Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists Salary in Austin, TX

Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area earn a median $35,220 a year — 2% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,479 take-home, or $2,540 a month.

Median salary
$35,220
$16.93 per hour
Typical range
$29,240 – $69,290
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Austin, TX
2,800
1.10× national concentration
▲4.7%
Pay trend: The median for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Austin, TX rose from $33,630 (May 2024) to $35,220 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 2.3%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists salary in Austin, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists in Austin, TX
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$30,479
per year · effective tax rate 13.5%
$2,540Monthly
$1,270Twice a month
$1,172Every 2 weeks
$14.65Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,046
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,184
  • Medicare (1.45%)$511
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$30,479

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists pay by experience in Austin, TX

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$29,240$14.06$25,674$2,140
25th percentile$30,370$14.60$26,582$2,215
Median (50th)$35,220$16.93$30,479$2,540
75th percentile$51,440$24.73$43,512$3,626
90th percentile (top earners)$69,290$33.31$57,576$4,798

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $35,220 buys in Austin, TX

Prices in Austin, TX are 1.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.20× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists's $30,479 take-home pay has the buying power of $31,080 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,562
61% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,852
73% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$978
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists jobs are about as common in Austin, TX as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.10).

Best-paying cities for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, adjusted for cost of living

Austin, TX ranks #9 of 28 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Seattle, WA $59,810$50,237$45,205
2Minneapolis, MN $46,310$37,731$35,995
3Pittsburgh, PA $38,100$31,624$33,404
4Cincinnati, OH $36,790$31,511$33,041
5Charlotte, NC $38,530$32,110$32,985
6Cleveland, OH $35,640$30,619$32,600
7Columbus, OH $36,260$31,100$32,576
8Los Angeles, CA $43,500$35,837$31,556
9Austin, TX$35,220$30,479$31,080

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 28 metros →

About the job: hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists

Provide beauty services, such as cutting, coloring, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp. May shampoo hair, apply makeup, dress wigs, remove hair, and provide nail and skincare services.

Typical education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+7.7% (faster than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists salaries elsewhere in Texas

Frequently asked questions

How much does a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists make in Austin, TX?

The median hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists salary in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area is $35,220 a year, or about $16.93 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $30,370 and $51,440.

What is a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists’s take-home pay in Austin, TX?

On the median $35,220 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $30,479 a year ($2,540 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Austin, TX a good place to work as a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists?

Pay here is 2% below the national median of $35,790. Local prices are 1.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $31,080 would in a typical U.S. city. Austin, TX ranks #9 of 28 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists afford rent in Austin, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Austin, TX is $1,562 a month ($1,852 for two bedrooms) — 61% of a median hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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