I live in a small town and my local barber just hit £20 for a haircut. Back in 2017, this same place was £7. I understand inflation, but a 185 percent increase in less than a decade feels like the industry is just trying to match international prices.
To put the hourly rate in perspective, look at a HSC nurse. A Band 5 nurse, at the very top of their pay scale in 2026, earns about £37,796 a year. For a standard 37.5 hour week, that is roughly £19.38 an hour before tax. After you take out pension, tax, and national insurance, they are taking home significantly less.
Compare that to a barber charging £20 a cut. Even if they only do two heads an hour and take 25 minutes each, that is £40 an hour gross. Even after you account for shop rent and electric, the take home pay for a shop owner doing this is massive compared to a nurse who has years of medical training and life or death responsibility.
Also, it feels like there is a push in the industry to cut hair in a way that forces you back sooner, while simultaneously hiking prices. Are we just being squeezed because they can? Curious to hear if others are seeing this £20 standard becoming the norm.