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Boston Career Explorer

Personal Care and Service

Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists

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.

Also called: Beautician, Beauty Specialist, Cosmetologist, Hair Artist, Hair Dresser, Hair Stylist

Median pay in Greater Boston
$37,430
$18.00/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
7,870
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.5%
2,250 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Postsecondary nondegree award

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$31,600$34,970$37,430$59,960$78,850

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs.
  • Schedule client appointments.
  • Bleach, dye, or tint hair, using applicator or brush.
  • Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type, and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors.
  • Shampoo, rinse, condition, and dry hair and scalp or hairpieces with water, liquid soap, or other solutions.
  • Update and maintain customer information records, such as beauty services provided.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure23 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 27
  • Language-model AIOE 30
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 13

Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower, though some observed AI use exists. AI tools can help with booking appointments. Cutting, coloring, shampooing, and sanitizing tools are hands-on tasks, and clients rely on a stylist's judgment about their hair and face shape.

Likely to change

  • Scheduling client appointments
  • Booking reminders and client follow-ups

Still relies on people

  • Cutting and coloring hair by hand
  • Listening to clients and advising on style

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

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    Hands-on client care and scalp-massage skills carry over. This move needs a postsecondary award and offers much higher pay and 12.1% growth.

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

11 programs near Boston

Related occupations

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