Get Into a TradeUpdated September 2026

Hairdresser salary in Australia

Quick answer

The Australian Government's Your Career profile lists average earnings for hairdressers at around $1,121 per week, below the all-jobs average, but commission, a strong client book, chair rental and ownership push many well past the base. Apprentice pay is set by the Hair and Beauty Industry Award: check your exact rate on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Hairdressing pay has two honest halves. The base wages, especially during the apprenticeship, are low compared with most trades, and pretending otherwise helps nobody. But hairdressing is also one of the few trades where your income is directly tied to how much clients want you specifically, which means commission, tips, chair rental and ownership create a much wider ceiling than the averages suggest. Here is how the money actually works.

What qualified hairdressers earn

The government's Your Career occupation profile for hairdressers lists average earnings around $1,121 per week, and Jobs and Skills Australia's profile of the same occupation shows median weekly earnings of $1,209 for the broader hairdresser group. Both sit below the all-jobs average, and both update over time, so check the live profiles rather than trusting any fixed number, including this one. Also note nearly half the workforce is part time, which drags weekly averages down: full-time senior stylists in busy salons sit above these figures.

What moves the number

•Commission: many salons pay a percentage of the services and retail you bring in above a threshold, so a busy stylist with high rebooking out-earns their base significantly
•Your client book: regulars who ask for you by name are your real asset, they follow you between salons and justify raises
•Renting a chair: experienced stylists pay a salon a fixed rent or percentage and keep the rest, effectively running a business inside someone else's shop
•Ownership: salon owners take business profit rather than a wage, with all the risk and rent that implies
•Specialisation: strong colourists, extension specialists and barbers with a reputation charge premium prices
•Location and salon tier: a high-end city salon and a quiet regional shop price the same haircut very differently

Apprentice pay, explained without numbers

Apprentice rates come from the Hair and Beauty Industry Award (MA000005) and depend on three things: which year of the apprenticeship you are in, whether you are a junior or an adult apprentice (21 or older when you start), and whether you are school-based. Rates rise with each stage and change every year, so the only figure worth trusting is the one the Fair Work Pay Calculator gives you for your own situation. Run your details through it when you start and again after every pay rise or birthday, and check your payslip against it. Underpayment happens in this industry, and the calculator is your evidence.

How it compares with other trades, honestly

Straight comparison: hairdressing apprentices and qualified hairdressers earn less on average than electricians, plumbers and most construction trades, and the gap is real at every stage. What hairdressing offers instead is work in every town, an income ceiling tied to your own clientele rather than an hourly rate, low tool costs, a clear path to owning a business with modest capital, and a job that is physically easier on the body than site work, though standing all day is no joke. If maximum wage is your only measure, pick another trade. If you want a people-facing craft with a real business path, this one holds up.

Making the money work

Practical moves that raise hairdressing income: rebook every client before they leave, learn colour deeply because it is the high-margin work, build a social media portfolio from your first year (with client permission), and track your own figures so you can negotiate from evidence at review time. Superannuation applies from your first apprentice payslip, so check it is actually being paid. And once qualified, revisit your rate against the award and the market yearly: loyalty is good, but unreviewed pay quietly erodes.

Sources and official links

Straight from the source. These open in a new tab.

Hairdressing Apprentice Hub How much do tradies actually earn in Australia?

Keep reading: Get Into a Trade

See all →

The highest paying trades in AustraliaElectricians and plumbers are the standouts: strong pay, steady demand, and a licence that protects what you can charge. On the government's own weekly earnings tables bricklaying tends to sit at the top, with electrical and plumbing close behind. But most trades land in a fairly narrow band, and the biggest pay jumps come from getting licensed, working overtime, heading to mining or remote work, or going out on your own.The most in-demand trades in AustraliaElectrical, plumbing, and air conditioning and refrigeration are the most consistently in-demand trades in Australia, alongside welding and fabrication. But here is the honest part: almost every trade on this site is in national shortage right now, so "which trade is most in demand" matters far less than which work actually suits you. A trade you stick with beats a hot trade you quit.Which trade should you do?There is no single "best" trade, only the one that fits you. If you want the strongest mix of pay and long-term demand, electrical and plumbing sit at the top, with air conditioning and refrigeration and carpentry close behind. But the right choice depends just as much on the kind of work you can see yourself doing every day, the conditions you can handle, and whether you want to work indoors, outdoors, on your feet, or up a ladder.Is a trade worth it?For a lot of Australians, yes. A trade lets you earn while you learn, finish with a nationally recognised qualification and no university debt, and move into work that is in steady demand and hard to send offshore. But it is not easy money: the apprentice years pay is low, the work is physical, and a large share of trade apprentices do not finish, so it is only worth it if the trade and the lifestyle genuinely suit you.

Still stuck? Ask a tradie

Got a question? Ask it anonymously. We publish the best ones with answers from qualified tradies.

General guidance only

Answers here are general guidance to point you in the right direction - always check official sources and ask your supervisor for your specific situation.