askpixie.
05.22.04
I know tipping 15-20 % for a haircut is the rule, but what if cut is 40-45 dollars and color 75+ up? Seems expensive to add 20 dollars on top of that. How are hairdresser's paid?
Patricia G.
How a hairdresser is paid generally depends upon the salon.
The average is probably that the stylist takes home 50 - 55% of what they bring in, but they don't have any sort of benefits at all -- no vacation, medical, holiday, etc.
If they work for a larger company or a department store, and work full-time, they probably are working commission vs. base pay, which could mean that a stylist with a small client base could be making $6 - 7/hr. Yes, the potential to make $50/hr exists, but you can't pay rent with potential. And if you are full-time, you might get benefits, but if you can't pay the rent, you will most likely go somewhere else before the benefits really count.
Places like Cost Cutters generally pay their stylists a flat hourly rate, and then require them to meet service quotas, like they get $10/hr, but they're supposed to do 3 clients per hour all day long.
Honestly, on a $100 - $150 service, a $20 - would be nice, but $10 - 12 is acceptable, in my opinion.
-- pixie
P.S. People also rent chairs in salons. They pay the owner a flat fee for the use of the salon and that station, and then keep everything they make beyond that -- but they have to pay their own taxes and have no benefits, etc. Some people are paying a fat wad of cash just for the right to be in a salon, and then they have to hustle their hineys to pay the rent before they turn a profit.
Myself, I prefer the security of working for the Man. At least he gives me paid vacations and sick-leave.
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