Colorist vs hair colorist

The differences between colorists and hair colorists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a colorist and a hair colorist. Additionally, a hair colorist has an average salary of $35,934, which is higher than the $34,792 average annual salary of a colorist.

The top three skills for a colorist include color correction, davinci resolve and color theory. The most important skills for a hair colorist are front desk, client appointments, and product knowledge.

Colorist vs hair colorist overview

	Colorist	Hair Colorist
Yearly salary	$34,792	$35,934
Hourly rate	$16.73	$17.28
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	42,160	34,025
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Colorist vs hair colorist salary

Colorists and hair colorists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Colorist	Hair Colorist
Average salary	$34,792	$35,934
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $54,000	Between $22,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	Adobe	-
Best paying industry	Media	-

Differences between colorist and hair colorist education

There are a few differences between a colorist and a hair colorist in terms of educational background:

	Colorist	Hair Colorist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Cosmetology	Cosmetology
Most common college	-	-

Colorist vs hair colorist demographics

Here are the differences between colorists' and hair colorists' demographics:

	Colorist	Hair Colorist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%	Male, 18.4% Female, 81.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 8.2% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between colorist and hair colorist duties and responsibilities

Colorist example responsibilities.

Manage cleaning up activities after hair care appointments by ensuring appropriate cleanliness and sterilization of cutting and trimming equipment.
Screened/Evaluat and HD DI color correct feature films, utilizing Autodesk Lustre for restoration.
Remastered archival feature footage to HD.
Perform DI on major feature films, commercial and special projects.
Navigate project through continually changing workflows VFX revisions and delivery specs.
Provide hairstylist services/professional makeup/manicures/pedicures and modeling.

Hair colorist example responsibilities.

Manage product inventory for cosmetology products, place product orders, maintain the inventory.
Provide hairstylist services/professional makeup/manicures/pedicures and modeling.
Perform cosmetology services on clients-scheduling appointments-Inventory

Colorist vs hair colorist skills

Common colorist skills

Color Correction, 13%
Davinci Resolve, 11%
Color Theory, 9%
Front Desk, 9%
Color Standards, 7%
Adobe Photoshop, 5%

Common hair colorist skills

Front Desk, 82%
Client Appointments, 13%
Product Knowledge, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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