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How much do self-employed hairstylists and beauty salon owners make?

Hairstylists and beauty salons. Census data for 2024. Figures are revenue before costs, not income.

Hairstylist cutting a client's long brown hair with scissors and a comb

Businesses

867,242

Revenue per firm

$30,832

Under $25,000

59.5%

Sole proprietors

96.7%

Census code 812112, "Beauty Salons", covers hair, facial and nonpermanent makeup services, excluding barber shops. This page covers businesses with no paid employees in that combined category.

In 2024, 867,242 US businesses with no paid employees were classified under this code. Between them they reported $26.7 billion in revenue, an average of $30,832 per firm, 47% below the $58,194 average for all businesses with no employees.

What stands out

Like barbers, stylists cluster in the middle brackets: 26% reported under $10,000, against 37.3% of all nonemployers, and 4.4% reached $100,000.

96.7% are sole proprietors, one of the highest shares here. Salons set up as partnerships or corporations averaged $94,149, against $28,689 for sole proprietors.

Mississippi holds 1.9 times its national share of these businesses, Louisiana 1.7 and Michigan 1.6. Among states with at least 500 firms, New Jersey (0.55) and Alaska (0.55) have the lowest relative concentrations.

What a typical firm brings in

The average hides a wide spread. 26% of firms reported under $10,000 (all industries: 37.3%), 59.5% under $25,000 (all: 60.4%) and 82% under $50,000. 4.4% reached $100,000 or more (all: 13.3%). The middle firm falls in the "$10,000 to $24,999" bracket.

Share of 867,242 US firms in each revenue bracket, 2024. Shares use the national firm total and are rounded to one decimal; a band shown as 0% can hold a small number of firms, and bands without a published count are left out. Source: Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics.
  • Under $5,00013.6%
  • $5,000 to $9,99912.4%
  • $10,000 to $24,99933.6%
  • $25,000 to $49,99922.4%
  • $50,000 to $99,99913.6%
  • $100,000 to $249,9994.1%
  • $250,000 to $499,9990.3%
  • $500,000 to $999,9990%
  • $1 million to $2.5 million0%

How much is left after costs

The IRS Table 1 row nearest this trade, "Personal and laundry services", does not match the scope of this Census category, so no matching profit figure is shown here.

How it varies by state

California has the most firms, at 93,181. Among the 51 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, revenue per firm is highest in Alaska ($51,716) and lowest in Mississippi ($20,601). The Census assigns each business to a state by its mailing address, which may not be where the work is done. These data do not explain state differences or show take-home pay.

Alabama16,638$24,013-22%
Alaska913$51,716+68%
Arizona14,459$37,495+22%
Arkansas9,472$25,521-17%
California93,181$36,817+19%
Colorado11,837$41,808+36%
Connecticut6,876$38,121+24%
Delaware1,758$30,580-1%
District of Columbia1,653$25,082-19%
Florida78,317$31,404+2%
Georgia49,297$23,892-23%
Hawaii2,239$44,198+43%
Idaho5,048$33,070+7%
Illinois36,105$27,560-11%
Indiana17,800$27,817-10%
Iowa6,591$33,065+7%
Kansas6,139$34,296+11%
Kentucky10,281$30,178-2%
Louisiana20,386$21,783-29%
Maine2,880$37,330+21%
Maryland14,544$29,894-3%
Massachusetts11,264$41,676+35%
Michigan35,955$25,156-18%
Minnesota9,933$40,970+33%
Mississippi13,915$20,601-33%
Missouri15,461$30,159-2%
Montana2,848$36,534+18%
Nebraska4,308$37,080+20%
Nevada10,300$32,103+4%
New Hampshire2,853$48,168+56%
New Jersey13,897$30,494-1%
New Mexico3,147$30,353-2%
New York42,199$29,289-5%
North Carolina32,155$29,756-3%
North Dakota1,397$43,022+40%
Ohio29,137$29,874-3%
Oklahoma10,544$28,265-8%
Oregon8,517$39,812+29%
Pennsylvania18,467$28,154-9%
Rhode Island2,534$38,295+24%
South Carolina18,440$27,822-10%
South Dakota1,877$40,908+33%
Tennessee25,467$27,604-10%
Texas88,577$29,918-3%
Utah9,082$29,366-5%
Vermont1,137$41,792+36%
Virginia17,606$31,159+1%
Washington12,811$44,031+43%
West Virginia3,271$29,371-5%
Wisconsin12,329$34,868+13%
Wyoming1,400$34,551+12%

* Fewer than 500 firms, so the average is less stable. Click a column heading to sort. Receipts are modified by the Census Bureau to protect privacy.

Frequently asked questions

How much do self-employed hairstylists and beauty salon owners make?

Census data for 2024 show 867,242 US businesses with no paid employees in this trade, reporting an average of $30,832 in revenue each. 59.5% took in under $25,000, against 60.4% of all businesses with no employees. Revenue is what the business takes in before costs, so it is not the owner's income.

Which state has the highest revenue per firm for self-employed hairstylists and beauty salon owners?

Among the 51 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, Alaska had the highest average revenue per firm, at $51,716, and Mississippi the lowest, at $20,601. States are assigned by business mailing address, and these figures do not show take-home pay.

Sources and method

Other trades