Career profile for Hairstylist

What does a Hairstylist do?

Hairstylists provide beauty services, such as cutting, coloring, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp.

In addition, Hairstylists may shampoo hair, apply makeup, dress wigs, remove hair, and provide nail and skincare services.

What kind of tasks does a Hairstylist perform regularly?

Hairstylists are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs.
Bleach, dye, or tint hair, using applicator or brush.
Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type, and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors.
Schedule client appointments.
Update and maintain customer information records, such as beauty services provided.
Demonstrate and sell hair care products and cosmetics.
Analyze patrons' hair and other physical features to determine and recommend beauty treatment or suggest hair styles.
Shampoo, rinse, condition, and dry hair and scalp or hairpieces with water, liquid soap, or other solutions.
Operate cash registers to receive payments from patrons.
Order, display, and maintain supplies.
Comb, brush, and spray hair or wigs to set style.
Develop new styles and techniques.
Apply water or setting, straightening or waving solutions to hair, and use curlers, rollers, hot combs and curling irons to press and curl hair.
Shape eyebrows and remove facial hair, using depilatory cream, tweezers, electrolysis or wax.
Shave, trim, and shape beards and moustaches.

The above responsibilities are specific to Hairstylists. More generally, Hairstylists are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public		Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships		Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Selling or Influencing Others		Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge		Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Assisting and Caring for Others		Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Selling or Influencing Others

Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Assisting and Caring for Others

Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

What is a Hairstylist salary?

The median salary for a Hairstylist is $27,380, and the average salary is $32,740. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Hairstylist salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Hairstylists earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Hairstylists earn less than $18,840 per year, 25% earn less than $21,520, 75% earn less than $37,970, and 90% earn less than $53,410.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Hairstylists is expected to change by 19.4%, and there should be roughly 78,900 open positions for Hairstylists every year.

Median annual salary: $27,380
Typical salary range: $18,840 - $53,410
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 19.4%

What personality traits are common among Hairstylists?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Hairstylist are usually higher in their Artistic, Enterprising, and Social interests.

Hairstylists typically have very strong Artistic interests. Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Also, Hairstylists typically have strong Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Lastly, Hairstylists typically have moderate Social interests. Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Hairstylists typically have moderate Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Hairstylist tend to value Relationships, Independence, and Achievement.

Most importantly, Hairstylists very strongly value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Second, Hairstylists strongly value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Lastly, Hairstylists moderately value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Hairstylists must consistently demonstrate qualities such as attention to detail, self-control, and cooperation.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Hairstylists, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Adaptability/Flexibility		Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Adaptability/Flexibility

Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

What education and training do Hairstylists need?

Hairstylists often have training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Hairstylists usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Hairstylists

6.1% did not complete high school or secondary school
43.7% completed high school or secondary school
31.7% completed some college coursework
11.4% earned a Associate's degree
5.8% earned a Bachelor's degree
1.0% earned a Master's degree
0.3% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Hairstylists

Hairstylists may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as customer and personal service, sales and marketing, or administration and management knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Hairstylists might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sales and Marketing		Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Education and Training		Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Chemistry		Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Sales and Marketing

Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Education and Training

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Chemistry

Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Important Abilities needed by Hairstylists

Hairstylists must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Hairstylists need abilities such as near vision, arm-hand steadiness, and manual dexterity in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Hairstylists, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Arm-Hand Steadiness		The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Manual Dexterity		The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Finger Dexterity		The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Arm-Hand Steadiness

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Finger Dexterity

The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Critical Skills needed by Hairstylists

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Hairstylists frequently use skills like active listening, speaking, and service orientation to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Hairstylists, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation		Actively looking for ways to help people.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Learning		Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

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