Pay by state · 52 areas
Hairstylist Salary by State (2026)
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists earn the most in Washington at $59,510 a year and the least in Louisiana at $26,030 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $35,790. The table below covers 49 states, DC, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $59,510Washington
- National median
- $35,790BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $26,030Louisiana
- Areas reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
Ranked on the state median among the 49 reporting states and DC. After cost of living, South Dakota comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Washington$59,510
- 2Oregon$57,580
- 3District of Columbia$54,570
- 4South Dakota$49,800
- 5Vermont$48,650
Lowest median pay
- 1Louisiana$26,030
- 2Mississippi$27,560
- 3Arkansas$28,830
- 4Alabama$29,150
- 5Wyoming$29,170
All states
Hairstylist salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $59,510 | $46,280 | $73,540 | 6,930 | $55,610 |
| 2 | OROregon | $57,580 | $38,640 | $64,740 | 1,860 | $55,708 |
| 3 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $54,570 | $45,250 | $77,620 | 870 | $49,654 |
| 4 | SDSouth Dakota | $49,800 | $42,870 | $56,200 | 690 | $56,217 |
| 5 | VTVermont | $48,650 | $35,870 | $60,860 | 440 | $49,664 |
| 6 | CTConnecticut | $44,620 | $34,310 | $59,790 | 4,090 | $43,065 |
| 7 | MEMaine | $44,000 | $37,000 | $61,860 | 970 | $45,337 |
| 8 | MNMinnesota | $39,170 | $34,620 | $59,300 | 5,320 | $39,718 |
| 9 | CACalifornia | $38,660 | $36,600 | $49,030 | 27,080 | $34,917 |
| 10 | NCNorth Carolina | $38,410 | $29,270 | $48,300 | 8,490 | $40,720 |
| 11 | MTMontana | $38,000 | $24,270 | $59,900 | 690 | $40,150 |
| 12 | NMNew Mexico | $37,750 | $28,810 | $46,240 | 1,230 | $40,938 |
| 13 | COColorado | $37,690 | $35,330 | $59,710 | 6,820 | $36,574 |
| 14 | MAMassachusetts | $37,290 | $34,930 | $60,340 | 9,600 | $35,260 |
| 15 | AZArizona | $36,810 | $34,250 | $45,520 | 7,840 | $36,562 |
| 16 | PAPennsylvania | $36,790 | $29,050 | $55,360 | 19,350 | $37,705 |
| 17 | MDMaryland | $36,420 | $32,710 | $47,590 | 5,860 | $34,699 |
| 18 | OHOhio | $36,260 | $28,030 | $57,840 | 12,890 | $39,084 |
| 19 | WIWisconsin | $36,230 | $29,470 | $47,060 | 6,260 | $38,504 |
| 20 | NJNew Jersey | $36,150 | $33,630 | $53,580 | 15,500 | $33,225 |
| 21 | NYNew York | $35,760 | $34,580 | $58,320 | 20,740 | $33,135 |
| 22 | IAIowa | $35,700 | $29,670 | $48,580 | 2,930 | $40,678 |
| 23 | IDIdaho | $35,480 | $27,470 | $37,710 | 2,250 | $37,154 |
| 24 | UTUtah | $35,140 | $28,540 | $51,130 | 2,810 | $35,544 |
| 25 | HIHawaii | $35,040 | $29,650 | $56,360 | 930 | $31,869 |
| 26 | NDNorth Dakota | $34,850 | $30,510 | $53,480 | 870 | $39,175 |
| 27 | MIMichigan | $34,820 | $28,870 | $60,590 | 8,970 | $36,189 |
| 28 | NHNew Hampshire | $34,650 | $28,490 | $46,450 | 1,950 | $33,265 |
| 29 | GAGeorgia | $34,560 | $24,810 | $48,730 | 7,910 | $35,890 |
| 30 | WVWest Virginia | $34,480 | $28,710 | $46,340 | 1,020 | $38,526 |
| 31 | DEDelaware | $34,350 | $31,200 | $46,970 | 1,270 | $34,416 |
| 32 | NENebraska | $34,320 | $30,360 | $49,870 | 1,890 | $38,090 |
| 33 | ILIllinois | $34,040 | $31,200 | $41,110 | 13,190 | $34,054 |
| 34 | NVNevada | $33,840 | $29,400 | $37,560 | 1,940 | $33,847 |
| 35 | SCSouth Carolina | $33,700 | $27,410 | $56,770 | 3,570 | $35,947 |
| 36 | INIndiana | $32,830 | $27,980 | $44,910 | 5,920 | $35,177 |
| 37 | AKAlaska | $32,150 | $31,990 | $54,850 | 330 | $31,409 |
| 38 | TNTennessee | $31,310 | $28,820 | $39,990 | 6,080 | $34,081 |
| 39 | RIRhode Island | $31,200 | $31,200 | $32,950 | 1,470 | $30,504 |
| 40 | MOMissouri | $30,750 | $29,350 | $38,130 | 5,430 | $33,859 |
| 41 | TXTexas | $30,680 | $28,270 | $47,180 | 22,440 | $31,610 |
| 42 | KYKentucky | $29,840 | $26,730 | $42,220 | 2,350 | $33,097 |
| 43 | KSKansas | $29,710 | $26,690 | $48,010 | 2,190 | $32,986 |
| 44 | OKOklahoma | $29,650 | $23,070 | $44,260 | 1,920 | $33,753 |
| 45 | FLFlorida | $29,530 | $28,340 | $35,090 | 23,530 | $28,555 |
| 46 | GUGuam | $29,500 | $27,840 | $33,690 | 170 | N/A |
| 47 | WYWyoming | $29,170 | $25,730 | $36,500 | 360 | $31,470 |
| 48 | ALAlabama | $29,150 | $23,610 | $37,230 | 3,300 | $32,818 |
| 49 | ARArkansas | $28,830 | $24,410 | $33,730 | 1,410 | $33,162 |
| 50 | MSMississippi | $27,560 | $23,990 | $39,810 | 1,040 | $31,695 |
| 51 | LALouisiana | $26,030 | $23,060 | $29,530 | 2,720 | $29,510 |
| 52 | PRPuerto Rico | $22,090 | $21,840 | $22,910 | 960 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $59,510, while South Dakota leads once prices are taken into account at $56,217.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Hairstylist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists at $59,510 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Oregon ($57,580) and District of Columbia ($54,570).
Which state pays hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists the least?
Among the 49 reporting states and DC, Louisiana reports the lowest median for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists at $26,030 a year, $33,480 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $29,500 and Puerto Rico reports $22,090.
Is the highest-paying state the best for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists after cost of living?
Not on this data. Washington pays the most on paper ($59,510) but ranks 3rd of 50 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($55,610). South Dakota leads after that adjustment at $56,217, from a raw median of $49,800. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.