Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists Salary
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists earn $31,080 at the median, or about $14.94 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $31,512 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,573/month, about 70.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). 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.
About hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
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What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Pay for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,573/month, which is 69.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $34K | $33K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $35K | $36K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $30K | $32K |
| El Paso | $27K | $30K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $37K 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 69.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,416/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 111% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $31K here vs. $36K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $31,080 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,600, and experienced hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists can clear $60,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,251/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 69.9% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (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 $31,512 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.