Official pay data
Updated 11 October 2026
Salary guide
Official annual estimates for the whole country, mapped to the closest published occupation.
United Kingdom · gross annual earnings estimate
25th percentile
£19,408
Median
£24,279
75th percentile
£27,762
This ASHE benchmark covers full-time employee jobs, not self-employed income or part-time jobs. ASHE gross earnings include basic pay, overtime, incentive pay such as bonuses and commissions, shift premiums, and other cash pay. They are before deductions, exclude payments in kind, and are not take-home pay or the whole benefits package. Compare the benchmark with an offer on the same working-hours and annual-pay basis.
This is a country-level occupation benchmark, not a local offer estimate. Pay can differ by location, employer, duties, and working pattern.
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. Mapped to Hairdressers and barbers; the occupation is broader than the page role. Figures are estimates, not advertised salaries.
This national benchmark uses the broader Hairdressers and barbers occupation, which is useful because the combined profile covers customer consultations and a range of hair services. It is a sound comparison point for an employed hairdresser, but it is not a claim that hairdressers and barbers have identical work or pay.
Benchmark fit
Hairdresser fits within the mapped Hairdressers and barbers occupation used for the national benchmark.
Nearby titles: Barber appears alongside hairdresser in the combined occupational profile..
The grouping is a benchmark boundary, not proof that every barber activity or working pattern applies to hairdressers. The profile's featured barber is an individual account and should not define the national hairdresser role.
Role scope
Hairdressers work with customers on hair services, with the combined national profile covering styling discussions and hair treatment or finishing work.
Discuss styling ideas with customers. · Wash, cut and style hair. · Apply colours, tints, braids or hair extensions where the work calls for them. · Finish work with hair products and, in some roles, handle stock, payments or appointments.
A completed hair service shaped around the styling discussion and the services offered in the role.
They share a combined occupational profile and benchmark, but the material does not establish that they are equivalent in every respect.
Read the range
When comparing an offer, use the role description to separate a hairdresser post focused on consultation, washing, cutting, styling and colour work from a broader combined occupation label. The label can be useful for a national comparison, but it does not tell you which of those possible duties your own post includes.
One quarter of employees earn below this figure.
Half of employees earn below this figure and half above it; it is not the arithmetic midpoint of the displayed range.
One quarter of employees earn above this figure.
Location
Supplementary regional medians are available for selected UK regions alongside the national occupation benchmark.
| Region | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Not published | £24,617 | Not published |
| London | Not published | £23,658 | Not published |
| North East | Not published | £24,674 | Not published |
| North West | Not published | £21,403 | Not published |
| Scotland | Not published | £20,941 | Not published |
| South West | Not published | £28,614 | Not published |
| Wales | Not published | £20,658 | Not published |
| West Midlands | Not published | £21,891 | Not published |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | Not published | £23,794 | Not published |
Use a regional figure as additional context, not as a local offer estimate; pay can differ by location, employer, duties and working pattern.
Beyond salary
Compare the offer's annual cash pay on the same hours basis as the benchmark. Then separate guaranteed pay from cash that depends on overtime, commission, bonuses or shift arrangements, and assess benefits on their own stated terms.
Ask for the fixed annual amount and contracted hours so you can make a like-for-like comparison.
If overtime, commission, bonuses or shift payments are offered, ask what triggers them, whether they are guaranteed and how they are calculated.
Check the terms of any pension contribution, health cover, paid leave or other non-cash benefit separately because these are not cash earnings.
Offer review
Questions
Source
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. The figures cover Hairdressers and barbers (6221) and full time employee jobs. Updated 11 October 2026. This broad occupation benchmark may not match every Hairdresser vacancy.
Put the benchmark to work
Use the salary range as context. Tailor your CV around the experience that supports your target level.
