Hair stylist vs colorist

The differences between hair stylists and 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 stylist and a colorist. Additionally, a hair stylist has an average salary of $38,221, which is higher than the $34,792 average annual salary of a colorist.

The top three skills for a hair stylist include cosmetology, clips and kids. The most important skills for a colorist are color correction, davinci resolve, and color theory.

Hair stylist vs colorist overview

	Hair Stylist	Colorist
Yearly salary	$38,221	$34,792
Hourly rate	$18.38	$16.73
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	49,578	42,160
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Hair stylist vs colorist salary

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

	Hair Stylist	Colorist
Average salary	$38,221	$34,792
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $53,000	Between $22,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Scottsdale, AZ	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Adobe
Best paying industry	Health Care	Media

Differences between hair stylist and colorist education

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

	Hair Stylist	Colorist
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Cosmetology	Cosmetology
Most common college	-	-

Hair stylist vs colorist demographics

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

	Hair Stylist	Colorist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 9.2% Female, 90.8%	Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between hair stylist and colorist duties and responsibilities

Hair stylist example responsibilities.

Manage beautiful hairstyles with the use of flat irons, curling irons, blow dryers, and other hair products.
Manage product inventory for cosmetology products, place product orders, maintain the inventory.
Commission stylist, assist other stylists as well as cleaning and greeting guests.
Work extremely quickly and efficiently as a hairstylist to reach sales and productivity goals while maintaining exceptional customer service
Bleach, dye, or tint, using applicator or brush.
Specialize in braids, sew-ins, glue-ins, dreads, wraps, twist, and curls.

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 stylist vs colorist skills

Common hair stylist skills

Cosmetology, 31%
Clips, 20%
Kids, 7%
Makeup, 6%
Retail Sales, 5%
Cleanliness, 4%

Common colorist skills

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