Your work. Your records.
Hairstylist Workplace Records Guide
Hairstylists and cosmetologists may work under employment, rental or other arrangements. A salon title alone does not establish status or compensation rights. Start an employment review with your own agreement, the entity receiving or making payments and the actual rules governing appointments, services, products and work schedules.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Arrangement documents
Gather your own employment or rental agreement and dated changes to scheduling, product or payment terms.
Adjustment timeline
List the payment period, stated reason for an adjustment and your request for clarification.
Work sequence
Record required preparation, services and sanitation duties relevant to the schedule or compensation issue.
Start with the work you actually do
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.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists (39-5012.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs.Source task 635 · updated 08/2026
- Schedule client appointments.Source task 638 · updated 08/2026
- Bleach, dye, or tint hair, using applicator or brush.Source task 639 · updated 08/2026
- Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type, and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors.Source task 636 · updated 08/2026
- Update and maintain customer information records, such as beauty services provided.Source task 640 · updated 08/2026
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists (SOC 39-5012). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $11.35 | $14.02 | $17.90 | $29,150 |
| Alaska | $15.38 | $15.46 | $26.37 | $32,150 |
| Arizona | $16.47 | $17.70 | $21.88 | $36,810 |
| Arkansas | $11.74 | $13.86 | $16.22 | $28,830 |
| Connecticut | $16.49 | $21.45 | $28.75 | $44,620 |
| Delaware | $15.00 | $16.51 | $22.58 | $34,350 |
| Florida | $13.63 | $14.20 | $16.87 | $29,530 |
| Georgia | $11.93 | $16.62 | $23.43 | $34,560 |
| Hawaii | $14.26 | $16.85 | $27.09 | $35,040 |
| Idaho | $13.21 | $17.06 | $18.13 | $35,480 |
| Indiana | $13.45 | $15.78 | $21.59 | $32,830 |
| Iowa | $14.27 | $17.17 | $23.36 | $35,700 |
| Kansas | $12.83 | $14.28 | $23.08 | $29,710 |
| Kentucky | $12.85 | $14.35 | $20.30 | $29,840 |
| Louisiana | $11.09 | $12.51 | $14.20 | $26,030 |
| Maine | $17.79 | $21.16 | $29.74 | $44,000 |
| Michigan | $13.88 | $16.74 | $29.13 | $34,820 |
| Minnesota | $16.65 | $18.83 | $28.51 | $39,170 |
| Mississippi | $11.53 | $13.25 | $19.14 | $27,560 |
| Missouri | $14.11 | $14.78 | $18.33 | $30,750 |
| Montana | $11.67 | $18.27 | $28.80 | $38,000 |
| Nebraska | $14.60 | $16.50 | $23.98 | $34,320 |
| New Hampshire | $13.70 | $16.66 | $22.33 | $34,650 |
| New Mexico | $13.85 | $18.15 | $22.23 | $37,750 |
| New York | $16.63 | $17.19 | $28.04 | $35,760 |
| North Carolina | $14.07 | $18.47 | $23.22 | $38,410 |
| North Dakota | $14.67 | $16.76 | $25.71 | $34,850 |
| Ohio | $13.47 | $17.43 | $27.81 | $36,260 |
| Oklahoma | $11.09 | $14.26 | $21.28 | $29,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $13.97 | $17.69 | $26.62 | $36,790 |
| Rhode Island | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.84 | $31,200 |
| South Dakota | $20.61 | $23.94 | $27.02 | $49,800 |
| Tennessee | $13.86 | $15.05 | $19.23 | $31,310 |
| Texas | $13.59 | $14.75 | $22.68 | $30,680 |
| Utah | $13.72 | $16.89 | $24.58 | $35,140 |
| Vermont | $17.25 | $23.39 | $29.26 | $48,650 |
| Virginia | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| West Virginia | $13.80 | $16.58 | $22.28 | $34,480 |
| Wisconsin | $14.17 | $17.42 | $22.63 | $36,230 |
| Wyoming | $12.37 | $14.03 | $17.55 | $29,170 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Describe the salon arrangement
Record who set prices, assigned appointments, provided products and controlled schedule changes. Identify any written change to those expectations. Distinguish your own tools or supplies from items furnished by the salon without drawing a classification conclusion from one factor. Keep your personal agreement and permitted instructions rather than collecting other stylists' contracts.
Explain the compensation and service sequence
For a disputed payment, identify the statement period and the relevant plan terms. Note any service correction, cancellation or adjustment and the explanation given. Separate service time from required station preparation, tool sanitation and record maintenance. Avoid treating customer charges as your earnings without checking the agreement and your own compensation statement.
Keep client records private
Do not export appointment calendars, client contact lists, service histories, photographs or payment details into a personal employment file. Describe events without client identifiers and keep your own employment messages and statements separately. If a salon record may clarify a disputed adjustment, identify its type and custodian and ask about appropriate handling before sharing it.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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