Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 39-5012 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$35,797
$17.21/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists is $35,797 per year ($17.21/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $30,118 and $48,838 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $71,198 per year. There are approximately 305,710 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Provide beauty services, such as cutting, coloring, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp. May shampoo hair, apply makeup, dress wigs, remove hair, and provide nail and skincare services.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+5.6%
Faster than average
Annual openings
76K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
575K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Personal Care Services
NAICS 812100
265K
$36,170
General Merchandise Retailers
NAICS 455000
17K
$30,620
Health and Personal Care Retailers
NAICS 456100
13K
$31,120
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
2K
$135,020
Employment Services
NAICS 561300
970
$33,180
Wage range across top 5 industries: $30,620 to $135,020 (341% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.00
$27,040
P25
$14.48
$30,118
P50MEDIAN
$17.21
$35,797
P75
$23.48
$48,838
P90
$34.23
$71,198
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists salary?
The national median salary for Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists is $35,797 per year ($17.21/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $30,118 and $48,838 annually.
How much do top-earning hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists is $71,198 per year ($34.23/hr). The 75th percentile is $48,838 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists?
Entry-level Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists (10th percentile) earn approximately $27,040 per year ($13.00/hr). The 25th percentile is $30,118 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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