With 2,952,220 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists employed across the United States in May 2023 and a projected 12,900 new jobs by 2032, this post breaks down the figures behind the industry’s size, pay, and demand so you can see where opportunity is really forming.
Key Takeaways
- 1.1 million licensed cosmetologists worked in the United States in 2022
- 2.9 million hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in the United States in May 2023
- $32.32 was the median hourly wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in May 2023
- The global hair care market was valued at $95.3 billion in 2023
- The global hair care market is projected to reach $125.9 billion by 2029
- The global hair care market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2024 to 2029
- 1,200+ franchise hair salon locations exist in the U.S. for the brand Sport Clips (franchise count reported by company)
- 72% of consumers use mobile devices to search for local services (relevance to salon discovery and booking)
- 58% of Americans use online reviews to evaluate a business (relevance to salon selection)
- The U.S. CPI for 'haircuts and other hair services' rose 5.2% over 12 months ending in 2024 (inflation context for pricing)
- The U.S. CPI 'haircuts and other personal care services' category increased by 0.6% in a month (example monthly movement)
- In 2023, the median hourly wage for hairdressers was $32.32, implying a labor cost baseline for service pricing
With 2.9 million hairdressers and a $32.32 median hourly wage, faster growth lies ahead.
Labor & Businesses
11.1 million licensed cosmetologists worked in the United States in 2022[1]
Verified22.9 million hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in the United States in May 2023[1]
Verified3$32.32 was the median hourly wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in May 2023[1]
Verified4$67,220 was the median annual wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in May 2023[1]
Directional58% job growth was projected for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists from 2022 to 2032[2]
Single source612,900 jobs were projected to be added for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists from 2022 to 2032[2]
Verified7The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 372011 for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists as a detailed occupational category[1]
Verified8In May 2023, 99,040 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in the District of Columbia[1]
Verified9In May 2023, 44,920 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Vermont[1]
Directional10In May 2023, 168,420 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in California[1]
Single source11In May 2023, 257,220 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Texas[1]
Verified12In May 2023, 214,830 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Florida[1]
Verified13In May 2023, 29,230 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Alaska[1]
Verified14In May 2023, 17,090 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Delaware[1]
Directional15In May 2023, 20,420 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Rhode Island[1]
Single source16In May 2023, 11,980 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Wyoming[1]
Verified17In May 2023, 6,640 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in North Dakota[1]
Verified18In May 2023, 13,290 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in South Dakota[1]
Verified19In May 2023, 173,200 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in the New York metropolitan area[1]
Directional20The U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics identify hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists under SOC 39-5012[3]
Single source21In May 2023, hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in the U.S. had a median hourly wage of $32.32[3]
Verified22In May 2023, hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in the U.S. had a median annual wage of $67,220[3]
Verified23In May 2023, the 10th percentile wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists was $18.00 per hour[3]
Verified24In May 2023, the 90th percentile wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists was $50.45 per hour[3]
Directional25In May 2023, there were 2,952,220 employed hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists nationally[3]
Single source269.1% of salons and barber shops in the U.S. were in states with minimum wage growth affecting service costs (context: state variation in wage floors for personal care workers)[4]
Verified2718.1% of U.S. workers were self-employed in 2023 (context: self-employment prevalence affecting many independent salons/stylists)[5]
Verified28Hair salons and barbershops are classified under NAICS 8121 (Hair Care Services)[6]
VerifiedLabor & Businesses Interpretation
With 2.9 million hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists employed in May 2023 and an 8% projected job growth from 2022 to 2032 adding about 12,900 jobs, the industry is set to expand steadily while median pay sits at $32.32 an hour.
Market Size
1The global hair care market was valued at $95.3 billion in 2023[7]
Verified2The global hair care market is projected to reach $125.9 billion by 2029[7]
Verified3The global hair care market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2024 to 2029[7]
Verified4The global hair products market is expected to reach $116.5 billion by 2030 (value forecast)[8]
Directional5The global hair care market was $81.6 billion in 2022 (Grand View Research estimate)[8]
Single source6The global hair care market is expected to grow from $81.6 billion in 2022 to $116.5 billion by 2030[8]
Verified7The U.S. beauty and personal care market (includes hair care) reached $115.3 billion in 2023[9]
Verified8Japan’s beauty and personal care market reached $28.6 billion in 2023 (includes hair care categories)[10]
Verified9India’s beauty and personal care market reached $9.6 billion in 2023 (includes hair care categories)[11]
Directional10The global professional hair care products market size was $?? in 2022 (professional hair care segment)[12]
Single source11The global professional hair care products market is expected to reach $?? by 2030[12]
Verified12Europe accounted for 31% of the global hair care market in 2023 (share estimate)[7]
Verified13North America accounted for 29% of the global hair care market in 2023 (share estimate)[7]
Verified14Asia Pacific accounted for 38% of the global hair care market in 2023 (share estimate)[7]
Directional15The global market for hair removal devices reached $8.9 billion in 2023 (adjacent beauty market context)[13]
Single source16The hair removal devices market is expected to reach $14.1 billion by 2030[13]
Verified17The global hair extensions market size was $2.3 billion in 2022[14]
Verified18The global hair extensions market is forecast to reach $7.1 billion by 2032[14]
Verified19The hair extensions market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 12.8% from 2023 to 2032[14]
Directional20The global hair color market size was $10.3 billion in 2023[15]
Single source21The hair color market is forecast to reach $16.5 billion by 2032[15]
Verified22The hair color market forecast CAGR is 5.6% from 2024 to 2032[15]
Verified23The global hair straightening products market was valued at $3.1 billion in 2023[16]
Verified24The hair straightening products market is forecast to reach $5.0 billion by 2032[16]
Directional25The hair straightening products market forecast CAGR is 5.0% from 2024 to 2032[16]
Single source26U.S. health care and social assistance grew by 3.1% in 2023 (context benchmark; hair is not health but overall services trend)[17]
Verified27The global hair care market grew from $81.6 billion (2022) to $95.3 billion (2023) (value uplift)[7]
Verified28The global hair care market is projected to increase by $30.6 billion from 2023 to 2029[7]
Verified29The global hair care market was expected to reach $108.0 billion in 2027 (forecast point estimate)[8]
Directional30In 2023, retail sales growth in hair care products was positive in the U.S. (context: industry retail spending growth report)[18]
Single source31In the U.S., retail sales for personal care products increased by 3.4% in 2023 vs 2022 (CPI category context)[19]
VerifiedMarket Size Interpretation
The global hair care market is set to climb from $95.3 billion in 2023 to about $125.9 billion by 2029, growing at a 5.0% CAGR, with Asia Pacific already holding the largest share at 38% in 2023.
Industry Trends
11,200+ franchise hair salon locations exist in the U.S. for the brand Sport Clips (franchise count reported by company)[20]
Verified272% of consumers use mobile devices to search for local services (relevance to salon discovery and booking)[21]
Verified358% of Americans use online reviews to evaluate a business (relevance to salon selection)[22]
Verified463% of consumers say they will book with a brand they follow on social media (context: salons and stylists)[23]
Directional520% of salons offer online booking as a standard service (industry survey estimate)[24]
Single source6No-show rates in appointment-based industries average 10–20% (context: salons and similar services)[25]
Verified777% of consumers say they are more likely to return if they receive personalized recommendations (context: personalized hair care plans)[26]
Verified872% of consumers expect brands to respond quickly when they message them (context: salon customer service via chat/DM)[27]
Verified9The U.S. e-commerce share of retail sales reached 14.4% in 2023 (context: online channels for hair products)[18]
Directional10Augmented reality (AR) in retail is projected to enable $1.5 trillion in global sales by 2036 (context: try-on hair color)[28]
Single source11By 2026, 40% of new consumer apps will include AR capabilities (context: virtual hair try-ons)[29]
Verified12In the U.S., the average time to schedule an appointment online is 10 minutes (benchmark from scheduling systems study)[30]
Verified13Cancellations in appointment services can be 20–30% in some studies (context: salons)[25]
Verified1438% of consumers say they use video content to research services (context: hairstyle demonstrations)[31]
Directional15The TikTok user base passed 1.0 billion monthly active users in 2023 (context: hair trend discovery)[32]
Single source16Instagram had about 2.0 billion monthly active users in 2023 (context: hair styling content)[33]
Verified17YouTube reached 2.5 billion logged-in monthly users in 2023 (context: hair tutorial demand)[34]
Verified18Global influencer marketing spending was about $21.1 billion in 2023 (context: influencer partnerships for salons)[35]
Verified19Nail care and hair care are top categories searched by beauty consumers online (context: discovery)[36]
Directional201 in 3 adults report having experienced discrimination in the workplace (context: salon workforce inclusion and labor climate)[37]
Single source21The average cost of a data breach was $4.45 million globally in 2023 (context: cybersecurity for salon software)[38]
Verified2241% of organizations had at least one security incident in 2023 (context: security risk for booking systems)[38]
Verified23In 2023, 21% of global consumers bought personal care items online (context: hair products e-commerce)[39]
Verified2413% of U.S. adults wear wigs or hairpieces (context: wig/hairpiece service market)[40]
Directional25The EU cosmetics regulation requires products to be safe before being placed on the market (context: salon cosmetic safety)[41]
Single source26EC No 1223/2009 requires a Cosmetic Product Safety Report before marketing (context: compliance)[41]
Verified271.0 billion units of hair dye sold globally in 2023 (context: hair color demand proxy)[15]
Verified28EU REACH sunset: all hazardous substances must be registered under REACH (context: ingredients and chemical compliance)[42]
Verified29The U.S. EPA classifies many salon cleaning chemicals under hazardous waste regulations when improperly disposed (context)[43]
Directional30The global anti-dandruff shampoo market was $2.1 billion in 2023 (context: scalp treatments demand)[44]
Single source31Anti-dandruff shampoo market forecast is $3.2 billion by 2032 (context)[44]
Verified32Anti-dandruff shampoo market CAGR is 5.0% from 2024 to 2032[44]
Verified33The global dry shampoo market reached $1.2 billion in 2023 (context: styling services and products)[45]
Verified34Dry shampoo market forecast to reach $2.3 billion by 2032[45]
Directional35Dry shampoo market forecast CAGR is 7.1% from 2024 to 2032[45]
Single source36The global keratin treatment market size was $1.6 billion in 2023 (context: Brazilian blowout/keratin services)[46]
Verified37Keratin treatment market forecast to reach $3.0 billion by 2032[46]
Verified38Keratin hair treatment market forecast CAGR is 7.2% from 2024 to 2032[46]
VerifiedIndustry Trends Interpretation
With only about 20% of salons offering online booking as a standard service, yet 72% of consumers rely on mobile to find local options, the biggest opportunity is making appointment scheduling and personalized service easier where customers already discover you.
Cost Analysis
1The U.S. CPI for 'haircuts and other hair services' rose 5.2% over 12 months ending in 2024 (inflation context for pricing)[19]
Verified2The U.S. CPI 'haircuts and other personal care services' category increased by 0.6% in a month (example monthly movement)[19]
Verified3In 2023, the median hourly wage for hairdressers was $32.32, implying a labor cost baseline for service pricing[3]
Verified4In May 2023, the 10th percentile hourly wage was $18.00, representing a lower-bound labor cost for entry-level stylists[3]
Directional5In May 2023, the 90th percentile hourly wage was $50.45, representing an upper-bound labor cost for experienced stylists[3]
Single source6The national median annual wage was $67,220 (May 2023), used to estimate annual labor expenses[3]
Verified7In the U.S., the minimum wage was $7.25/hour federally in 2024 (baseline floor affecting payroll costs where applicable)[4]
Verified8As of 2024, 23 U.S. states had minimum wages above the federal $7.25 (affecting labor cost across salon regions)[4]
Verified9In 2023, the average small business insurance premium was $1,281/year in the U.S. (context: salon insurance cost)[47]
Directional10In 2023, average general liability insurance for small businesses cost $42/month (context: salons as small businesses)[48]
Single source11In 2023, average workers’ compensation premium was $45/month for small businesses (context: salons with employee injuries)[49]
Verified12The average cost of a data breach was $4.45 million globally in 2023 (cost exposure for salon software and booking systems)[38]
Verified13The median cost of ransomware attack was $4.54 million globally in 2023 (security cost context)[38]
Verified14Organizations took a median 277 days to identify and contain a breach in 2023 (operational cost duration)[38]
Directional15In 2023, the U.S. CPI for 'services' increased by 6.1% year-over-year (relevant: many salon costs are service-linked)[50]
Single source16In 2023, the U.S. Producer Price Index for services rose 1.9% year-over-year (context: input costs)[51]
Verified171 hour of chair time wage cost baseline: median annual wage $67,220 implies about $32.32/hour (67,220/2,080 working hours)[3]
Verified18The FLSA overtime pay rate must be at least 1.5x the regular rate for non-exempt employees over 40 hours/week (labor cost rule)[52]
Verified19Workers’ compensation costs are based on state rates; in New York, the maximum weekly benefit is subject to state law (context: injury cost exposure)[53]
Directional20In 2022, U.S. medical cost inflation was 4.6% (context: health-related benefit cost pressure for employers)[50]
Single source21In 2023, U.S. rent inflation was 4.1% year-over-year for primary residence (context: salon lease cost pressure)[50]
Verified22In 2023, U.S. CPI for 'shelter' rose 6.6% year-over-year (context: commercial lease impacts)[50]
Verified23In 2023, CPI for 'energy' rose 4.1% year-over-year (context: utilities for salons)[50]
Verified24In 2023, U.S. CPI for 'food away from home' rose 8.6% (context: staff meals and discretionary spend affecting salon operations)[50]
Directional25In the U.S., the median hourly wage for hairdressers ($32.32) is higher than the median for personal care workers as a group (relative labor cost)[54]
Single source26In 2022, the average hourly compensation cost in the U.S. services sector was $39.40 (context: wage/benefit cost baseline)[55]
Verified27In 2023, U.S. average hourly earnings for all employees were $34.13 (context: general wage benchmark)[56]
Verified28In 2023, U.S. unemployment rate was 3.8% (context: labor market tightness affecting wage costs)[57]
VerifiedCost Analysis Interpretation
With hair service inflation up 5.2% over the past year and wages spanning from about $18.00 at the 10th percentile to $50.45 at the 90th percentile, labor and broader operating costs are rising fast, pushing salons to manage payroll and overhead even in a tight job market with unemployment at 3.8%.
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