Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists Salary in Baltimore, MD
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area earn a median $36,370 a year — 2% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,039 take-home, or $2,503 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists salary in Baltimore, MD. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,184
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,255
- Medicare (1.45%)$527
- Maryland income tax$1,364
- Take-home pay$30,039
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.75% state
Living in Baltimore City? City residents also pay Baltimore City’s city income tax — about $954 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $29,085 ($2,424 a month). Choose “Baltimore City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists pay by experience in Baltimore, MD
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $31,820 | $15.30 | $26,600 | $2,217 |
| 25th percentile | $32,920 | $15.83 | $27,431 | $2,286 |
| Median (50th) | $36,370 | $17.49 | $30,039 | $2,503 |
| 75th percentile | $47,590 | $22.88 | $38,522 | $3,210 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $59,530 | $28.62 | $47,548 | $3,962 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Maryland resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $36,370 buys in Baltimore, MD
Prices in Baltimore, MD are 4.5% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.18× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists's $30,039 take-home pay has the buying power of $28,749 in a typical American city.
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 Baltimore, MD as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.01).
Best-paying cities for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, adjusted for cost of living
Baltimore, MD ranks #18 of 28 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $59,810 | $50,237 | $45,205 |
| 2 | Minneapolis, MN | $46,310 | $37,731 | $35,995 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh, PA | $38,100 | $31,624 | $33,404 |
| 4 | Cincinnati, OH | $36,790 | $31,511 | $33,041 |
| 5 | Charlotte, NC | $38,530 | $32,110 | $32,985 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $35,640 | $30,619 | $32,600 |
| 7 | Columbus, OH | $36,260 | $31,100 | $32,576 |
| 8 | Los Angeles, CA | $43,500 | $35,837 | $31,556 |
| 18 | Baltimore, MD | $36,370 | $30,039 | $28,749 |
*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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists make in Baltimore, MD?
The median hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists salary in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area is $36,370 a year, or about $17.49 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $32,920 and $47,590.
What is a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists’s take-home pay in Baltimore, MD?
On the median $36,370 salary, a single filer living in Maryland takes home about $30,039 a year ($2,503 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,364 in Maryland taxes in 2026.
Is Baltimore, MD a good place to work as a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists?
Pay here is 2% above the national median of $35,790. Local prices are 4.5% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $28,749 would in a typical U.S. city. Baltimore, MD ranks #18 of 28 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists afford rent in Baltimore, MD?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Baltimore, MD is $1,511 a month ($1,857 for two bedrooms) — 60% 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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