Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists Salary
In Asheville, NC, hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists earn $40,620 at the median, or about $19.53 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.51), that's roughly $42,089 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,567/month, about 55.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K get you in Asheville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Asheville’s Regional Price Parity (96.51). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Asheville
Asheville sits well above the national pay line for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,567/month, which is 57.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in metros near Asheville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $39K | $40K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $44K | $45K |
| Winston-Salem | $39K | $42K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $48K | $49K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Asheville, NC
Entry-level hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $60K | +66% | 6,930 |
| Oregon | $58K | +61% | 1,860 |
| District of Columbia | $55K | +52% | 870 |
| South Dakota | $50K | +39% | 690 |
| Vermont | $49K | +36% | 440 |
| Connecticut | $45K | +25% | 4,090 |
| Maine | $44K | +23% | 970 |
| Minnesota | $39K | +9% | 5,320 |
| California | $39K | +8% | 27,080 |
| North Carolina | $38K | +7% | 8,490 |
| Montana | $38K | +6% | 690 |
| New Mexico | $38K | +5% | 1,230 |
| Colorado | $38K | +5% | 6,820 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +4% | 9,600 |
| Arizona | $37K | +3% | 7,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | +3% | 19,350 |
| Maryland | $36K | +2% | 5,860 |
| Ohio | $36K | +1% | 12,890 |
| Wisconsin | $36K | +1% | 6,260 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +1% | 15,500 |
| New York | $36K | -0% | 20,740 |
| Iowa | $36K | -0% | 2,930 |
| Idaho | $35K | -1% | 2,250 |
| Utah | $35K | -2% | 2,810 |
| Hawaii | $35K | -2% | 930 |
| North Dakota | $35K | -3% | 870 |
| Michigan | $35K | -3% | 8,970 |
| New Hampshire | $35K | -3% | 1,950 |
| Georgia | $35K | -3% | 7,910 |
| West Virginia | $34K | -4% | 1,020 |
| Delaware | $34K | -4% | 1,270 |
| Nebraska | $34K | -4% | 1,890 |
| Illinois | $34K | -5% | 13,190 |
| Nevada | $34K | -5% | 1,940 |
| South Carolina | $34K | -6% | 3,570 |
| Indiana | $33K | -8% | 5,920 |
| Alaska | $32K | -10% | 330 |
| Tennessee | $31K | -13% | 6,080 |
| Rhode Island | $31K | -13% | 1,470 |
| Missouri | $31K | -14% | 5,430 |
| Texas | $31K | -14% | 22,440 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -17% | 2,350 |
| Kansas | $30K | -17% | 2,190 |
| Oklahoma | $30K | -17% | 1,920 |
| Florida | $30K | -17% | 23,530 |
| Wyoming | $29K | -18% | 360 |
| Alabama | $29K | -19% | 3,300 |
| Arkansas | $29K | -19% | 1,410 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -23% | 1,040 |
| Louisiana | $26K | -27% | 2,720 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Asheville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Asheville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 57.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,567/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Asheville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,645/month. At HUD’s $1,567/month FMR, rent would take 95% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologist a high-paying job in Asheville?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $41K here vs. $36K nationally.
How does Asheville compare to the national average for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists?
Asheville pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists make in Asheville, NC?
The median is $40,620 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,420, and experienced hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists can clear $60,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Asheville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,737/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,567/month, which eats 57.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists salary go in Asheville?
Asheville has a Regional Price Parity of 96.51 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists salary is worth about $42,089 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.