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Hairdresser salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a hairdresser is $62,900 per annum, before tax, up $13,200 since 2018.
How you are paid matters as much as where you work: some salons pay an hourly rate under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award, others pay commission on the services and products you sell, and some stylists rent a chair and keep their own takings. Weekend, evening and public holiday penalty rates lift the hourly rate, and a steady clientele usually does more for your earnings than changing salons. Award rates also differ by state and territory, and pay rises with the share of your week spent on higher-priced colour and chemical work.
Roles that pay more than hairdresser
The largest typical pay rise is $21,300 a year, moving into Store Manager.
- Store Manager+$21,300/yr
- Salon Manager+$2,100/yr
How to negotiate a higher hairdresser salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time hairdresser salary is $62,900; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Hairdressers are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Hair and beauty services and Craft and handmade production tend to command a premium over general hairdresser experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Store Manager pays a typical $21,300 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Hairdresser salary questions
How much do hairdressers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a hairdresser is $62,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is hairdresser pay rising or falling?
The median hairdresser salary is up $13,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than hairdresser?
Store Manager pays a typical $21,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to hairdresser.