Pay distribution $35,540 10th $35,770 25th $46,630 75th $54,940 90th
Half of Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists in the San Francisco metro area earn more than $42,400 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $35,770 and $46,630.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $35,540 $35,770 $42,400 $46,630 $54,940 Hourly $17.09 $17.20 $20.39 $22.42 $26.41
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares San Francisco metro areathis metro area
$42,400 median for San Francisco metro area; middle half earns $35,770 to $46,630
$38,660 median for California; middle half earns $36,600 to $49,030
$35,790 median for United States; middle half earns $30,120 to $48,830
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is +10% vs California overall and +18% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $22,030 $35,313 $48,597 $61,880 Arecibo, PR — $22,030 Mayaguez, PR — $22,220 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $22,480 Monroe, LA — $23,260 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $23,550 Alexandria, LA — $23,580 Lafayette, LA — $23,700 Albany, GA — $23,760 Lake Charles, LA — $23,840 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $24,170 Hattiesburg, MS — $24,580 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $26,080 Laredo, TX — $26,130 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $26,280 Baton Rouge, LA — $26,300 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $26,470 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $26,890 Tyler, TX — $26,950 El Paso, TX — $26,970 Jackson, MS — $26,990 Gadsden, AL — $27,070 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $27,170 Ocala, FL — $27,180 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $27,310 Rocky Mount, NC — $27,330 Farmington, NM — $27,360 Jonesboro, AR — $27,570 Longview, TX — $27,640 Harrisonburg, VA — $27,730 Casper, WY — $27,740 Roanoke, VA — $27,750 Texarkana, TX-AR — $27,750 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $27,790 Amarillo, TX — $27,810 Wichita Falls, TX — $27,830 College Station-Bryan, TX — $27,860 Owensboro, KY — $27,890 Gainesville, FL — $27,930 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $27,980 Lawton, OK — $28,050 Killeen-Temple, TX — $28,080 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $28,090 Dothan, AL — $28,150 Corpus Christi, TX — $28,210 Abilene, TX — $28,230 Terre Haute, IN — $28,280 Wichita, KS — $28,340 Paducah, KY-IL — $28,350 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $28,370 Elizabethtown, KY — $28,390 Decatur, AL — $28,430 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $28,550 Bowling Green, KY — $28,580 Joplin, MO-KS — $28,600 Beckley, WV — $28,610 Jefferson City, MO — $28,630 Lubbock, TX — $28,630 Hot Springs, AR — $28,680 Charlottesville, VA — $28,720 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $28,730 Sumter, SC — $28,780 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $28,800 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $28,820 Jacksonville, FL — $28,900 Gainesville, GA — $28,930 Johnson City, TN — $28,980 Birmingham, AL — $29,000 Tallahassee, FL — $29,010 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $29,020 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $29,030 Sandusky, OH — $29,030 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $29,050 Waco, TX — $29,110 Huntsville, AL — $29,150 Punta Gorda, FL — $29,160 Topeka, KS — $29,160 Port St. Lucie, FL — $29,200 Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $29,200 Morristown, TN — $29,210 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $29,230 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $29,250 Cheyenne, WY — $29,260 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $29,430 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $29,470 Springfield, MO — $29,500 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $29,520 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $29,520 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $29,580 Mansfield, OH — $29,690 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $29,690 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $29,700 Evansville, IN — $29,700 Manhattan, KS — $29,700 Mobile, AL — $29,700 Oklahoma City, OK — $29,700 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $29,760 Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $29,780 Columbus, GA-AL — $29,790 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $29,790 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $29,830 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $29,850 Tulsa, OK — $29,860 Clarksville, TN-KY — $29,900 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $29,940 Fort Wayne, IN — $29,950 Midland, TX — $30,040 Ogden, UT — $30,080 Altoona, PA — $30,090 St. George, UT — $30,200 Savannah, GA — $30,210 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $30,250 Homosassa Springs, FL — $30,250 Tuscaloosa, AL — $30,250 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $30,260 Kokomo, IN — $30,320 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $30,330 Bloomington, IN — $30,360 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $30,380 Cleveland, TN — $30,390 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $30,410 Lincoln, NE — $30,440 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $30,460 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $30,490 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $30,530 Montgomery, AL — $30,530 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $30,550 Logan, UT-ID — $30,560 Williamsport, PA — $30,580 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $30,590 Flint, MI — $30,610 Jackson, MI — $30,640 Knoxville, TN — $30,650 Monroe, MI — $30,690 Columbia, SC — $30,710 Bay City, MI — $30,720 Goldsboro, NC — $30,740 Grand Island, NE — $30,740 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $30,770 Florence, SC — $30,810 Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $30,820 San Angelo, TX — $30,900 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $30,980 Santa Fe, NM — $30,990 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $31,000 Muncie, IN — $31,020 Urban Honolulu, HI — $31,020 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $31,080 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $31,110 Dover, DE — $31,200 Kankakee, IL — $31,200 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $31,200 Springfield, IL — $31,200 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $31,270 Columbus, IN — $31,300 Kansas City, MO-KS — $31,520 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $31,620 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $31,720 Wheeling, WV-OH — $31,720 Fond du Lac, WI — $31,810 Minot, ND — $32,030 Anchorage, AK — $32,150 Peoria, IL — $32,280 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $32,390 Utica-Rome, NY — $32,520 Decatur, IL — $32,620 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $32,710 Morgantown, WV — $32,790 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $32,950 Idaho Falls, ID — $33,080 Pueblo, CO — $33,280 Springfield, OH — $33,280 St. Louis, MO-IL — $33,350 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $33,480 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $33,510 Lima, OH — $33,530 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $33,580 Binghamton, NY — $33,620 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $33,620 Spartanburg, SC — $33,640 Saginaw, MI — $33,650 Pocatello, ID — $33,760 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $33,810 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $33,840 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $33,850 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $33,960 Wausau, WI — $34,050 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $34,110 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $34,260 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $34,380 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $34,430 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $34,640 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $34,670 Bismarck, ND — $34,680 Burlington, NC — $34,700 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $34,710 Johnstown, PA — $34,720 Kingston, NY — $34,720 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $34,730 Battle Creek, MI — $34,770 Syracuse, NY — $34,810 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $34,860 Fargo, ND-MN — $34,910 Redding, CA — $34,930 Traverse City, MI — $34,950 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $34,960 Yuma, AZ — $34,970 Greenville, NC — $34,980 Canton-Massillon, OH — $35,010 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $35,010 Mankato, MN — $35,010 Duluth, MN-WI — $35,080 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $35,090 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $35,100 Eau Claire, WI — $35,140 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $35,220 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $35,270 St. Cloud, MN — $35,310 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $35,330 Carson City, NV — $35,350 Dubuque, IA — $35,360 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $35,360 Ann Arbor, MI — $35,490 Green Bay, WI — $35,490 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $35,500 Lancaster, PA — $35,510 Erie, PA — $35,540 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $35,540 Pittsfield, MA — $35,550 Midland, MI — $35,580 Cleveland, OH — $35,640 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $35,640 Cedar Rapids, IA — $35,770 Fresno, CA — $35,880 Boise City, ID — $35,890 Columbia, MO — $35,900 Iowa City, IA — $35,950 Sebring, FL — $36,000 York-Hanover, PA — $36,050 Gettysburg, PA — $36,100 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $36,120 Ames, IA — $36,170 Lawrence, KS — $36,180 Appleton, WI — $36,260 Columbus, OH — $36,260 Reading, PA — $36,350 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $36,370 Omaha, NE-IA — $36,390 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $36,410 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $36,430 Worcester, MA — $36,430 Toledo, OH — $36,440 New Haven, CT — $36,480 Madison, WI — $36,490 Reno, NV — $36,490 Grand Junction, CO — $36,500 Kenosha, WI — $36,520 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $36,530 State College, PA — $36,540 Visalia, CA — $36,570 Longview-Kelso, WA — $36,590 Fairbanks-College, AK — $36,610 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $36,620 Colorado Springs, CO — $36,680 Springfield, MA — $36,690 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $36,760 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $36,780 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $36,790 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $36,810 Rochester, NY — $36,830 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $36,900 Modesto, CA — $36,960 Niles, MI — $36,960 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $37,020 Bangor, ME — $37,050 Yuba City, CA — $37,180 Sheboygan, WI — $37,210 Wilmington, NC — $37,230 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $37,290 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $37,320 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $37,350 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $37,380 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $37,380 Flagstaff, AZ — $37,390 Lexington Park, MD — $37,420 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $37,430 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $37,440 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $37,620 Vineland, NJ — $37,680 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $37,690 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $37,690 Lewiston, ID-WA — $37,820 Chico, CA — $37,880 Lebanon, PA — $37,920 Salinas, CA — $37,970 Akron, OH — $38,100 Pittsburgh, PA — $38,100 Helena, MT — $38,160 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $38,190 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $38,200 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $38,280 Fayetteville, NC — $38,290 Albuquerque, NM — $38,330 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $38,530 Tucson, AZ — $38,590 Vallejo, CA — $38,640 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $38,740 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $38,810 Winston-Salem, NC — $38,980 Salisbury, MD — $39,400 Rochester, MN — $39,460 Napa, CA — $39,610 Jacksonville, NC — $39,990 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $39,990 Asheville, NC — $40,620 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $40,720 Billings, MT — $40,950 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $41,230 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $42,350 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $42,400 Great Falls, MT — $42,450 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $42,650 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $43,410 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $43,500 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $43,700 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $44,270 Greeley, CO — $44,380 Yakima, WA — $46,270 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $46,310 Portland-South Portland, ME — $46,460 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $46,470 Barnstable Town, MA — $46,520 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $48,060 Boulder, CO — $48,120 Rapid City, SD — $48,440 Medford, OR — $49,480 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $49,570 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $49,640 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $49,840 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $50,500 Salem, OR — $50,960 Bend, OR — $51,640 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $58,150 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $58,740 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $59,610 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $59,810 Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $60,710 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $61,440 Bellingham, WA — $61,820 Corvallis, OR — $61,880 San Francisco metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The San Francisco metro area has the 31st-highest published median for this occupation among the 349 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in California Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
San Francisco metro areathis page
$42,400 median for San Francisco metro area; middle half earns $35,770 to $46,630
$43,500 median for Los Angeles metro area; middle half earns $36,820 to $61,420
$43,410 median for San Jose metro area; middle half earns $38,230 to $45,090
$39,610 median for Napa metro area; middle half earns $37,880 to $53,210
$38,640 median for Vallejo metro area; middle half earns $37,200 to $47,940
$38,280 median for Santa Rosa metro area; middle half earns $37,500 to $48,990
$37,970 median for Salinas metro area; middle half earns $36,010 to $49,190
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .