Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists pay in the United States

Goes furthest in South Dakota
·Personal Care and Service·
306k jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$17.21/hr median
305,710 employed
+8% to 2035
40% AI exposure
Postsecondary nondegree award
52 states reported
and more...

What this work is

Provide beauty services, such as cutting, coloring, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp. May shampoo hair, apply makeup, dress wigs, remove hair, and provide nail and skincare services.

Where the money actually goes furthest

Washington pays the highest headline figure at $59,510. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $55,611 — less than South Dakota, where $49,800 is worth $56,214.

Pay by state

52 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
South Dakota$23.94/hr$49,800$56,214$49,800690
Oregon$27.68/hr$57,580$55,708$53,0821,860
Washington$28.61/hr$59,510$55,611$59,5106,930
Vermont$23.39/hr$48,650$49,663$47,254440
District of Columbia$26.23/hr$54,570$49,654$52,371870
Maine$21.16/hr$44,000$45,337$42,270970
Connecticut$21.45/hr$44,620$43,065$42,8624,090
New Mexico$18.15/hr$37,750$40,939$36,9911,230
North Carolina$18.47/hr$38,410$40,718$37,3198,490
Iowa$17.17/hr$35,700$40,679$34,8982,930
Montana$18.27/hr$38,000$40,147$36,872690
Minnesota$18.83/hr$39,170$39,718$37,8545,320
North Dakota$16.76/hr$34,850$39,174$34,850870
Ohio$17.43/hr$36,260$39,085$35,97912,890
West Virginia$16.58/hr$34,480$38,525$33,4981,020
Wisconsin$17.42/hr$36,230$38,501$35,3506,260
Nebraska$16.50/hr$34,320$38,091$33,4201,890
Pennsylvania$17.69/hr$36,790$37,706$35,66019,350
Idaho$17.06/hr$35,480$37,155$34,3732,250
Colorado$18.12/hr$37,690$36,574$36,7086,820
Arizona$17.70/hr$36,810$36,561$36,2547,840
Michigan$16.74/hr$34,820$36,187$33,5788,970
South Carolina$16.20/hr$33,700$35,946$33,1933,570
Georgia$16.62/hr$34,560$35,891$33,3897,910
Utah$16.89/hr$35,140$35,545$33,5412,810
Massachusetts$17.93/hr$37,290$35,259$35,4259,600
Indiana$15.78/hr$32,830$35,176$31,8755,920
California$18.59/hr$38,660$34,916$37,95227,080
Maryland$17.51/hr$36,420$34,698$34,8705,860
Delaware$16.51/hr$34,350$34,415$33,0101,270
Tennessee$15.05/hr$31,310$34,080$31,3106,080
Illinois$16.37/hr$34,040$34,053$32,49213,190
Missouri$14.78/hr$30,750$33,858$30,1615,430
Nevada$16.27/hr$33,840$33,846$33,8401,940
Oklahoma$14.26/hr$29,650$33,754$28,7311,920
New Hampshire$16.66/hr$34,650$33,262$34,6501,950
New Jersey$17.38/hr$36,150$33,223$35,56715,500
Arkansas$13.86/hr$28,830$33,160$27,8821,410
New York$17.19/hr$35,760$33,135$34,39820,740
Kentucky$14.35/hr$29,840$33,096$28,7722,350
Kansas$14.28/hr$29,710$32,985$28,3402,190
Alabama$14.02/hr$29,150$32,819$27,8823,300
Hawaii$16.85/hr$35,040$31,869$33,729930
Mississippi$13.25/hr$27,560$31,696$26,4481,040
Texas$14.75/hr$30,680$31,609$30,68022,440
Wyoming$14.03/hr$29,170$31,470$29,170360
Alaska$15.46/hr$32,150$31,408$32,150330
Rhode Island$15.00/hr$31,200$30,504$30,4251,470
Louisiana$12.51/hr$26,030$29,509$25,6242,720
Florida$14.20/hr$29,530$28,556$29,53023,530
Guam$14.18/hr$29,500Not publishedNot published170
Puerto Rico$10.62/hr$22,090Not publishedNot published960

National median for comparison: $35,790. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$35,790/year

$17.21/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$21,840$77,620

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

40%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

The two methods broadly agree.

Method 1 — ability mix47%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content33%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by +8% between 2025 and 2035, with about 73,400 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs.
  • Schedule client appointments.
  • Bleach, dye, or tint hair, using applicator or brush.
  • Shampoo, rinse, condition, and dry hair and scalp or hairpieces with water, liquid soap, or other solutions.
  • Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type, and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors.
  • Update and maintain customer information records, such as beauty services provided.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Beyzanur K..