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Hair Salons & Barber Shops
Great Clips, Supercuts, Sport Clips
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
This job is about shaping how people look and feel, one appointment at a time. Stylists have to combine taste, technique, and customer service while working with hair that behaves differently for every client. The tradeoff is clear: the work can be creative and social, but earnings are often modest unless you build a strong clientele and move into higher-end services.
Also known as Hair StylistHairstylistCosmetologistSalon StylistHair Designer
Median Salary
$35,250
Mean $43,460
U.S. Workforce
~295K
75.8K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+5.6%
575.2K to 607.4K
Entry Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists sits in the Creative category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~295K workers, with a median annual pay of $35,250 and roughly 75.8K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 575.2 K in 2024 to 607.4K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Cosmetology or hairstyling certificate, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Salon Assistant / Shampoo Technician and can progress toward Salon Manager / Booth Owner. High-value skills usually include Client Consultation & Style Analysis, Scissors, Clippers, Razors & Trimmers, and Hair Coloring, Bleach, Toner & Developer, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, and Service Orientation.
Core Responsibilities
- Talk with clients about the look they want and suggest cuts or styles that fit their hair type and face shape.
- Cut, trim, and shape hair with scissors, clippers, trimmers, or razors.
- Wash, curl, straighten, set, or otherwise style hair using heat tools and salon products.
- Apply color services such as bleach, dye, highlights, or toner while watching timing and hair condition.
Keep exploring: more Creative careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Talk with clients about the look they want and suggest cuts or styles that fit their hair type and face shape.
02 Cut, trim, and shape hair with scissors, clippers, trimmers, or razors.
03 Wash, curl, straighten, set, or otherwise style hair using heat tools and salon products.
04 Apply color services such as bleach, dye, highlights, or toner while watching timing and hair condition.
05 Keep work areas, combs, scissors, and other tools clean and sanitized between appointments.
06 Recommend hair care products, ring up purchases, and take payment at the register.
Industries That Hire
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Beauty Retail & Cosmetics
Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Sally Beauty
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Spas & Wellness Centers
Massage Envy, Hand & Stone, Woodhouse Spa
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Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines
Marriott, Hilton, Royal Caribbean
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Film, TV & Theater
Disney, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can usually get started with a postsecondary nondegree award, and the job does not require prior work experience or on-the-job training.
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There are steady openings: employment is projected to rise by 5.6% from 2024 to 2034, with 75.8K annual openings.
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The work is hands-on and creative, so you get immediate feedback when a cut, color, or style transformation works.
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Styling can happen in salons, resorts, retail stores, or booth-rental setups, which gives you some choice in how and where you work.
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A strong client base can push earnings above the $35,250 median, especially when tips, commissions, or higher-end services are part of the job.
Challenges
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Pay is not especially high for the training involved: the median annual wage is $35,250 and the mean is $43,460.
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The field is growing, but only moderately, so it is not a fast-expanding career with lots of automatic upward movement.
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Income can be uneven because it depends on tips, cancellations, local foot traffic, and how full your books are.
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The work is physically demanding, with long periods on your feet, repetitive hand motions, and regular exposure to dyes, heat, and cleaning chemicals.
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There is a real career ceiling for many stylists: moving up often means becoming a manager or owner instead of doing the hands-on work you may actually enjoy.
Career Progression
Salon Assistant / Shampoo Technician
0-2 years
$26K-$31K
You help with washing, setup, cleanup, and basic client flow while learning how appointments and service routines work.
Hairdresser / Hairstylist / Cosmetologist
2-5 years
$32K-$40K
You handle regular cuts, color, styling, and product recommendations, and your income starts to depend on how well you keep clients coming back.
Senior Stylist / Color Specialist THIS ROLE
5-10 years
$41K-$54K
You take on harder color corrections, special-event styling, and loyal clients who want more customized work.
Salon Manager / Booth Owner
10+ years
$55K-$80K
You may run a salon, manage staff or booth rental, and still take clients while also handling scheduling, sales, and business decisions.
Education Paths
Cosmetology or hairstyling certificate
The most common path, held by 78.97% of workers in this role, is a post-secondary certificate or similar cosmetology program that prepares you for state licensing.
High school diploma plus cosmetology school
A sizable alternative, held by 20.93% of workers, starts with a high school diploma and then adds a cosmetology program and license.
State cosmetology license after a vocational program
Another realistic route is a short vocational cosmetology program followed by the state licensing exam, which is the credential most employers expect.
Key Skills
Technical
Client Consultation & Style Analysis 78%
Scissors, Clippers, Razors & Trimmers 75%
Hair Coloring, Bleach, Toner & Developer 72%
Blow Dryers, Flat Irons, Curling Irons & Hot Tools 68%
Salon Sanitation, Disinfection & Tool Sterilization 65%
Square Appointments, Fresha & Vagaro Scheduling Systems 60%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningSpeakingService OrientationCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingSocial Perceptiveness Job Outlook and Trends
+5.6%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
75.8K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 575.2K to 607.4 K over the next decade, representing 5.6% growth. Around 75.8 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.