Hair stylist vs stylist assistant

The differences between hair stylists and stylist assistants 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 stylist assistant. Additionally, a hair stylist has an average salary of $38,221, which is higher than the $36,793 average annual salary of a stylist assistant.

The top three skills for a hair stylist include cosmetology, clips and kids. The most important skills for a stylist assistant are customer service, appointment scheduling, and photo shoots.

Hair stylist vs stylist assistant overview

	Hair Stylist	Stylist Assistant
Yearly salary	$38,221	$36,793
Hourly rate	$18.38	$17.69
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	49,578	11,808
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Hair stylist vs stylist assistant salary

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

	Hair Stylist	Stylist Assistant
Average salary	$38,221	$36,793
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $53,000	Between $25,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Scottsdale, AZ	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between hair stylist and stylist assistant education

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

	Hair Stylist	Stylist Assistant
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Cosmetology	Cosmetology
Most common college	-	-

Hair stylist vs stylist assistant demographics

Here are the differences between hair stylists' and stylist assistants' demographics:

	Hair Stylist	Stylist Assistant
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 9.2% Female, 90.8%	Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5%
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, 12.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 7.6% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between hair stylist and stylist assistant 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.

Stylist assistant example responsibilities.

Manage beautiful hairstyles with the use of flat irons, curling irons, blow dryers, and other hair products.
Use and understand cosmetology terminology.
Perform cosmetology procedures for customers on a daily basis.
Provide hairstylist services/professional makeup/manicures/pedicures and modeling.
Attend Redken ombre color class with Justin Issac.

Hair stylist vs stylist assistant skills

Common hair stylist skills

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

Common stylist assistant skills

Customer Service, 25%
Appointment Scheduling, 14%
Photo Shoots, 12%
Salon Services, 9%
Front Desk, 9%
Cosmetology, 5%