How much money does a hairdresser make?

If you’re thinking of a career in the hairdressing industry, then understanding your earning potential will probably be something on your mind.

It’s a creative, exciting and in-demand industry, but you need to know that you can support yourself through your work too.

Here’s our professional guide to how much money a hairdresser can make, so you can start planning out your next steps.

Why choose a career in hairdressing?

People choose a career in hairdressing for many different reasons. For some people, it’s their passion for hair, beauty and creativity. For others, it’s the lure of a practical, hands-on career where you meet new people every day and get to interact with them.

For others it’s down to demand—there’s always demand for hair and beauty services in the UK and further afield—and a desire to work in a busy, people-focused environment. There’s always new treatments and services that rise in popularity, so the demand just keeps going.

Others love the flexibility and opportunity that can come with a hairdressing career.

There’s plenty of opportunity to work for yourself, a salon or a little bit of both. There are also progression opportunities as you can specialise, open your own hair salon or take on opportunities on location.

There are always experiences, skills to learn and clients to work with in the hairdressing industry, so most days are never the same (if that’s what you want)

What affects a hairdresser's income?

When you start to look into hairdresser’s salaries, you might find some variety in what the average pay for a hairdresser is. There are some factors that can affect how much you earn as a hairdresser, including:

• skillset and areas of expertise
• hours worked
• whether you’re employed or self-employed
• location
• environment (ie whether you work in a high street salon, fashion, film and tv, mobile or in education)
• the type of clients you have

It’s also worth noting that the income of a hairdresser can come from different sources than just the direct client/hairdresser relationship.

You might sell products in addition to carrying out hairdressing services, work as an influencer, do some freelance alongside your day job in a salon or be sponsored by a brand. 

These are all things to take into consideration when you’re thinking about your income. Let’s take a closer look the areas that can affect a hairdresser’s income in more detail:

Skillset and areas of expertise

The amount of experience, expertise and the area of hairdressing you work in all have an impact on how much you can potentially earn in the hairdressing industry. The same goes for qualifications and training. If you’re training to offer a service and consistently deliver amazing results then it stands to reason that you’ll be in demand. 

More expensive, specialist hair treatments—such as hair extensions, semi-permanent straightening or complex colours services—often mean that you can charge a premium for the services you offer. However, it’s worth remembering that you usually need to invest in training and specialist equipment to offer certain types of treatment.

It’s also worth noting that a senior stylist will usually earn more than a junior stylist, especially since apprenticeships are so common as a route in the industry.  

Hours worked

It stands to reason that the number of hours you work will make a difference to how much you earn as a hairdresser. It’s a wonderfully flexible industry that can offer all types of work environments, shift patterns and hours but the hours you work will have an impact on your earnings. 

Even if you earn exactly the same as someone at an hourly rate, if you work less hours than them, you’ll automatically earn less than them. For some people, they prefer a work/life balance or they have other commitments that they want to pursue over working extra hours to make money. Around 52% of those in the hair and beauty industry work part time, according to the NHBF.

Whether you’re employed or self employed

Being employed or self-employed can make a difference to how much you earn, but it’s not always that clear cut to work out which is “better”.

Rather than your type of employment, it really does depend on the individual and their circumstances—and some hairdressers prefer one or the other for different reasons. 

If you’re employed, you might earn a lower salary but you also won’t need to work out or pay your own taxes and you’ll get benefits like sick pay, supplies and a pension (if you choose to opt in). It can also make getting clients a little more straightforward. However, you’ll have to act and operate in accordance with the rules of the business when it comes to products, client management and salon hours.

Being self-employed can mean being more flexible when it comes to your working hours, locations and clients—which can be important for some hairdressers. Plus, you get to make your own decisions on the products you use and the services that you offer. You do however have to manage your own marketing, clients, finances and taxes, along with the potential of your earnings fluctuating when you’re self-employed.

Location

Where you work in the UK can make a big difference to how you earn. As a rule, you’ll usually earn more based in a big city than in a rural location (though there will be exceptions). This is down to location-based expectations on the pricing of services, income levels in an area and the type of clients you might have in a location.

According to salary data from job website Indeed, there’s a huge difference between cities. The highest paying city on the list earns almost double compared to the lowest paying city on the list. And there’s a salary difference of over £17,000 between the highest paying at the next on the list. This is all generated from self-reported salary data on the list.

Environment 

As well as location, the environment you work in will make a difference. Some areas of hairdressing are more competitive than others, which can either mean that some stylists are willing to undercut (see what we did there) on price or that only the most skilled stylists make it, and they can charge a premium for their expertise and skills.

Other environments, such as cruise liners, might not offer the best pay but certain living expenses will be covered and you’ll have the opportunity to travel and experience other countries. 

The type of clients you have

This is linked to location a little but is also a little bit chicken and egg. If you work in a more affluent area, or an area that’s populated with celebrities and influencers, it can be easier to charge a premium and gain recognition based on your personal brand and the profile of your clients. This can then make it easier to get those types of clients who are generally willing to pay more for hairdressing services.

However, it can sometimes be the other way around and because you excel at what you do, clients who are willing to pay a premium will seek you out. They may even travel, or pay for you to travel with them. Think about celebrities who regularly fly out their favourite hair stylists when they want to look their best. If budget isn’t an issue for your clients, and they love your services, they’ll keep booking in with you.

Where do hairdressers earn the most in the UK?

Going back to the earlier point about location, according to data from Indeed, these are the cities in the UK where you’ll earn the most as a hairdresser:

1. Manchester
2. London
3. Liverpool
4. Belfast
5. Birmingham
6. Wigan
7. Woking
8. Basingstoke
9. Nottingham

This list has been compiled based on self-reported salaries, and is unlikely to take into account the earnings of self-employed hair stylists.

Around 53% of those working in the hair and beauty industry are self-employed according to NHBF, so this is pretty significant and could completely change the cities where hairdressers earn the most.

 There will also be exceptions to the rule, so every stylist living in Manchester, London or Liverpool won’t necessarily be earning the maximum amount as a hairdresser. The opposite can also be true—there will be some amazing hair stylists that aren’t based in major cities who are also earning above the average.

How much do hairdressers earn?

According to the National Careers Service, on average a hairdresser will earn between £14,000 to £30,000 for a full-time working week of 37 to 40 hours. This might include evening and weekend work, along with some flexibility in your rota.

Here’s how that breaks down within the hair and beauty industry, according to data from Talent:

Role	Average salary
Salon Stylist	£26,325
Barber	£26,000
Salon Manager	£26,000
Hairdresser	£25,487
Hair stylist	£25,000
Stylist	£25,000
Beautician	£24,000
Beauty Therapist	£23,398
Beauty Advisor	£23,025
Stylist Assistant	£22,000

This shows that there can definitely be some variety in salary in the hair and beauty industry, depending on role, experience and career pathways. There are also opportunities to make a real name or niche for yourself within the industry. 

Freelance (usually self-employed) hair stylists can earn £15-50 per hour on average, according to the Freelancer Club. They also suggest that when renting a chair, a freelance stylist may charge their time at a higher rate of £40-80 per hour. They also go on to say that a hair stylist on a film set for example, might charge a day rate of £200-£300. 

High profile freelance hairdressers can charge a premium for their services and earn significantly more. In the US, some celebrity hair stylists earn over $100,000, and that’s certainly achievable for some in the industry.

Some stylists offer a flat rate for their clients, others charge hourly and newer hairdressers—or those in need of some new clients—might temporarily discount their services to build up their client base.

New to the industry and wondering how to become a hairdresser? Check out our tips for becoming a hairdresser blog for plenty of info on how to enter this exciting industry.

Protecting your income as a hairdresser

There are definitely some things to consider when it comes to protecting your income as a hairdresser.

Making mistakes, time off sick or unexpected circumstances can seriously affect your earnings, whether you’re self-employed or employed.

We touched on it earlier, but there are also some other ways that hair stylists can increase their earning potential, outside of working with clients. This is useful if you’re unable to work on clients for a period of time, you want to stay in the industry or change what you’re doing for a little while.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways to protect, diversify or maximise how much you make as a hairdresser:

Salon owner

You could move away from client work and move into salon ownership instead. For some, this is a great way to stay in the industry but not directly be carrying out creative services. Others will do both and work on clients in the salon they own whilst also hiring out space to other hairdressers to work. According to Glassdoor, salon owners can earn £43,568 a year on average.

Upselling services

This is one for if you’re still going to stay working on clients.

Upselling treatments and services are a great way to provide your clients with amazing services whilst maximising your earning potential. It might be adding a deep conditioning or bond building treatment alongside a heavy bleaching treatment or selling in a toner to a hair colour. If you do this for as many of your clients as possible it all adds up.

Education and training

Teaching the next generation of hairdressers can be a great way to stay inspired, pass on your skills and earn extra money with regular hours. It also means that you’re still involved in the industry, sharing creative ideas and getting hands-on, so you can do what you love while helping others to love it too.

Setting up a brand

You have the expertise, knowledge and experience to know the products that work and are in demand. We’re not saying it’s easy to launch your own hair brand or business (far from it), but if you’re willing to put in the work you can build up another income stream that doesn’t rely on you working on clients. You never know—it might overtake what you earn in the salon!

Retailing products

A little like upselling, retailing products to your clients can all add up.

Selling a purple shampoo and conditioner to a newly-blonde client to maintain their colour not only benefits them and their hair, it can enhance your bank balance too. If you do this with the majority of your clients, you can make sure they’re taking care of their hair and getting the right advice on products.

Influencing and brand partnerships

Being a social media influencer is big in beauty, with some huge hairdressing influencers making serious money.

Making content to share with others—either professionals or a client audience—can help build your reputation, make money and gain clients. Win, win, win. 

It can also lead to lucrative brand partnerships who may provide you with products or a financial incentive to share details of theirs. Make sure you understand the law about this, as the ASA can sometimes be strict with influencers who break the rules.

 

Specialist hairdressers insurance through Ripe 

If you’re becoming a freelance or mobile hairstylist, you may want to consider specialist hairdressers insurance to protect yourself against the worst-case scenarios.

Insurance arranged by Ripe includes up to £10m of Public and Products Liability cover, and up to £5m Treatment Risk cover as standard, so you’re protected against third-party claims for injury or property damage.

You can also opt to include cover for your equipment up to the value of £250k, so you don’t have to replace it out of your own pocket if it’s damaged or stolen.

Find out more about how we can help here, or get an instant online quote today.