Hairdresser
Personal-services trade cutting, colouring and styling hair. Not licensed in any Australian jurisdiction, but salon business registration applies.
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 pay bands. Figures are sourced from Job Outlook, the Fair Work Building Industry Award, or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile.
- Apprentice3 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice hairdresser, Third-year apprentice hairdresserSalary band: $25,000 - $45,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Stylist0-5 yearsTypical roles: Junior stylist, Senior stylist, Colour specialistSalary band: $50,000 - $70,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Senior or manager5-10 yearsTypical roles: Senior stylist, Salon manager, Colour directorSalary band: $65,000 - $90,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- 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 | Not licensed in this state |
| VIC | Not licensed in this state |
| QLD | Not licensed in this state |
| SA | Not licensed in this state |
| WA | Not licensed in this state |
| TAS | Not licensed in this state |
| NT | Not licensed in this state |
| ACT | Not licensed in this state |