Personal Services · Rankings

Best US Cities for Hairdressers

Top US cities for Hairdressers ranked by estimated median salary, with cost-of-living-adjusted earning power.

Top 10 cities by salary

#	City	Estimated salary	Cost mult.	vs national
1	Honolulu, HI	$43,000	1.30×	+$11,000
2	San Francisco, CA	$42,100	1.45×	+$10,100
3	Scottsdale, AZ	$40,000	1.18×	+$8,000
4	Oakland, CA	$39,800	1.35×	+$7,800
5	New York City, NY	$39,200	1.32×	+$7,200
6	Los Angeles, CA	$39,100	1.22×	+$7,100
7	San Diego, CA	$38,900	1.21×	+$6,900
8	Yonkers, NY	$38,700	1.20×	+$6,700
9	Irvine, CA	$38,700	1.30×	+$6,700
10	Miami, FL	$38,500	1.12×	+$6,500

All 50 cities, ranked

#	City	Salary	Hourly
1	Honolulu, HI	$43,000	$21/hr
2	San Francisco, CA	$42,100	$20/hr
3	Scottsdale, AZ	$40,000	$19/hr
4	Oakland, CA	$39,800	$19/hr
5	New York City, NY	$39,200	$19/hr
6	Los Angeles, CA	$39,100	$19/hr
7	San Diego, CA	$38,900	$19/hr
8	Yonkers, NY	$38,700	$19/hr
9	Irvine, CA	$38,700	$19/hr
10	Miami, FL	$38,500	$19/hr
11	Long Beach, CA	$38,200	$18/hr
12	Anaheim, CA	$38,200	$18/hr
13	Boston, MA	$36,900	$18/hr
14	Anchorage, AK	$36,500	$18/hr
15	Seattle, WA	$36,000	$17/hr
16	Henderson, NV	$36,000	$17/hr
17	Orlando, FL	$35,700	$17/hr
18	Chula Vista, CA	$35,400	$17/hr
19	Hialeah, FL	$35,100	$17/hr
20	Frisco, TX	$35,100	$17/hr
21	Las Vegas, NV	$34,900	$17/hr
22	Minneapolis, MN	$34,900	$17/hr
23	Phoenix, AZ	$34,300	$16/hr
24	Tampa, FL	$34,300	$16/hr
25	Reno, NV	$34,300	$16/hr
26	Gilbert, AZ	$34,300	$16/hr
27	Charleston, SC	$34,300	$16/hr
28	Portland, OR	$34,200	$16/hr
29	Newark, NJ	$34,200	$16/hr
30	Sacramento, CA	$34,200	$16/hr
31	Riverside, CA	$34,200	$16/hr
32	New Orleans, LA	$34,100	$16/hr
33	Virginia Beach, VA	$33,900	$16/hr
34	Chesapeake, VA	$33,900	$16/hr
35	Denver, CO	$33,800	$16/hr
36	Colorado Springs, CO	$33,700	$16/hr
37	St. Petersburg, FL	$33,700	$16/hr
38	Chicago, IL	$33,100	$16/hr
39	Austin, TX	$33,100	$16/hr
40	Baltimore, MD	$33,100	$16/hr
41	Stockton, CA	$33,100	$16/hr
42	Aurora, CO	$33,100	$16/hr
43	Tucson, AZ	$33,000	$16/hr
44	Glendale, AZ	$33,000	$16/hr
45	Garland, TX	$33,000	$16/hr
46	Plano, TX	$32,900	$16/hr
47	Chandler, AZ	$32,900	$16/hr
48	Philadelphia, PA	$32,400	$16/hr
49	Atlanta, GA	$32,400	$16/hr
50	Salt Lake City, UT	$32,400	$16/hr
51	San Antonio, TX	$32,200	$15/hr
52	Columbus, OH	$32,000	$15/hr
53	Wilmington, DE	$32,000	$15/hr
54	Raleigh, NC	$32,000	$15/hr
55	St. Paul, MN	$32,000	$15/hr
56	North Las Vegas, NV	$32,000	$15/hr
57	Boise, ID	$32,000	$15/hr
58	Fresno, CA	$32,000	$15/hr
59	Knoxville, TN	$32,000	$15/hr
60	Worcester, MA	$32,000	$15/hr
61	Dallas, TX	$31,800	$15/hr
62	Nashville, TN	$31,800	$15/hr
63	Bakersfield, CA	$31,800	$15/hr
64	Madison, WI	$31,800	$15/hr
65	Norfolk, VA	$31,600	$15/hr
66	Jacksonville, FL	$31,300	$15/hr
67	Charlotte, NC	$31,300	$15/hr
68	Mesa, AZ	$31,300	$15/hr
69	Houston, TX	$31,100	$15/hr
70	Fort Worth, TX	$31,100	$15/hr
71	Spokane, WA	$31,100	$15/hr
72	Pittsburgh, PA	$30,900	$15/hr
73	Arlington, TX	$30,900	$15/hr
74	Tallahassee, FL	$30,900	$15/hr
75	Milwaukee, WI	$30,700	$15/hr
76	Albuquerque, NM	$30,700	$15/hr
77	Grand Rapids, MI	$30,400	$15/hr
78	Detroit, MI	$30,200	$15/hr
79	Cincinnati, OH	$30,200	$15/hr
80	Kansas City, MO	$30,200	$15/hr
81	Lexington, KY	$30,200	$15/hr
82	Corpus Christi, TX	$30,200	$15/hr
83	Buffalo, NY	$30,200	$15/hr
84	Greensboro, NC	$30,200	$15/hr
85	El Paso, TX	$30,000	$14/hr
86	Cleveland, OH	$30,000	$14/hr
87	St. Louis, MO	$30,000	$14/hr
88	Winston-Salem, NC	$30,000	$14/hr
89	Indianapolis, IN	$29,800	$14/hr
90	Louisville, KY	$29,800	$14/hr
91	Omaha, NE	$29,800	$14/hr
92	Memphis, TN	$29,500	$14/hr
93	Oklahoma City, OK	$29,500	$14/hr
94	Lincoln, NE	$29,500	$14/hr
95	Birmingham, AL	$29,300	$14/hr
96	Toledo, OH	$29,300	$14/hr
97	Lubbock, TX	$29,300	$14/hr
98	Wichita, KS	$28,900	$14/hr
99	Fort Wayne, IN	$28,900	$14/hr
100	Mobile, AL	$28,900	$14/hr

Does location actually decide Hairdresser pay?

Unlike remote-capable roles, a Hairdresser cannot separate where they earn from where they live. The $43,000 to $28,900 range across these metros is therefore a genuine relocation decision, not an arbitrage opportunity.

Licensing adds friction the ranking does not show. Hairdresser requires State cosmetology/barber license required; must pass exam, and licenses are issued state by state. Moving for a higher salary can mean re-credentialing, which takes time and sometimes additional exams — check reciprocity with the destination board before treating a pay gap as attainable.

Highest-paying is not the same as best-off

The nominal ranking and the useful ranking are not the same. In Honolulu, $43,000 against $2,100/month rent leaves roughly $17,800 a year after housing. In Mobile, $28,900 against $850 leaves about $18,700. The bottom of the pay list beats the top once rent is subtracted — which is the whole reason to look past headline salary.

Why these metros and not others

What puts a metro near the top here is employer density, not price level. Honolulu (U.S. Pacific Fleet/Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Queen's Health Systems); San Francisco (Salesforce, Google); Scottsdale (Mayo Clinic Arizona, HonorHealth). Where personal services employers compete for the same candidates, offers rise above what the local cost of living alone would predict.

Salaries are modelled from BLS national medians adjusted for local price level at a wage elasticity below 1 — pay rises with local costs but not proportionally. See our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which city pays Hairdressers the most?▾

Honolulu, at roughly $43,000. Rent there averages $2,100 a month for a one-bedroom, so about $25,200 of that salary goes to housing before anything else. The metros near the top combine high local costs with concentrated personal services employment — the second part is what actually lifts pay above the local baseline.

Is the highest-paying city actually the best choice for a Hairdresser?▾

Rarely, once housing is subtracted. The list is sorted by gross pay because that is what job postings show, but the cost-adjusted figures are the ones that predict how the money feels month to month.

Can a Hairdresser work remotely from a cheaper city?▾

Largely no — the work has to be done on site. For this occupation the metro you live in and the metro that pays you are the same, which makes the ranking above a genuine relocation decision rather than something you can arbitrage.

Do I need a new license to work as a Hairdresser in another state?▾

Often yes. Hairdresser requires State cosmetology/barber license required; must pass exam, issued state by state. Some states have reciprocity agreements that make the transfer routine; others require re-examination. Confirm with the destination board before treating a higher-paying metro as reachable.