Hair dresser vs hair colorist

The differences between hair dressers 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 hair dresser and a hair colorist. Additionally, a hair dresser has an average salary of $36,852, which is higher than the $35,934 average annual salary of a hair colorist.

The top three skills for a hair dresser include appointment scheduling, customer service and product sales. The most important skills for a hair colorist are front desk, client appointments, and product knowledge.

Hair dresser vs hair colorist overview

	Hair Dresser	Hair Colorist
Yearly salary	$36,852	$35,934
Hourly rate	$17.72	$17.28
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	42,777	34,025
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Hair dresser vs hair colorist salary

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

	Hair Dresser	Hair Colorist
Average salary	$36,852	$35,934
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $54,000	Between $22,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between hair dresser and hair colorist education

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

	Hair Dresser	Hair Colorist
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Cosmetology	Cosmetology
Most common college	-	-

Hair dresser vs hair colorist demographics

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

	Hair Dresser	Hair Colorist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 6.1% Female, 93.9%	Male, 18.4% Female, 81.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 57.2% 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 hair dresser and hair colorist duties and responsibilities

Hair dresser example responsibilities.

Manage product inventory for cosmetology products, place product orders, maintain the inventory.
Shampoo, style and color hair as well as advise clients about wigs.
Bleach, dye, or tint hair.
Assist in hair and make-up.
Apply make-up and cosmetics on clients.
Shape eyebrows using tweezers, creams.

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

Hair dresser vs hair colorist skills

Common hair dresser skills

Appointment Scheduling, 28%
Customer Service, 22%
Product Sales, 8%
Curling Irons, 6%
Front Desk, 6%
Skin Care, 6%

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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