What Does an Assistant Hairdresser Do?

As an assistant hairdresser, you will work under a licensed hair dresser.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, anyone working with hair must have a cosmetology license. The only exception to this rule is a shampoo assistant, or a hairdresser assistant.As a hairdresser’s assistant, you will receive on-the-job training from your mentor. Depending on how busy the salon is, you could be the saving grace of organization and time management. As a hairdresser’s assistant, you will assist the hairdresser with many tasks, including: welcoming customers in, shampooing, rinsing, drying, sweeping the floors, washing towels, stocking products, answering phone calls, scheduling appointments, ringing up customers, or even mixing hair color if you are experienced.

Becoming an assistant hair dresser is a great experience and a great learning opportunity. The hairdresser you work under will be able to teach you many things, from learning how to take care of customers to trimming or coloring hair. As an assistant hairdresser, you will be able to work your way up and become a stylist one day, if you choose.

How Much Does an Assistant Hairdresser Get Paid?

As an assistant hair dresser, your pay will depend on experience and what salon you are working for. If you work for a high-end salon or an extremely busy salon, typically your pay will be higher since you are taking on more stressful and time-consuming tasks. If you work for a more simple, slower paced salon, your pay may be slightly less. It really does all depend on the salon.

The average pay across the country for a hairdresser assistant, or as some salons call them, “shampooers”, is between $8.00 an hour up to $11.75 an hour. As we mentioned above, your pay may even be more if you work in a high-end salon or a very busy salon. The more experience you gain in the industry, the more your co-workers will trust you with clients and essentially, the more money you will make in the long-run.

How Can I Get Started as a Hairdresser’s Assistant?

1. Before setting out on your search for hairdresser’s assistant jobs, first you must ask your parents for permission. This is not a dangerous job, it’s just always best to let your parents know your future plans.

2. This step is completely optional. If you plan to work in a salon for a long time or aspire to be a cosmetologist, we recommend you get your cosmetology license. To obtain a cosmetology license, you must first be approved into the program. Once you are approved, you must earn between 1,500 hours – 3,000 hours, depending on what state you live in. These hours can be earned as an apprentice as well. In most states, there are local beauty schools you can attend to learn all the knowledge you need and practice your skills. Check your local area for beauty schools or schools that have cosmetology classes.

3. Next, it is important to assess your skill and education level. If you do not have any experience working in a salon, that is okay. You will be trained inside the salon. Some important questions to ask yourself are: Am I able to give a welcoming vibe to customers? Do I have any customer service experience? Am I able to multi-task and handle stressful situations? Do I know how to diffuse an angry customer? These are important questions to ask yourself. When you’re working in a salon, you will encounter angry customers and stressful situations. You’ll also need to be able to make the customers feel welcomed, well taken care of and satisfied during their time spent there. It’s statistically shown half of the reason a customer will spend their time and money at a specific salon is because of the environment and likeability of the cosmetologists.

4. The next step will be to reach out to a salon and check if they need any assistants. You can do this by calling local salons or searching on job-finding websites, such as Indeed.com. This may take some time, so you must be persistent.

5. The final step is interviewing at a salon. When going into your interview, make sure you dress professionally. Display your lovely personality and explain your expertise with customer service. It would be best if you came up with a few different situations beforehand that could happen in the salon and think of your best solution for them in case the interviewer has any questions or situations for you.

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Helpful Resources

• Indeed.com:  This is a website you can use to find assistant hair dresser positions.