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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.
The median salary rose by $13,200 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
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 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.
Related salaries
- Store Manager salary
- Beauty Therapist salary
- Eyelash Technician salary
- Salon Manager salary
- Barber salary
- Salon Assistant salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.