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Salary Comparison

Accountant vs Hairdresser Salary

Accountants earn approximately 59.5% more than Hairdressers nationally — $79,000 vs $32,000.

Accountant
$79,000
national median annual
Hourly (40 hr × 52 wk)
$38
Biweekly (26 paychecks)
$3,038
Monthly
$6,583
Category
Finance
Hairdresser
$32,000
national median annual
Hourly (40 hr × 52 wk)
$15
Biweekly (26 paychecks)
$1,231
Monthly
$2,667
Category
Personal Services
Difference
Annual difference
Hairdresser earn less than Accountant
-$47,000
Percentage difference
−59.5%
Hourly difference
-$23/hour
Monthly difference
-$3,917/month
Lifetime difference (40-yr career)
Naive — doesn't include compounding raises
-$1,880,000
Salary by state
→ Accountant salary by state→ Hairdresser salary by state

Accountants earn approximately $47,000 more per year than Hairdressers — about 147% — with comparable entry requirements.

What it takes to get in

Accountant roles typically require a bachelor's degree, while Hairdresser roles require a postsecondary certificate. From standing start to hireable, including training hours and licensing, the totals are roughly 4 years for Accountant and 1.25 for Hairdresser.

Only one of the two is gated by licensing: Hairdresser requires State cosmetology/barber license required; must pass exam, while Accountant does not. That cuts both ways — a license is a real barrier when you are trying to enter, and a real moat once you hold one, because it limits how quickly the labor supply can grow.

Pay range, not just the median

The medians hide most of what matters. Accountant pay runs from roughly $52,780 at the low end to $141,420 at the high end; Hairdresser runs $27,040 to $71,190. Position within the range is driven by what you specialize in and who you work for, not by the title on the offer.

What the work is actually like

Accountant: Office setting, often client-facing; heavy computer/spreadsheet use; busy season overtime. Hairdresser: Barbershops or salons; standing all day, often evenings and weekends.

The physical difference is large enough to affect how long you can do the work: Hairdresser work is moderately physical, Accountant work largely sedentary. Physically demanding trades often pay well in your twenties and thirties and then force a move into supervision, inspection, estimating, or training — worth planning for rather than discovering at fifty.

The calendars are not alike either: Accountant runs on standard weekday hours, Hairdresser on irregular hours that vary week to week. Worth weighing as heavily as the pay gap, because it is the part you live with daily.

Location flexibility is not symmetric here. Accountant work is typically hybrid, while Hairdresser work has to be done on site. That changes which metros you can earn a high salary from, and therefore what a given salary is actually worth after housing.

Moving between the two

There is little skill overlap here — Finance and Personal Services train differently and recruit through different channels — so a move between them is closer to starting over than pivoting. Bookkeepers and finance grads move in easily; CPA license is required to move up to partner-track public accounting or sign audit opinions. Retail and customer-service workers frequently retrain via cosmetology school; licenses rarely transfer across states without reciprocity.

If you are entering rather than switching: Accountant — Bachelor's in accounting, then entry-level staff accountant or audit associate role at a firm; CPA exam (150 credit hours) needed for public accounting advancement. Hairdresser — Complete a state-approved cosmetology or barber program (roughly 9-15 months), then pass the state licensing exam.

Pay ranges, education requirements, and employment projections come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. See our methodology for how these are compiled and updated.

Other comparisons in Finance

Accountant vs Financial Advisor
National median: $94,000
Accountant vs Bank Teller
National median: $36,000
Accountant vs Bookkeeper
National median: $47,000
Accountant vs Auditor
National median: $80,000

Other comparisons in Personal Services

Hairdresser vs Massage Therapist
National median: $49,000
Hairdresser vs Personal Trainer
National median: $47,000
Hairdresser vs Yoga Instructor
National median: $40,000

Related tools

Accountant salary by state — Hairdresser salary by state — Best cities for Accountant — Best cities for Hairdresser — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who earns more, a Accountant or a Hairdresser?▾
Accountants earn more at the median — approximately $79,000 a year against $32,000, a gap of $47,000 or 147%. The ranges overlap though: Accountant pay starts around $52,780 and Hairdresser pay reaches about $71,190 at the top, so an experienced Hairdresser can out-earn a new Accountant.
How much longer does it take to become a Accountant?▾
About 3 years longer. Accountant takes roughly 4 years from zero to employable — a bachelor's degree — against about 1.25 years for Hairdresser. The tuition is visible; the forgone salary during those years usually is not, and it is the larger number.
Do you need a license to work as a Hairdresser?▾
Yes — State cosmetology/barber license required; must pass exam. Accountant has no equivalent requirement. Licensing slows entry but also limits how fast the labor supply can expand, which tends to support pay over time. Requirements are set state by state, so check reciprocity before assuming a license travels with you.
Can you work remotely as a Accountant or a Hairdresser?▾
Accountant work is typically hybrid; Hairdresser work has to be done on site. This matters beyond convenience — remote-capable roles let you earn a high-cost-metro salary while paying low-cost-metro housing, which can be worth more than a raise.
Is Hairdresser physically demanding?▾
Yes — the work is moderately physical, against largely sedentary for Accountant. Plan the second half of the career deliberately: most people in physically demanding fields move toward supervision, inspection, estimating, or teaching rather than doing the same work at sixty.
Do these numbers hold in my city?▾
Nationally sourced, so treat them as a baseline rather than a local answer. Regional cost-of-living and industry concentration move both careers, but rarely by the same amount, which means the 147% gap above is a national figure and not necessarily yours.