Stylist vs salon assistant

The differences between stylists and salon 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 stylist and a salon assistant. Additionally, a stylist has an average salary of $37,985, which is higher than the $26,083 average annual salary of a salon assistant.

The top three skills for a stylist include good time management, POS and data entry. The most important skills for a salon assistant are PET, cleanliness, and customer service.

Stylist vs salon assistant overview

	Stylist	Salon Assistant
Yearly salary	$37,985	$26,083
Hourly rate	$18.26	$12.54
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	49,296	23,585
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Stylist vs salon assistant salary

Stylists and salon assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Stylist	Salon Assistant
Average salary	$37,985	$26,083
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $53,000	Between $18,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Denver, CO	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Columbia International University	-
Best paying industry	Hospitality	-

Differences between stylist and salon assistant education

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

	Stylist	Salon Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Cosmetology	Cosmetology
Most common college	-	-

Stylist vs salon assistant demographics

Here are the differences between stylists' and salon assistants' demographics:

	Stylist	Salon Assistant
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4%	Male, 12.6% Female, 87.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between stylist and salon assistant duties and responsibilities

Stylist example responsibilities.

Manage salon, payroll, purchasing and inventory utilizing corporate policies.
Manage cleaning up activities after hair care appointments by ensuring appropriate cleanliness and sterilization of cutting and trimming equipment.
Perform general receptionist tasks such as answering phones, using POS system, handling money transactions, and scheduling appointments.
Create personal``Lookbooks"for clients through social media.
Assist in marketing and social media via Instagram, Facebook and USD club meetings.
Contract great clips for service to hire temps on a temporary basis to assist shifts salons need.

Salon assistant example responsibilities.

Maintain salon appearance ensuring cleanliness, organization and manage inventory of salon products.
Color, bleach, perm and relax hair.
Assist in blow drying clients hair by holding hair dryers and brushes in place.
Maintain and style wigs and hair pieces for the production shows through grooming techniques.
Assist clients with consultations on products, braids, lock maintenance and other desire styles.
Assist in blow drying and styling activities by holding dryers and brushes and clips in place.

Stylist vs salon assistant skills

Common stylist skills

Good Time Management, 14%
POS, 11%
Data Entry, 8%
Excellent Training, 8%
Safety Standards, 8%
Product Knowledge, 6%

Common salon assistant skills

PET, 22%
Cleanliness, 16%
Customer Service, 15%
Appointment Scheduling, 10%
Front Desk, 7%
Makeup, 3%