The Secret Formula to Earn a $50,000 Hairdresser Salary Every Year

If you’re a cosmetologist, you just took a pay cut… no matter where you work.

You may not notice money missing from your paycheck, but trust me, it’s gone.

Check out these numbers… The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median hairdresser salary has decreased an astonishing 4.8% since 2018.

At the same time, consumer prices are 2.9% higher than in 2018.

How can you survive when your income is plummeting AND everyday prices are soaring?

Don’t panic. I'll show you how to boost your earnings until you're in the top 10% of cosmetologists... and you don't have to be a math whiz OR work yourself to death!

Picture Your Perfect Week

Before you can use the secret formula, you need some numbers to plug in. But don’t worry, you’ll barely do any math.

All you need to do is picture your perfect week.

How many hours do you want to work per week? How many days, and how long will your shift be each day? Which days off work best for you?

Think about all the little things… when do you prefer to do grocery shopping? Maybe you have an evening class you’ve wanted to sign up for, but your work schedule hasn’t allowed for it. I want you to fully imagine your absolute best week.

For example, maybe you want to work four days a week, and a total of 32 hours per week. Maybe you’d like to have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday off every week.

That’s just one example. And yes, you can earn a $50,000 hairdresser salary while working only four days per week... that’s exactly what I did!

So don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself about your ideal schedule. After all, isn’t this freedom part of why you wanted to become a hairdresser?

Do The Math

You’ve imagined your perfect week, so it’s time for the secret formula. Below, you’ll find a blank version of the formula and an example using a $50,000 annual hairdresser salary. Continuing with the earlier sample, let’s also plug in 32 hours per week.

If your desired hairdresser salary is more or less than $50,000, just plug in your goal and your desired schedule. You’ll have your magic number in no time.   

Just like that, you know how much you need in your pocket every hour to earn a $50,000 hairdresser salary this year.

Put Your New Knowledge to Work

Now you know exactly how much you need to earn every hour in the salon. This number is your secret weapon for quickly finding your perfect salon, whether you want to booth rent or not.

If you don’t want to booth rent, look for a salon with either:

A minimum hourly wage which matches your desired hourly wage

A commission percentage, service pricing, and clientele to match your desired hourly wage

You could work in a salon which already has a full clientele. If haircuts are scheduled in one-hour increments, the haircut costs $65, and you make a 50% commission… then you’ve found the perfect salon.

If you want to booth rent, look for a salon with either:

Fees that, based on your current clientele, allow you to reach your desired hourly wage

An existing clientele base large enough for you to pay their fees and still reach your desired hourly wage

You could booth rent in a salon and bring your existing clientele. If you reliably gross $6,000 monthly from your clientele, and your costs are $1,800 or less every month… then you’ve found the perfect salon.

According to Small Business Trends, the average booth rental cost in the U.S. is $400-$600 a month. That leaves you at least $1,200 for supplies and other fees. If you spend less, your hourly wage will be even higher!

Enjoy Your $50,000 Hairdresser Salary

There are endless possible combinations which meet the $30.05 per hour threshold. Now that you have your magic number in mind, you’ll never again have to worry if a salon that looks great on paper will actually pay you enough.

All you have to do is compare your magic number to what the salon is offering.

Do you need help with any of these steps? Do you have questions about maximizing your hairdresser salary? Add a comment to receive expert advice!

Rooting for you,

A photo of Shelby Dennis, your freelance beauty copywriter

Shelby Dennis

Your freelance beauty copywriter

P.S. Want to read more of my B2B copywriting samples or beauty copywriting samples? Click here to check out my writing portfolio.

Comments

Share your question or comment in the box below!