hairdresser
Key facts
Transforming looks and boosting confidence – a career as a hairdresser offers a creative and people-focused path. If you enjoy working with clients and have an eye for style, this could be the perfect fit for you.
As a hairdresser, you’ll be at the forefront of beauty trends, providing a range of hair services to clients. Your days will involve consulting with clients to understand their desired styles, performing cuts, colours, and styling treatments, and ensuring their hair and scalp are healthy. You'll use tools like clippers, scissors, and razors, and maintain a clean and organised workspace.
- • Consulting with clients to determine their hairstyle preferences and offering expert advice.
- • Cutting, colouring, bleaching, and styling hair using various techniques and tools.
- • Performing hair and scalp treatments, including shampooing, conditioning, and rinsing.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Personal service workers — 86 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary and 4 more.
Longest-running shortage: Denmark, 4 years.
Where it is regulated, your qualification would need formal recognition before you could practise.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
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Find your career path and explore the science behind our recommendations.
Could hairdresser fit you?
Answer three quick questions. This is not a full assessment — it is a teaser to help you decide whether to compare your profile.
Do you enjoy tasks that require Attention to Detail?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Self-Control?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Cooperation?
Future Outlook for hairdresser
The outlook for hairdresser is exceptionally stable. While AI tools will assist with daily tasks, the core of this role relies on human judgment, resulting in a high resilience score of 81%.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could hairdresser change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could hairdresser change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- style hair
- work ergonomically
- use equipment for hair care
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- maintain equipment
- stay up-to-date with hair style trends
- identify customer's needs
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Arts, Entertainment, & Design
A typical day as a hairdresser
09 09:00 · Morning curl hair
10 10:30 · Mid-morning advise on hair style
12 12:00 · Midday identify customer's needs
14 14:00 · Afternoon stay up-to-date with hair style trends
15 15:30 · Late afternoon use equipment for hair care
17 17:00 · Wrap-up wash hair
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
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hair
Human hair, its composition and interaction with various chemicals, environment factors and health issues.
- hair colouring
- hair products
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style hair
Style a person's hair using the appropriate techniques and products.
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use equipment for hair care
Use tools to cut, trim or shave hair, such as scissors, clippers, razors and combs.
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wash hair
Use shampoo to clean clients' hair and scalp, use hair conditioners to create volume or make hair more smooth and shiny and afterwards dry the hair with a blow dryer or a towel.
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curl hair
Curl a person's hair using the appropriate techniques and products.
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dye hair
Dye hair using a special solution to change its colour.
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maintain customer service
Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
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satisfy customers
Communicate with customers and make them feel satisfied.
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communicate with customers
Respond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.
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work ergonomically
Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.
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maintain equipment
Regularly inspect and perform all required activities to maintain the equipment in functional order prior or after its use.
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advise on hair style
Make recommendations to customers about suitable hair styles, based on their preferences and your own professional judgment.
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identify customer's needs
Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
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process payments
Accept payments such as cash, credit cards and debit cards. Handle reimbursement in case of returns or administer vouchers and marketing instruments such as bonus cards or membership cards. Pay attention to safety and the protection of personal data.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
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Where does hairdresser fit?
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Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What skills are important to succeed as a hairdresser?
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential for understanding client needs. You'll also need excellent hand-eye coordination, attention to detail, and a creative flair. Familiarity with different hair types and styling techniques is crucial.
- Can I be a self-employed hairdresser?
- Yes, while many hairdressers are employed in salons, it’s also common to establish your own self-business. This offers greater flexibility but requires business management skills alongside your hairdressing expertise.
- What kind of work environment can I expect?
- Hairdressers typically work in salons, which can range from small, independent businesses to larger, chain establishments. The work environment is usually fast-paced and involves standing for extended periods.
- Hairdresser — is there a shortage in Europe?
- Yes. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a shortage was reported in 8 of the 15 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Hungary and 4 more. Denmark has reported one for 4 consecutive years. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Hairdresser — what does it pay in the United States?
- $35,250 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $22,090 to $59,510. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.
- Hairdresser — is it a regulated profession?
- It is listed as a regulated profession in 15 European countries: Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, France and 11 more. The lowest qualification level required among them is EQF 3. Where a profession is regulated, a qualification earned elsewhere has to be formally recognised before you can practise. Source: EU Regulated Professions Database.