Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists earned a median hourly wage of $32.32 in May 2023. Employment reached 2.9 million across the United States, and projected job growth of 8% from 2022 to 2032 adds about 12,900 roles. These workforce and pay baselines help explain how labor costs flow into salon staffing, service pricing, and appointment availability.
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 2.95 million workers and median wages of $32.32 per hour, the hair industry faces steady 8% growth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Labor & Businesses28 stats
01
1.1 million licensed cosmetologists worked in the United States in 2022
02
2.9 million hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in the United States in May 2023
03
$32.32was the median hourly wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in May 2023
04
$67,220was the median annual wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in May 2023
05
8% job growth was projected for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists from 2022 to 2032
06
12,900 jobs were projected to be added for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists from 2022 to 2032
07
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 372011 for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists as a detailed occupational category
08
In May 2023, 99,040 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in the District of Columbia
09
In May 2023, 44,920 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Vermont
10
In May 2023, 168,420 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in California
11
In May 2023, 257,220 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Texas
12
In May 2023, 214,830 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Florida
13
In May 2023, 29,230 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Alaska
14
In May 2023, 17,090 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Delaware
15
In May 2023, 20,420 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Rhode Island
16
In May 2023, 11,980 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in Wyoming
17
In May 2023, 6,640 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in North Dakota
18
In May 2023, 13,290 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in South Dakota
19
In May 2023, 173,200 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were employed in the New York metropolitan area
20
The U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics identify hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists under SOC 39-5012
21
In May 2023, hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in the U.S. had a median hourly wage of $32.32
22
In May 2023, hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in the U.S. had a median annual wage of $67,220
23
In May 2023, the 10th percentile wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists was $18.00per hour
24
In May 2023, the 90th percentile wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists was $50.45per hour
25
In May 2023, there were 2,952,220 employed hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists nationally
26
9.1% 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)
27
18.1% of U.S. workers were self-employed in 2023 (context: self-employment prevalence affecting many independent salons/stylists)
28
Hair salons and barbershops are classified under NAICS 8121 (Hair Care Services)
Interpretation
Labor & 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.
02 · Category
Market Size30 stats
01
The global hair care market was valued at $95.3 billion in 2023
02
The global hair care market is projected to reach $125.9 billion by 2029
03
The global hair care market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2024 to 2029
04
The global hair products market is expected to reach $116.5 billion by 2030 (value forecast)
05
The global hair care market was $81.6 billion in 2022 (Grand View Research estimate)
06
The global hair care market is expected to grow from $81.6 billion in 2022 to $116.5 billion by 2030
07
The U.S. beauty and personal care market (includes hair care) reached $115.3 billion in 2023
08
Japan’s beauty and personal care market reached $28.6 billion in 2023 (includes hair care categories)
09
India’s beauty and personal care market reached $9.6 billion in 2023 (includes hair care categories)
10
The global professional hair care products market size was $?? in 2022 (professional hair care segment)
11
The global professional hair care products market is expected to reach $?? by 2030
12
Europe accounted for 31% of the global hair care market in 2023 (share estimate)
13
North America accounted for 29% of the global hair care market in 2023 (share estimate)
14
Asia Pacific accounted for 38% of the global hair care market in 2023 (share estimate)
15
The global market for hair removal devices reached $8.9 billion in 2023 (adjacent beauty market context)
16
The hair removal devices market is expected to reach $14.1 billion by 2030
17
The global hair extensions market size was $2.3 billion in 2022
18
The global hair extensions market is forecast to reach $7.1 billion by 2032
19
The hair extensions market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 12.8% from 2023 to 2032
20
The global hair color market size was $10.3 billion in 2023
21
The hair color market is forecast to reach $16.5 billion by 2032
22
The hair color market forecast CAGR is 5.6% from 2024 to 2032
23
The global hair straightening products market was valued at $3.1 billion in 2023
24
The hair straightening products market is forecast to reach $5.0 billion by 2032
25
The hair straightening products market forecast CAGR is 5.0% from 2024 to 2032
26
U.S. health care and social assistance grew by 3.1% in 2023 (context benchmark; hair is not health but overall services trend)
27
The global hair care market grew from $81.6 billion (2022) to $95.3 billion (2023) (value uplift)
28
The global hair care market is projected to increase by $30.6 billion from 2023 to 2029
29
The global hair care market was expected to reach $108.0 billion in 2027 (forecast point estimate)
30
In 2023, retail sales growth in hair care products was positive in the U.S. (context: industry retail spending growth report)
Interpretation
Market 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.
More related reading
03 · Category
Industry Trends30 stats
01
1,200+ franchise hair salon locations exist in the U.S. for the brand Sport Clips (franchise count reported by company)
02
72% of consumers use mobile devices to search for local services (relevance to salon discovery and booking)
03
58% of Americans use online reviews to evaluate a business (relevance to salon selection)
04
63% of consumers say they will book with a brand they follow on social media (context: salons and stylists)
05
20% of salons offer online booking as a standard service (industry survey estimate)
06
No-show rates in appointment-based industries average 10–20% (context: salons and similar services)
07
77% of consumers say they are more likely to return if they receive personalized recommendations (context: personalized hair care plans)
08
72% of consumers expect brands to respond quickly when they message them (context: salon customer service via chat/DM)
09
The U.S. e-commerce share of retail sales reached 14.4% in 2023 (context: online channels for hair products)
10
Augmented reality (AR) in retail is projected to enable $1.5 trillion in global sales by 2036 (context: try-on hair color)
11
By 2026, 40% of new consumer apps will include AR capabilities (context: virtual hair try-ons)
12
In the U.S., the average time to schedule an appointment online is 10 minutes (benchmark from scheduling systems study)
13
Cancellations in appointment services can be 20–30% in some studies (context: salons)
14
38% of consumers say they use video content to research services (context: hairstyle demonstrations)
15
The TikTok user base passed 1.0 billion monthly active users in 2023 (context: hair trend discovery)
16
Instagram had about 2.0 billion monthly active users in 2023 (context: hair styling content)
17
YouTube reached 2.5 billion logged-in monthly users in 2023 (context: hair tutorial demand)
18
Global influencer marketing spending was about $21.1 billion in 2023 (context: influencer partnerships for salons)
19
Nail care and hair care are top categories searched by beauty consumers online (context: discovery)
20
1 in 3 adults report having experienced discrimination in the workplace (context: salon workforce inclusion and labor climate)
21
The average cost of a data breach was $4.45 million globally in 2023 (context: cybersecurity for salon software)
22
41% of organizations had at least one security incident in 2023 (context: security risk for booking systems)
23
In 2023, 21% of global consumers bought personal care items online (context: hair products e-commerce)
24
13% of U.S. adults wear wigs or hairpieces (context: wig/hairpiece service market)
25
The EU cosmetics regulation requires products to be safe before being placed on the market (context: salon cosmetic safety)
26
EC No 1223/2009 requires a Cosmetic Product Safety Report before marketing (context: compliance)
27
1.0 billion units of hair dye sold globally in 2023 (context: hair color demand proxy)
28
EU REACH sunset: all hazardous substances must be registered under REACH (context: ingredients and chemical compliance)
29
The U.S. EPA classifies many salon cleaning chemicals under hazardous waste regulations when improperly disposed (context)
30
The global anti-dandruff shampoo market was $2.1 billion in 2023 (context: scalp treatments demand)
Interpretation
Industry 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.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis28 stats
01
The U.S. CPI for 'haircuts and other hair services' rose 5.2% over 12 months ending in 2024 (inflation context for pricing)
02
The U.S. CPI 'haircuts and other personal care services' category increased by 0.6% in a month (example monthly movement)
03
In 2023, the median hourly wage for hairdressers was $32.32, implying a labor cost baseline for service pricing
04
In May 2023, the 10th percentile hourly wage was $18.00, representing a lower-bound labor cost for entry-level stylists
05
In May 2023, the 90th percentile hourly wage was $50.45, representing an upper-bound labor cost for experienced stylists
06
The national median annual wage was $67,220(May 2023), used to estimate annual labor expenses
07
In the U.S., the minimum wage was $7.25/hour federally in 2024 (baseline floor affecting payroll costs where applicable)
08
As of 2024, 23 U.S. states had minimum wages above the federal $7.25(affecting labor cost across salon regions)
09
In 2023, the average small business insurance premium was $1,281/year in the U.S. (context: salon insurance cost)
10
In 2023, average general liability insurance for small businesses cost $42/month (context: salons as small businesses)
11
In 2023, average workers’ compensation premium was $45/month for small businesses (context: salons with employee injuries)
12
The average cost of a data breach was $4.45 million globally in 2023 (cost exposure for salon software and booking systems)
13
The median cost of ransomware attack was $4.54 million globally in 2023 (security cost context)
14
Organizations took a median 277 days to identify and contain a breach in 2023 (operational cost duration)
15
In 2023, the U.S. CPI for 'services' increased by 6.1% year-over-year (relevant: many salon costs are service-linked)
16
In 2023, the U.S. Producer Price Index for services rose 1.9% year-over-year (context: input costs)
17
1 hour of chair time wage cost baseline: median annual wage $67,220implies about $32.32/hour (67,220/2,080 working hours)
18
The FLSA overtime pay rate must be at least 1.5x the regular rate for non-exempt employees over 40 hours/week (labor cost rule)
19
Workers’ compensation costs are based on state rates; in New York, the maximum weekly benefit is subject to state law (context: injury cost exposure)
20
In 2022, U.S. medical cost inflation was 4.6% (context: health-related benefit cost pressure for employers)
21
In 2023, U.S. rent inflation was 4.1% year-over-year for primary residence (context: salon lease cost pressure)
22
In 2023, U.S. CPI for 'shelter' rose 6.6% year-over-year (context: commercial lease impacts)
23
In 2023, CPI for 'energy' rose 4.1% year-over-year (context: utilities for salons)
24
In 2023, U.S. CPI for 'food away from home' rose 8.6% (context: staff meals and discretionary spend affecting salon operations)
25
In 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)
26
In 2022, the average hourly compensation cost in the U.S. services sector was $39.40(context: wage/benefit cost baseline)
27
In 2023, U.S. average hourly earnings for all employees were $34.13(context: general wage benchmark)
28
In 2023, U.S. unemployment rate was 3.8% (context: labor market tightness affecting wage costs)
Interpretation
Cost 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%.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Hairdressing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hairdressing-industry-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Hairdressing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hairdressing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Hairdressing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hairdressing-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
55 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+27 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)