jobfacts

Hairdresser

Hairdressers and barbers — SOC 2020 6221

Hairdressers and barbers shampoo, cut, colour, style and treat hair.

Also calledHairstylistBarberTechnicianSalon assistantGeneral assistantColouristand 23 more titles
Typical full-time pay£24,3002025 Provisional
People in the job129,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month709↓ 11%on last year · 224th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time hairdressers earn between £19,400 and £27,800 a year.

What full-time hairdressers earn, 2025
£24,300 typical£18,700lowest 20%£27,80075%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£19,400–£27,800)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£18,700
25%£19,400
Median£24,300
75%£27,800
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
More than half (67%) of hairdressers work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed hairdressers earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £24,300
South West!£28,600
North East!£24,700
East of England!£24,600
Yorkshire and The Humber!£23,800
London!£23,700
West Midlands!£21,900
North West!£21,400
Scotland!£20,900
Wales!£20,700
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £24,300
South West£28,600 (small sample)
North East£24,700 (small sample)
East of England£24,600 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£23,800 (small sample)
London£23,700 (small sample)
West Midlands£21,900 (small sample)
North West£21,400 (small sample)
Scotland£20,900 (small sample)
Wales£20,700 (small sample)
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £19,500
  • 2024 £21,800
  • 2025 Provisional£24,300
↑ 25% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 709 jobs for hairdressers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026596
Jul 2026774
Jun 2026724
May 2026746
Apr 2026709
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026715
Jan 2026724
Dec 2025270
Nov 2025710
Oct 2025971
Sept 2025859
Aug 2025794
Jul 2025856
Jun 2025910
May 2025891
Apr 2025800
Mar 2025856
Feb 2025828
Jan 2025704
Dec 2024307
Nov 2024678
Oct 2024935
Sept 20241,008
Aug 2024977
Jul 20241,128
Jun 20241,106
May 20241,246
Apr 2024874
Mar 2024436
Feb 2024394
Jan 2024400
Dec 2023227
Nov 2023256
Oct 2023238
Sept 2023295
Aug 2023445
Jul 2023335
Jun 2023604
May 2023731
Apr 2023556
Mar 2023637
Feb 2023513
Jan 2023585
Dec 2022391
Nov 2022579
Oct 2022841
Sept 2022654
Aug 2022698
Jul 2022752
Jun 2022779
May 2022786
Apr 2022456
Mar 2022561
Feb 2022531
Jan 2022501
Dec 2021291
Nov 2021477
Oct 2021610
Sept 2021738
Aug 2021532
Jul 2021612
Jun 2021569
May 2021707
Apr 2021719
Mar 2021699
Feb 2021220
Jan 2021185
Dec 2020277
Nov 2020360
Oct 2020338
Sept 2020563
Aug 2020502
Jul 2020686
Jun 2020667
May 2020243
Apr 2020247
Mar 2020654
Feb 2020888
Jan 2020764
Dec 2019486
Nov 2019898
Oct 2019830
Sept 2019909
Aug 2019743
Jul 2019702
Jun 2019724
May 2019721
Apr 2019657
Mar 2019653
Feb 2019513
Jan 2019590
Dec 2018345
Nov 2018680
Oct 2018782
Sept 20181,363
Aug 2018818
Jul 20181,262
Jun 20181,004
May 2018897
Apr 2018876
Mar 2018921
Feb 2018946
Jan 2018993
Dec 2017391
Nov 2017808
Oct 2017979
Sept 20171,108
Aug 2017990
Jul 20171,027
Jun 20171,108
May 20171,269
Apr 20171,345
Mar 20171,396
Feb 20171,286
Jan 2017898
Is there a shortage of hairdressers?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, visa density, hours and earnings due to proportion of self employed workers.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
50%against 27% for all jobs
DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London566
Manchester39
Birmingham36
City of Edinburgh30
Glasgow City29
Bristol, City of29
Liverpool24
Cheshire West and Chester22
Cardiff22
Leeds22
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where hairdressers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 14 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Japan, India, Rwanda, ranking it 201st of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of hairdressers
16%!
23%
21%
21%
16%!
3.8%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2416% (small sample)
25–3423%
35–4421%
45–5421%
55–6416% (small sample)
65+3.8% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!4.9%
Higher education below degree!4.6%
A levels or equivalent59%
GCSEs or equivalent20%
Other qualifications!4.7%
No qualifications!5.8%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent4.9% (small sample)
Higher education below degree4.6% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent59%
GCSEs or equivalent20%
Other qualifications4.7% (small sample)
No qualifications5.8% (small sample)

Main employers: hairdressing and other beauty treatment (95%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
4.9%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 59%
Apprenticeships
3
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
1 to 2 years
typically
Self-employed
67%
of people in the job

Routes in

You could get into this job through:

College

You could take a college course that will give you some of the skills and knowledge you'll need to start in this career.

Courses include:

  • hairdressing
  • barbering
  • women's and men's hairdressing

You may be able to combine these courses with other subjects like make-up and nails.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship to get into this job, for example:

  • Hairdressing Professional Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Barbering Professional Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Creative Hair Professional Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

These apprenticeships take between 1 and 2 years to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Work your way up

You might be able to start work as a trainee hairdresser or barber and learn on the job.

Your employer would expect you to take a part-time course to get qualifications, either at a college or in their own training school.

You may also be able to work freelance and rent space in a salon or barbershop, though you'll usually have to supply your own equipment.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

If your aim is to manage or open your own salon or barbershop, it may help to get some business qualifications alongside hairdressing experience.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in hairdressing and barbering from the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority (HABIA) and National Hair and Beauty Federation (NHBF).

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for hairdresser. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

3 for this job
Level 2About 18 months

Barbering professional

You gain
City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma for Hair Professionals - Barbering 603/1380/8; TQUK Level 2 Diploma for Hair Professionals (Barbering) (RQF) 603/3102/1
Details on Skills England
Level 2About 2 years

Hairdressing professional

You gain
City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma for Hair Professionals - Hairdressing 603/1379/1; TQUK Level 2 Diploma for Hair Professionals (Hairdressing) (RQF) 603/3101/X
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • discusses customer requirements, analyses hair condition and other relevant features to define and advise on hair style
  • washes, conditions, bleaches, tints or dyes hair and provides any necessary basic scalp treatments
  • cuts and trims hair using scissors, clippers, razor and comb
  • combs, brushes, blow-dries or sets wet hair in rollers to style or straighten
  • shaves and trims beards and moustaches
  • collects payment, arranges appointments and cleans and tidies salon
  • maintains client records and keeps up-to-date with new products, styles and techniques
  • ensures hair products are stored and used appropriately and observes relevant health and safety factors
  • demonstrates, sells and recommends hair care products to clients and advises them on hair care

Skills

  • advise on hair style
  • curl hair
  • dye hair
  • identify customer's needs
  • maintain customer service
  • maintain equipment
  • process payments
  • satisfy customers
  • show social competences
  • stay up-to-date with fashion trends in hair style
  • style hair
  • use equipment for hair care
  • wash hair
  • work ergonomically

Knowledge

  • hair
  • hair colouring
  • hair products

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for leisure, travel and related personal service occupations, a group of 11 jobs that includes hairdressers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 5.6%about 41,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035421,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.