Hairdresser
Personal-services trade cutting, colouring and styling hair. Not licensed in any Australian jurisdiction, but salon business registration applies.
Jobs, demand and who does this work
Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Hairdresser (391111), the closest official match for hairdresser, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).
- Median weekly earnings (full-time)
- $1,121
- People employed
- 66,800
- Future demand
- Stable
- Work full-time
- 52%
- Average full-time hours
- 40 a week
- Women
- 77%
- Median age
- 38
Where the jobs are (share of workers)
| NSW | 31.4% |
| VIC | 23.6% |
| QLD | 23.3% |
| WA | 10.3% |
| SA | 8% |
| TAS | 1.7% |
| ACT | 1.1% |
| NT | 0.6% |
Highest qualification held by workers
| Postgraduate qualification | 0.4% |
| Bachelor degree | 1.8% |
| Diploma or advanced diploma | 7.1% |
| Certificate I-IV | 72% |
| Year 12 | 7.7% |
| Below Year 12 | 8% |
What a hairdresser actually does
Salon days start 8:30 or 9am with set-up, restocking stations and the first client. The book typically has 8-12 clients per stylist across a day, with cuts, colour and blow-dries running in parallel. Apprentices start by washing, sweeping, mixing colour, doing shampoos and gradually moving into cutting and colour work with supervision. Colour days are the busiest - a foil retouch or balayage can sit a client in the chair for 2-3 hours, requiring the stylist to manage two or three clients at once. Saturdays are the heaviest day in retail salons. Hairdressing is intensely social - you'll talk to people all day - and physically demanding on the back, shoulders, feet and hands. Wrist and shoulder problems are common after years on scissors. Most salons close 5-6pm except Thursday late-night trading. Pay starts low on the apprentice award and improves with skill, clientele and column rental once experienced.
Skills you'll use
- Cutting techniques for women, men and children
- Colour theory and chemical application (foils, balayage, toner)
- Blow-dry and styling
- Hair-up styling for weddings and events
- Trichology basics (recognising scalp conditions)
- Customer service and client retention
- Salon retail and product sales
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 10 with English
- 2Sign a 3-year apprenticeship at a hair salon
- 3Complete the SHB30416 Certificate III in Hairdressing through TAFE block-release or day-release
- 4Build a clientele and portfolio of work over the first 2-3 years
- 5Optional - complete a Certificate IV in Hairdressing to manage or own a salon
- 6Optional - specialise in barbering (SHB30516) or wedding/editorial work
Where you can work
- Suburban and CBD high-street salons
- Premium and luxury salons in inner-city areas
- Barber shops (with barbering specialisation)
- Hotel and resort salons in tourist areas
- Editorial, film and TV work (specialist styling)
- Mobile and home-visit hairdressing
- Self-employed - own salon or chair rental
Career progression
Typical stages and roles. Apprentice and tradesperson pay is set by the modern award or enterprise agreement that covers the job; check it with the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool.
- Apprentice3 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice hairdresser, Third-year apprentice hairdresser
- Stylist0-5 yearsTypical roles: Junior stylist, Senior stylist, Colour specialist
- Senior or manager5-10 yearsTypical roles: Senior stylist, Salon manager, Colour director
- Salon owner or chair rental8+ yearsTypical roles: Salon owner, Chair-renting independent, Educator or platform artist
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You enjoy talking to people all day
- You have a strong visual eye for shape and colour
- You can stand on your feet for 8-10 hours
- You can handle the pressure of three colours running at once
- You can deal with unhappy clients diplomatically
This might not suit you if
- You need a high income in the early apprentice years
- You have allergies aggravated by salon chemicals
- You have wrist, shoulder or back issues
- You'd rather not work Saturdays or late nights
Entry requirements
- Year 10 or equivalent
- A signed apprenticeship training contract with a host employer.
State licensing
Not nationally licensed. Some states impose contractor licensing once work exceeds a value threshold.
| State | Licensing authority |
|---|---|
| NSW | No trade-specific licence listed |
| VIC | No trade-specific licence listed |
| QLD | No trade-specific licence listed |
| SA | No trade-specific licence listed |
| WA | No trade-specific licence listed |
| TAS | No trade-specific licence listed |
| NT | No trade-specific licence listed |
| ACT | No trade-specific licence listed |