering technique, and get credit for the other 1,200 hours. Or you can qualify after holding a cosmetology license for five continuous years, in Tennessee or a state with reciprocity with Tennessee. For a working cosmetologist, the 300-hour route takes about two to three months full-time.

PSI exams

PSI runs both the theory and practical exams, using its newer National Exam content (board PSI page). Remote proctoring is available for the theory exam. To get scheduled, your school submits your application to PSI. The board’s rules set the passing score at 70 on every exam. If you pass one part, you have up to three years to pass the other.

PSI’s older Tennessee bulletin had candidates cut on a live model and do perm and color sections on a mannequin. Since the switch to the National Exam, check the current PSI candidate bulletin for the exact practical format and supply list before you book.

Fees and renewal

The board lists PSI exam fees of $67 for the theory exam and $67 for the practical. The initial license application is $60, so a new master barber pays about $194 in board and exam fees.

Licenses renew every two years and expire on the last day of the month your original license was issued. Renewal is $60, with a $25 late penalty for master barbers. The barber rules don’t list a continuing education requirement for master barbers (the CE rule we found applies to instructors), so confirm with the board when you renew. You can request inactive status before your license expires.

Moving to Tennessee

Tennessee uses universal license recognition under T.C.A. § 4-3-1304. Under Rule 0200-01-.06(7), if the board finds that your state’s requirements are “substantially equivalent” to Tennessee’s, you can be licensed when you apply and pay the fees. If your license doesn’t meet that standard, the board can issue a temporary permit while you close the gap. The rule doesn’t list a minimum number of years of experience, so ask the board how it will treat your training hours.

What barbers earn in Tennessee

Tennessee’s payroll barber wages are among the lowest of the big states. BLS’s May 2025 survey put the median at $11.87 an hour, or $24,690 a year, and the mean at $29,460 (BLS OEWS 39-5011, May 2025). BLS didn’t publish a statewide employment count. These figures cover payroll employees only. In Tennessee, as in most states, many barbers rent chairs or own their shops, and those earnings aren’t in the survey. That’s why the business side of barbering, such as building a book and setting prices, matters so much here.

Tennessee barber schools

Here’s Legacy Master Barber Academy from our research list, plus three Title IV schools whose 2024–25 figures we checked on College Navigator. Our guide to the best barber schools covers how to compare them.

Legacy Master Barber Academy (Nashville)

Legacy Master Barber Academy at 900 Jefferson St in Nashville offers a barbering program with an unusually wide set of schedules:

• full-time day, 9 to 5 (about 12 months);
• full-time night, 2 to 9 (about 13 months);
• part-time day (9 to 1) or night (2 to 6 or 5 to 9);
• flex day (9 to 3) or night (3 to 9).

The site doesn’t state program hours or tuition. It offers payment plans and no-credit-check financing, and it accepts VA benefits. It isn’t listed on College Navigator for federal aid (school FAQ, checked Oct 2026). Ask for the total cost and confirm the program meets the 1,500-hour requirement.

Legacy rates 5.0 on Google (21 reviews, Oct 2026). Reviewers describe an instructor who coaches students through every cut, a family atmosphere, and patience with kids, including an autistic child. Graduates credit the school with getting them licensed.

“He has helped me to become a successful licensed barber and his school is top tier.”

— William G., Google reviewer, about 2024

“the instructor is always there to show them this hairstyle should go like this or that,,very hands on”

— Louis P., Google reviewer, about May 2026

Other Tennessee barber schools with federal aid

School	1,500-hr program	2024–25 tuition and fees
TCAT Memphis (public)	15 months	about $5,100 (+ about $1,200 books)
VIBE Barber College (Memphis)	15 months	about $17,800 (+ about $1,000 books)
Sandra Academy of Salon Services (New Tazewell)	10 months	about $16,500 (+ about $1,500 books)

Sources: College Navigator for TCAT Memphis, VIBE and Sandra Academy, checked Oct 2026. Sandra Academy’s own master barber page says the program is designed for 40 weeks and costs about $18,500 if you finish on time, higher than College Navigator’s tuition-and-fees figure, so ask the school what it includes. The public TCAT program costs a fraction of the private schools, so it’s worth checking for a seat if you’re near Memphis. Our barber school near me guide has more on comparing schools.

Barber school kit: what students need

Tennessee’s barber rules (0200-01-.15) list what every master barber student must have after 100 hours. The list includes adjustable clippers, a T-edger or trimmer, a straight razor and blades, shears and blending shears, a shampoo cape and chair cloth, combs, brushes and clips, a blow dryer, a mannequin and manicure tools. Ask your school which of these its student kit includes. These are the items students most often upgrade.

For the adjustable clippers on the list, the corded Wahl 5 Star Legend is a fade-friendly workhorse. Add a cordless Wahl 5 Star Magic Clip Cordless for flexibility on the clinic floor.

For the T-edger, the Andis T-Outliner (04780) is the one most shops still use for crisp lines.

For the shears and blending shears, the Equinox Razor Edge 6.5-inch shears and Equinox thinning shears are inexpensive and sharp enough for student work.

The chair cloth requirement is easy to meet with a Barber Strong The Barber Cape that repels hair. Keep blades cool and clean with Andis Cool Care Plus 5-in-1 spray between clients.

Buy the straight razor, manicure tools and mannequin from your school’s list so they match. Prices above are recent Amazon ranges. Our barber starter kit guide compares full kits by budget.

FAQ

How many hours is barber school in Tennessee?
1,500 hours at a registered barber school for the Master Barber license. Licensed cosmetologists can qualify with 300 barber-school hours, or after five continuous years licensed.

How long does master barber school take in Tennessee?
About 10 to 15 months, depending on the schedule. College Navigator lists 10 months at Sandra Academy and 15 months at VIBE and TCAT Memphis, and Legacy Master Barber Academy quotes about 12 months full-time.

How much does barber school cost in Tennessee?
2024–25 tuition and fees ranged from about $5,100 at public TCAT Memphis to about $17,800 at VIBE Barber College (College Navigator). Board and PSI fees add about $194.

Can you apprentice to become a barber in Tennessee?
Only through a school. A licensed school can run an apprenticeship curriculum in which half your hours are spent under a supervising barber with at least ten years of experience.

What score do you need to pass the Tennessee barber exam?
70 on each exam, theory and practical. If you pass one part, you have up to three years to pass the other.

Do Tennessee barbers need continuing education?
The barber rules don’t list a CE requirement for master barbers, so check with the board when you renew. Renewal is every two years and costs $60.

Licensing rules, fees and hours can change. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with your state barber board before you enroll or apply.