What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Shampooer Occupational Licensing
License required in 33 states
47th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$124
What They Do
Shampooers shampoo and rinse customers’ hair.
Shampooer Licensing Overview
Thirty-three states (more than half of states) require a licence to work as a Shampooer. On average, these laws require $124 in fees, 207 days of education and about 2 exam. Shampooer Licenses have the 47th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied.
Where is a Shampooer the most regulated?
Out of the 33 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Shampooer has the highest burden in Iowa. Iowa requires $118 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 2100 clock hours education.
Where is a Shampooer the least regulated?
Out of the 33 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Shampooer has the lowest burden in Arkansas. Arkansas requires $10 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where is a Shampooer license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Shampooer costs the most in Wisconsin. Wisconsin requires $354 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 1000 clock hours education.
Where is a Shampooer license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Shampooer costs the least in Louisiana, Ohio where the license costs $0.
Where does it take the longest to obtain a Shampooer license?
An occupational license for a Shampooer takes the longest to obtain in Iowa. It takes 490 days (1 years and 5 days). Iowa requires $118 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 2100 clock hours education.
Where is it fastest to obtain a Shampooer license?
An occupational license for a Shampooer takes the least time to obtain in Alabama, Arkansas, Ohio, Oregon (0 days).
What states require exams for a Shampooer license?
To obtain an occupational license for a Shampooer there is at least one exam required in: California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Kansas, North Dakota, New Mexico, Vermont require 3 exams.
Thirty-seven states license shampooers. Seven of these states—Alabama, Louisiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia—issue a license specific to shampooers. In the other 30 states, shampooing is interpreted as falling under the scope of other licenses administered by barbering and cosmetology boards (see Appendix B for details). On average, aspiring shampooers must pay $130 in fees, complete 248 days of education and experience, and pass about two exams—the 45th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. Because many states license shampooers, the occupation ranks as the 32nd most widely and onerously licensed.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Alabama | 63 | $75 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Arkansas | 72 | $10 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | California | 75 | $50 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 17 |
| 15 | Colorado | 34 | $177 | 280 | 1200 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 9 | Delaware | 42 | $218 | 292 | 1250 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 11 | Hawaii | 64 | $182 | 292 | 1250 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 16 |
| 1 | Iowa | 71 | $118 | 490 | 2100 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 18 | Idaho | 66 | $186 | 210 | 900 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 17 |
| 10 | Kansas | 35 | $180 | 280 | 1200 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 16 |
| 3 | Kentucky | 38 | $200 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 31 | Louisiana | 77 | $0 | 9 | 40 clock hours | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | 50 | $170 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Michigan | 48 | $200 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | None | 2 | 9 | 17 |
| 7 | Mississippi | 65 | $100 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 0 |
| 13 | Montana | 32 | $269 | 257 | 1100 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 65 | $145 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 0 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 61 | $78 | 420 | 1800 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 17 |
| 19 | New Jersey | 54 | $90 | 210 | 900 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 66 | $150 | 280 | 1200 clock hours | None | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| 27 | Nevada | 75 | $115 | 12 | 50 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 16 |
| 25 | New York | 41 | $60 | 68 | 291 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 28 | Ohio | 40 | $0 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 10 | 16 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 42 | $60 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | None | 2 | 8 | 16 |
| 30 | Oregon | 69 | $65 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 70 | $100 | 280 | 1200 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 26 | South Carolina | 60 | $90 | 42 | None | 6 weeks | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| 8 | South Dakota | 32 | $100 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 24 | Texas | 38 | $172 | 70 | 300 clock hours | None | 2 | 7 | 16 |
| 29 | Utah | 64 | $68 | 0.30 | 2 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Vermont | 31 | $100 | 175 | 750 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 0 |
| 20 | Washington | 76 | $25 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 42 | $354 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 16 | Wyoming | 26 | $200 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 17 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
View Report