Pay by state · 52 states
Hairstylist Salary by State (2026)
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists earn the most in Washington at $59,510 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $22,090 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $35,790. All 52 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $59,510Washington
- National median
- $35,790BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $22,090Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
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?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists at $22,090 a year, $37,420 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts South Dakota first at $56,217 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $49,800. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.