Do hairstylists make good money? Yes, indeed! Achieving a six-figure income as a hairstylist is entirely possible with hard work, dedication, and a strategic approach to your career. At money-central.com, we understand the dedication it takes, and we’re here to guide you through the financial strategies and insights you need to succeed.
1. How Can a Hairstylist Build a Successful Career?
Becoming a hairstylist won’t make you rich overnight, but exceeding $100,000 annually is achievable for those passionate about beauty. It requires dedication and a professional approach, regardless of your chosen career path. If you’re already in the industry and not near a six-figure income, you need to reassess your work strategy. Those starting out must prove themselves. Approaching your career professionally is essential.
The great news is that earning $100k doesn’t require working 60+ hours each week. Instead, it entails progressively developing business areas that yield the highest returns.
2. What Should Hairstylists Know About Managing Their Business?
You don’t have to own a salon, but you need to treat your profession like a business. This means knowing your numbers.
Your annual income as a stylist depends on four key figures:
- Average Service Ticket per Visit: How much does each client spend per visit?
- Your Percentage of that Service: What’s your commission percentage, or what percentage remains after paying for rent, products, and other expenses if you rent a chair?
- Client Visit Frequency: How often do clients visit you on average?
- Number of Clients: Current clients plus new clients minus churn (lost clients).
3. How Can a Hairstylist Set a $100K Income Goal?
There are many ways to target $100k as a stylist, but some numbers make it easier. Let’s examine one path to $100K that falls within that sweet spot and break it down.
The Sweet Spot Numbers:
- $120 Average Service Ticket
- 45% commission (net revenue for booth renters)
- 20% tips
- 25 client services/week
These figures are realistic, not rigid requirements. Each influences the other, so you can compensate for deficiencies in one area by improving another. Let’s break it down:
A $120 average service ticket could mean a $40 haircut and an $80 base color. At a mid-to-upper-tier salon, your average ticket could be higher.
A 45% commission/margin means you’re working on commission, and while every salon is different, commissions usually fall in the 40-50% range and are often tiered based on revenue. If renting a chair/booth, ensure all rental-related costs are 55% or less of your revenue.
Getting 20% in tips is high but maintainable with excellent service. The industry average is 15-20%.
Twenty-five client services/week is achievable. This means five clients daily if you work five days a week, or roughly six clients if you work four days.
What Do These Numbers Produce?
Twenty-five services a week at $120 averages $600 in-salon revenue daily, $3000 weekly, or $150K annually, assuming two weeks’ vacation.
At 45% commission, your cut of $150K is $67,500 annually ($150,000 * 0.45).
Add tips: 20% of $150K is $30,000 annually.
Together, this totals $97,500 annually. Round up to $100K by educating clients on products and using your product sales commission (typically around 20%).
Note: These figures don’t account for state or federal taxes and may not reflect your exact net salary.
Additional Paths to $100K as a Stylist
$100,386/year before product sales
- $130 Avg. Service Ticket
- 40% Commission
- 15% Tips
- 28 Services/Week (165 total clients with a 6-week visit frequency)
$114,103/year before product sales
- $160 Avg. Service Ticket
- 48% Commission
- 16% Tips
- 22 Services/Week (150 total clients with a 7-week visit frequency)
$104,780/year before product sales
- $100 Avg. Service Ticket
- 60% Margin (likely a chair rental)
- 18% Tips
- 27 Services/Week (155 total clients with a 6-week visit frequency)
$140,400/year before product sales
- $180 Avg. Service Ticket
- 60% Margin (likely a chair rental)
- 12% Tips
- 22 Services/Week (~125 total clients with a 6-week visit frequency)
Hairstylist Income Calculator
We will examine several scenarios to illustrate how stylists can reach $100K. Feel free to experiment with these numbers or use your own figures using the stylist income calculator below.
Please note that the scenarios below are made up and don’t reflect the average student at JD Academy of Salon + Spa.
4. How Can a Stylist Like Stephanie Double Her Income?
Let’s consider Stephanie, who graduated from cosmetology school four years ago. After working as a stylist’s assistant for a year and a half at a mid-to-upper-tier salon, she has spent the last two years building a repeat client base and handling overflow walk-in customers.
Stephanie currently averages about four services per day, five days a week, totaling about 125 active clients who visit approximately seven times per year.
While the salon’s average transaction is $140, Stephanie, as a junior stylist, averages closer to $100 per visit and does not perform as many high-dollar color services as other stylists. She is paid on a 40% service commission structure and averages 15% in tips.
Stephanie earned roughly $48,000 last year, not including the 20% commission on product sales, adding another $2,000 for a total of $50,000.
How can Stephanie double her business in two years?
She needs more clients.
She should aim for six services per day, requiring about 75 new clients, bringing her total to 200. While this sounds daunting, it’s possible through social media, referrals, and networking. Even having business cards can open doors.
Reaching 200 clients takes time; this is a two-year plan. Stephanie is already taking walk-ins, which can turn into repeat clients (first-time-client retention). Getting to six services a day increases her income to $77K per year.
She needs to increase her average service price.
As with most professions, the more you practice, the better your skills. Stephanie should focus on higher-priced services like coloring, which will help her move up from her junior role and build client trust.
She should take advanced classes to learn new color techniques and work with senior stylists. For example, a typical Balayage service in The Bay Area costs between $175 and $250. Such services will increase her average service ticket.
Minimizing client turnover, increasing tips, and improving commission rates
By building client relationships, she will improve retention, minimize turnover, and increase her tip percentage. At 20% in tips, she’ll surpass $100K.
Stephanie should discuss a tiered commission structure with the salon owner, potentially increasing her commissions by hitting revenue goals. A 5% increase could put her above $100K.
She should also pre-book every client for six weeks out.
There isn’t one path for Stephanie to reach $100K. Each income driver plays off the others, so she can compensate for a shortfall in tip percentage by increasing her average service ticket. If she can increase client frequency to every six weeks, she will only need 160 clients.
5. How Can Stylists Achieve Efficiency in Their Career?
The Significance of Your Salon
The salon significantly impacts your income. The easiest way to reach $100K is to join an established salon that offers high-priced services.
Early in your career, consider a stylist’s assistant role. You’ll earn less short-term, but your path to $100K will be shorter. Paying your dues is worth it.
Don’t remain “comfortable”. Applying at a salon with a higher base makes hitting $100K easier. Starting at a new salon is daunting when you’ve built a client base, but rebuilding at a high-end salon is easier than raising your average service ticket at a low-end one.
The Importance of Your Pay Structure
You likely won’t earn $100K as an hourly employee at a volume-based salon chain, even a high-end one. If you generate enough revenue for the owner to justify a $100K+ salary, you’re losing money by not taking a percentage.
This leads to the decision between a commission-based role and a chair/booth rental model. Which is best?
Early in your career, a commission at an established salon lets you leverage their resources. It’s easier to grow your client base using their marketing, walk-in traffic, and name recognition. You’ll also learn from experienced stylists and avoid business complexities like product ordering and taxes. It’s nearly impossible to profit from a chair/booth rental when starting out.
However, renting a chair/booth can become more profitable. There are many costs beyond rent: products, marketing, insurance, accounting, and taxes. Once you have the client base and experience to manage it, your margin (revenue minus costs) will be higher than the typical 40-50% commission. This makes hitting those other numbers easier.
The commission vs. booth rental discussion involves maximizing your take-home revenue. On the commission side, it’s about your percentage. On the chair rental side, it’s about your margins (revenue minus costs).
6. What Advantages Do Hairstylists Have?
Here are several factors working in your favor as you aim for $100K+:
Strong Customer Loyalty
Most new clients become long-term clients. Once you find a stylist you like, you stick with them. Finding a new hairdresser is difficult.
Accumulative Income Growth
Low churn (when clients go elsewhere) means every new client results in accumulative income growth. Bringing in a new client is like giving yourself a raise.
Idle Time
Most clients come in for color, which takes time. As you gain experience, you can work with multiple clients simultaneously. With a stylist’s assistant, you can manage several clients at once, balancing personal relationships and productivity.
7. What Are Some Actionable Tips to Reach $100K as a Stylist?
1. Track Your Numbers.
Know your net clients, average spending per visit, and how often they visit for services.
Develop your own tracking system, independent of the salon. If you’re on a commission-based plan, don’t rely on the POS system alone.
2. Set SMART Goals and Build a Two-Year Plan.
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
- Specific: “I need to make $100K or more” or “I need more clients” isn’t specific. Instead, say, “I need to average 3-4 new clients each month and keep my client churn rate below 20%.”
- Measurable: Know what numbers you must hit to reach your goals and have processes to track progress.
- Attainable: If you work part-time in a small market, don’t aim for 250 clients with a $200 average service ticket. Start smaller. If you currently make $30K/year, aim for $60K in two years.
- Relevant: If you balance family, kids, and social life, it may not be relevant to run 400 clients and be Instagram famous. Increasing your per-visit product sale average from $5 to $10 may only raise your income by $1,400/year. If your goal is to increase income by $50K, find more relevant goals.
- Timely: Set specific milestones. Aim to double your income in two years, but break it down into granular timelines. For example, for “75 new clients in 2 years,” add 3-4 clients every 30 days. Create accountability for your goals.
3. Take Advanced Classes Seriously.
Never stop learning. Expand your skills, keep up with trends, and fill in gaps. Mastering high-dollar color services makes hitting $100K easier.
4. Method for Storing Client Details
With 200+ clients, you can’t remember all the details that make relationships meaningful.
Spend two minutes after each client to note what you talked about: hair preferences, personal details, etc. Remembering small details keeps clients coming back. Have a process in place, preferably one not reliant on the salon’s POS/CRM platform. Hubspot offers a free CRM platform perfect for this.
5. Carry Business Cards
Keep business cards with you. Next time you’re out, compliment a stranger’s hair and offer a card. Even if it doesn’t turn into new business, you brighten someone’s day.
6. Time Your Services
How long do your haircuts, shampoos, and drys take? How long does Sue’s root touch-up developer take?
Great hair takes time, but much of that time is idle. Most stylists making over $100K/year double book, replacing non-revenue-generating idle time with productive time. Cut Jen’s hair while Sue’s color develops.
Knowing exactly how long everything takes allows you to do this well without sacrificing client relationships or quality.
7. Dress for the Job You Want
Dress and present yourself as a $100K hairstylist.
8. Raise Your Pricing
Businesses need to balance getting paid what they’re worth and not alienating clients.
At a minimum, account for inflation. If you don’t raise prices regularly, you’re going backward. With experience, you deserve more compensation.
9. Take Social Media Seriously
Your social media reflects you. If you share personal accounts professionally, keep it classy. If not, create separate professional accounts and limit public visibility on personal accounts.
Actively showcase your work, posting before and after pictures. Use good lighting, a decent background, and the best camera.
This provides a digital portfolio of your best work for potential clients and salons.
10. Avoid Getting Overly Comfortable
If you’re not getting paid what you’re worth or have no path to $100K, it’s time for a serious discussion.
Are you slacking on social media because you’re comfortable with $50K? Reaching six figures means staying hungry; comfort leads to career plateaus.
8. What is the Key Takeaway?
You won’t earn $100K right out of school, but with a professional approach, you can achieve your dreams.
The numbers discussed (200 clients, $120 average service ticket, 45%+ commission/margin, and 20% tips) are attainable. Show up and go after it.
At money-central.com, we’re committed to helping you manage your finances effectively and achieve your financial goals. Whether you’re looking to create a budget, explore investment options, or get advice on debt management, our resources are designed to provide clear, actionable guidance.
9. How Can I Contact Money-Central.com for More Information?
For further information on how to enhance your financial situation, please visit our website or contact us directly:
- Address: 44 West Fourth Street, New York, NY 10012, United States
- Phone: +1 (212) 998-0000
- Website: money-central.com
Explore our articles, use our financial tools, and seek expert advice to take control of your financial future and reach your professional milestones.
10. Ready to Begin?
Are you passionate about beauty? Enroll in beauty school to start your journey. Schedule a JD Academy of Salon + Spa tour in Danville, California, to learn about their offerings and begin your application process. Fill out their contact form or call them at (925) 855-5551.
FAQ: Do Hairstylists Make Good Money?
1. Is it really possible to make a six-figure income as a hairstylist?
Yes, it’s achievable through dedication, strategic planning, and a focus on key business metrics.
2. What are the most important factors that determine a hairstylist’s income?
Average service ticket, commission percentage, client visit frequency, and the number of clients are key.
3. How can a hairstylist increase their average service ticket?
By offering higher-priced services like advanced coloring techniques and building expertise in specialized treatments.
4. Is it better to work on commission or rent a chair/booth as a hairstylist?
It depends on your career stage. Commission-based roles are good for beginners, while chair/booth rentals can be more profitable for experienced stylists with a solid client base.
5. How important is customer loyalty in the hairstyling industry?
Very important. Strong customer loyalty leads to stable, accumulative income growth.
6. What role does social media play in a hairstylist’s success?
Social media serves as a digital portfolio, showcasing your work and attracting potential clients.
7. How often should a hairstylist raise their prices?
Regularly, to account for inflation and increased experience.
8. What are some actionable tips for hairstylists to increase their income?
Track your numbers, set SMART goals, take advanced classes, and focus on building strong client relationships.
9. How can continuing education benefit a hairstylist’s career?
Continuing education helps hairstylists expand their skills, stay current with trends, and offer higher-priced services.
10. Is location a factor in determining a hairstylist’s earning potential?
Yes, working in a high-end salon in a prosperous area can significantly increase your earning potential.
