Facts

• A 2009 study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the average pay for hairstylists nationwide was $27,070 a year. The agency also found that hairstylists in several industries made significantly higher than average pay. The top spot was the motion picture and video industry, where hairstylists earned more than double the national average: $60,110 a year. Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals also paid their staff hairstylists higher-than-average annual salaries, about $31,440.
  
  

Location

• Hairstylists on the East and West coasts earned higher salaries than their mid-country colleagues. The top-paying area for hairstylists in 2009 was the District of Columbia at $43,330 annually. Second was Hawaii at $39,390, followed by Delaware at $33,800. Hairstylists in Washington state and South Carolina earned $32,680 and $31,340, respectively.
  
  

Considerations

• Hairstylists are regulated by their state boards of examiners, which set the requirements for the position. For example, a hairstylist may be required to have accrued 1,500 hours of training from a state-approved beauty school, pass a licensing exam and continue to take courses each year to keep a license valid. Prospective hairstylists should plan their salary paths carefully. Not all states allow license reciprocity, which means a hairstylist who moves to another state might have to pass that state's exam and might need additional training to obtain a license to work there.
  
  

Outlook

• Due in part to an increased demand for intricate hair coloring and styling services, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted a 20 percent increase in hairstylist employment through 2010, or an additional 127,000 jobs. The agency cautions that employment in salons is competitive and notes that stylists with the most training and licensing in specialty areas of hair care will have the most success financially.