Average Hair Stylist Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Hair Stylist salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Hair Stylist Make in United States?

A Hair Stylist working in United States will typically earn around 44,900 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 21,700 USD to the highest average salary of 70,100 USD.

Average Annual Salary
44,900 USD
Average Monthly Salary
3,741 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
21,700 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,808 USD

Highest Annual Salary
70,100 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
5,841 USD

These are average salaries for a Hair Stylist in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Hair Stylist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Hair Stylist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Hair Stylist Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries a Hair Stylist will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Hair Stylist can earn between 21,700 USD and 70,100 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Hair Stylist in United States is 45,700 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 45,700 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 45,700 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Hair Stylist salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 29,200 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 29,200 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 58,500 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 58,500 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Hair Stylist Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average hair stylist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Hair Stylist in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 24,200 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Hair Stylist salary would increase to 33,600 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Hair Stylist, the average salary would be 45,200 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 54,200 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Hair Stylist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 58,600 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Hair Stylist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 67,000 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
24,200 USD
2-5 Years +42%
33,600 USD
5-10 Years +31%
45,200 USD
10-15 Years +23%
54,200 USD
15-20 Years +6%
58,600 USD
20+ Years +10%
67,000 USD

Hair Stylist Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Hair Stylist in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Hair Stylist in United States with a high school education can earn an average salary of 32,300 USD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Hair Stylist in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 58,200 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
32,300 USD
Certificate or Diploma +72%
58,200 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Hair Stylist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male hair stylist will earn an average of 42,800 USD, while a female hair stylist will earn around 44,500 USD.

This means that a male hair stylist earns approximately 4% less than a female hair stylist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
42,800 USD
Female +4%
44,500 USD

Hair Stylist Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Hair Stylist in United States is around 10% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 10 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Hair Stylist in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Hair Stylist Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Hair Stylist is a moderate bonus based job, with 57% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

43% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6%.

Received Bonus
57%
No Bonus
43%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Hair Stylist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Hair Stylist in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Aromatherapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 102,700 USD
Art Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 71,700 USD
Assistant Spa Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 79,800 USD
Beauty Advisor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 71,900 USD
Beauty Educator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 93,600 USD
Beauty Shop Coordinator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 51,600 USD
Beauty Specialist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 73,800 USD
Beauty Supply Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 128,200 USD
Beauty Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 80,200 USD
Cosmetic Sales Fitness / Hair / Beauty 37,900 USD
Cosmetologist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 66,000 USD
Day Spa Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 140,700 USD
Esthetician Fitness / Hair / Beauty 35,600 USD
Fitness and Wellness Coordinator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 81,600 USD
Fitness Instructor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 57,200 USD
Grooming Salon Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 117,100 USD
Hair Replacement Specialist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 114,300 USD
Health Coach Fitness / Hair / Beauty 99,900 USD
Health Educator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 115,600 USD
Manicurist and Pedicurist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 29,300 USD
Massage Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 54,100 USD
Masseur Fitness / Hair / Beauty 47,400 USD
Natural Remedy Consultant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 102,700 USD
Naturopath and Acupuncturist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 41,500 USD
Occupational Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 58,600 USD
Occupational Therapy Assistant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 48,600 USD
Physical Therapy Attendant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 43,500 USD
Recreational Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 56,600 USD
Salon Assistant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 46,100 USD
Salon Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 117,100 USD
Spa Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 137,100 USD
Spa Supervisor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 102,700 USD
Sport and Recreation Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 140,200 USD
Tattoo Artist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 35,500 USD
Weight Loss Consultant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 130,500 USD
Yoga Instructor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 83,200 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 41,000 USD
Austin 49,000 USD
Baltimore 42,500 USD
Boston 46,300 USD
Bristol 35,100 USD
Chicago 51,600 USD
Cincinnati 36,800 USD
Cleveland 40,900 USD
Dallas 50,700 USD
Denver 46,300 USD
Detroit 42,700 USD
Honolulu 36,000 USD
Houston 51,100 USD
Indianapolis 49,000 USD
Iowa City 34,000 USD
Jacksonville 45,400 USD
Kansas City 41,100 USD
Kent 36,600 USD
Las Vegas 40,200 USD
Long Beach 40,300 USD
Los Angeles 49,300 USD
Memphis 46,200 USD
Miami 41,000 USD
Minneapolis 38,000 USD
New Orleans 38,700 USD
New York 51,900 USD
Oakland 42,400 USD
Oklahoma City 45,000 USD
Orlando 39,500 USD
Philadelphia 49,700 USD
Phoenix 53,600 USD
Sacramento 42,800 USD
San Antonio 47,400 USD
San Diego 48,200 USD
San Francisco 44,500 USD
San Jose 49,400 USD
Seattle 46,000 USD
Tampa 36,200 USD
Vancouver 35,000 USD
Washington D.C. 45,700 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 45,000 USD
Alaska 39,800 USD
Arizona 45,600 USD
Arkansas 45,000 USD
California 50,000 USD
Colorado 42,700 USD
Connecticut 43,500 USD
Delaware 38,000 USD
District of Columbia 35,200 USD
Florida 47,400 USD
Georgia 47,500 USD
Hawaii 41,500 USD
Idaho 39,700 USD
Illinois 47,500 USD
Indiana 45,800 USD
Iowa 41,500 USD
Kansas 38,900 USD
Kentucky 44,700 USD
Louisiana 44,800 USD
Maine 39,100 USD
Maryland 45,000 USD
Massachusetts 45,000 USD
Michigan 50,800 USD
Minnesota 43,100 USD
Mississippi 41,900 USD
Missouri 45,900 USD
Montana 39,300 USD
Nebraska 38,700 USD
Nevada 44,800 USD
New Hampshire 38,000 USD
New Jersey 45,600 USD
New Mexico 43,500 USD
New York 46,700 USD
North Carolina 45,600 USD
North Dakota 39,800 USD
Ohio 47,500 USD
Oklahoma 46,400 USD
Oregon 44,900 USD
Pennsylvania 47,500 USD
Rhode Island 42,000 USD
South Carolina 45,300 USD
South Dakota 36,700 USD
Tennessee 47,800 USD
Texas 49,400 USD
Utah 38,700 USD
Vermont 39,600 USD
Virginia 45,600 USD
Washington 47,200 USD
West Virginia 41,000 USD
Wisconsin 45,200 USD
Wyoming 40,000 USD

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