Welcome to our comprehensive salon industry statistics 2022 – 2025. We have gathered salon industry statistics from the global salon services market in the US and Canada to provide the facts you need for your salon business.
Benefit from our extensive research on the beauty salon industry. Choose which of the latest trends reports interest you the most to get factual beauty salon industry statistics.
Beauty Business Acquisition Statistics
Professional Brand Preferences (2023)
Workplace & Hiring Statistics:
Below, you can find general salon industry facts gathered since 2022.
How Many Salons are in the US?
As of 2023, the US salon industry includes approximately 444,102 licensed salons, spas and barber shops. This figure was compiled directly from state cosmetology and barber licensing boards — not estimated from census data, which has consistently reported inaccurate state-level numbers.
Data was gathered from all 50 states. The following states were unable to provide complete figures or do not license establishments in a standard way — numbers for these states are estimated: Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, DC, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, and Utah.
Licensed Establishments by State:
Alabama — 6,250 (estimated) Alaska — 916 (estimated) Arizona — 8,875 Arkansas — 3,900 California — 53,747 Colorado — 6,661 Connecticut — 4,500 (estimated) DC — 861 (estimated) Delaware — 665 Florida — 40,060 Georgia — 13,656 Hawaii — 2,389 Idaho — 2,687 Illinois — 16,240 (estimated) Indiana — 8,455 Iowa — 4,571 Kansas — 4,887 Kentucky — 5,500 Louisiana — 5,750 (estimated) Maine — 1,919 Maryland — 5,521 Massachusetts — 10,415 Michigan — 11,492 Minnesota — 6,007 Mississippi — 3,625 (estimated) Missouri — 13,803 Montana — 1,680 Nebraska — 3,152 Nevada — 3,422 New Hampshire — 1,625 (estimated) New Jersey — 17,727 New Mexico — 1,872 New York — 25,250 (estimated) North Carolina — 16,200 North Dakota — 2,106 Ohio — 15,647 Oklahoma — 4,875 (estimated) Oregon — 4,707 Pennsylvania — 20,322 Rhode Island — 1,320 South Carolina — 8,261 South Dakota — 2,620 Tennessee — 10,887 Texas — 32,578 Utah — 4,010 (estimated) Vermont — 785 Virginia — 7,630 Washington — 8,590 West Virginia — 2,585 Wisconsin — 8,637 Wyoming — 772
Hair Salon Industry Statistics Overview
An interesting discovery happened when researching facts about hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists. There was no concrete data on the hair industry statistics, nail salons, spas, or barber shops.
No one seemed to be able to nail down how many hair salons there are or what is really going on with salon employment. Even consumer preferences and consumer behavior are virtually impossible to determine.
Our labor statistics reports are the most comprehensive guides for salon owners to understand workplace preferences in hiring.
Where did our salon industry statistics for employment originate?
Employment, booth rental, salon suite rental, and hybrid salon information were gathered from the Enlightened Hire program. Enlightened Hire was an experimental project designed to determine the wants, needs, and preferences of the salon, spa, and barber industry when it comes to making workplace decisions.
Enlightened Hire was offered in the US and Canada only; statistics reflect preferences from these two countries only.
This includes a wide range of salons, spas, and barbershops and a diverse group of hair stylists, barbers, nail technicians, estheticians and massage therapists.
Hair Stylist Employment Statistics
Do students want an hourly wage? What are local salons offering for female hairstylists and cosmetologists?
Thousands of salon, spa, and barber professionals have voiced their opinions! Uncover the secrets to hair stylist employment wants, needs, and preferences in our comprehensive hair stylist report.
What is the average age to enter the beauty industry?
The average age to enter the beauty industry is 20 years old. You must have a high school diploma or GED to attend cosmetology school
Is there a gender pay gap in the beauty services industry?
Our reports reveal that male and female hairstylists have an equal opportunity in beauty salons for both wage annual reports and in prices for booth rental salons. Beauty salons do not differ in annual wage for African American beauty professionals, male hair stylists, or female hair stylists.
Beauty Salons RESTRAINING FACTORS
When it comes to hiring, beauty salons have a lot of competition without proper recruitment training. Many salon owners work behind the chair and are dependent upon their income to keep the salon afloat.
This leaves owners with little time to invest in hiring salon and spa professionals. Hiring and finding booth rental hair stylists is the #1 biggest salon industry revenue problem in 2023.
Hair stylist retention rates & salon labor statistics
The second biggest issue facing salon industry owners is staff retention. The US economy has had a profound impact on low annual wage salons and expensive salon suites.
Salons that do not offer benefits like client building or business support are finding new ways to help salon pros grow and create disposable income. If you are struggling to retain salon staff, consider hiring a salon mentor or coach to help you reach your hair industry goals.
Beauty Salons RESTRAINING FACTORS
When it comes to hiring, beauty salons have a lot of competition without proper recruitment training. Many salon owners work behind the chair and are dependent upon their income to keep the salon afloat.
This leaves owners with little time to invest in hiring salon and spa professionals. Hiring and finding booth rental hair stylists is the #1 biggest salon industry revenue problem in 2023.
Hair stylist retention rates & salon labor statistics
The second biggest issue facing salon industry owners is staff retention. The US economy has had a profound impact on low annual wage salons and expensive salon suites.
Salons that do not offer benefits like client building or business support are finding new ways to help salon pros grow and create disposable income. If you are struggling to retain salon staff, consider hiring a salon mentor or coach to help you reach your hair industry goals.
Hair salon industry statistics 2023: wages
Hair stylists earn, on average $12,000 per year, part-time. With the threat of losing federal funding for cosmetology schools and unreported wages, there is much room for improvement in the Salon Industry Statistics 2023 report.
Work Environment in the Hair Salon Industry
Salon industry statistics show that the popularity of booth rental and salon suites continues to rise. In 2023, there have been a higher than usual employment requests from booth rental salon professionals, wanting to get back into commission and hourly salon environments.
The salon data reports: Most hair stylists and salon industry professionals desire the freedom and flexibility of suite and booth rental. The problem lies within the individual’s ability to be a business owner.
We predict growth for hourly wage salons, spas, and barbershops to be on the rise in 2024-2026, amidst the unstable economy and burnout of independent salon professionals who go into booth rental too early in their careers.
The company size where hair stylists work
Does size matter in salon hiring? According to our statistics, it does.
Salon, spa, and barber pros have spoken about their preferences for not only corporate-owned salons, but also what size of salon they prefer to work in.
Get the full report of workplace preferences of hair stylists, students, and experienced salon & spa professionals in our statistical reports.
What is the success rate of new Hair Salons?
New hair salons and skin care businesses have an average success rate of 50% in the first 3 years of business. Determining factors in success include: salon industry experience and knowledge, marketing initiatives, pre-existing client base, market research, and business acumen.
If you are considering opening a salon, learn more about what needs to be included in your beauty salon business plan.
Why do salons fail?
There isn’t one singular reason salons fail. 70% of non-franchise salons, spas and barber shops are owner- operated.
Salons fail at different stages in a salons’ life cycle. Salons that fail in the first two years are typically owned by salon professionals that do not have a grasp on what it is like to run a business, before it’s too late.
A well-thought-out business plan lends itself to understanding what salon ownership entails and how to prepare for leaner hair care service income.
Established salons fail when owners grow tired of running the day to day operations. Walk outs, disasters, theft and low income can make owners want to throw in the towel.
Prevent salon failure by hiring a salon consultant, browse our comprehensive list to find your ideal salon or spa mentor.
Owning a salon without being a hair stylist statistics
If you are not a hair stylist and are considering opening a salon, it is crucial to understand salon industry statistics before committing to a lease. Frequently, non-salon industry owners can become successful proprietors due to their strong emphasis on enhancing the client’s experience.
Non-hair stylist salon owners can achieve higher earnings when they effectively manage inventory and maintain a focus on expanding the salon within target markets. Although hairstylists and cosmetologists are often highly creative individuals, they might lack the necessary business training and money management skills required for operating a successful salon.
For non-hair stylist salon owners, the most significant opportunities lie in salon franchises and salon suites. Franchises provide resources for hiring, marketing, and overall business management.
Salon suites, on the other hand, offer ease of management and are frequently owned by investors or salon enthusiasts who are not themselves hair stylists. When working with the salon industry, it is advised to gain as much knowledge on the inner workings of our industry, before becoming an owner.
Salonspa Connection offers free resources such as a list of salon consultants, coaches and mentors, buy a salon page, and helpful blog content.