Hair Stylist Job Description Templates
Free hair stylist job description templates: employee (W-2), commission, assistant, booth renter, and small salon. With W-2 vs booth-renter guidance. DOCX.
Hair Stylist Job Description Templates
5 free templates, including the W-2 vs booth-renter distinction and license tracking. Download as DOCX.
The hair stylist job description is one most salon owners copy from a generic recruiting template that lists "cut, color, and style hair" and stops, skipping the question that actually decides everything: are you hiring a W-2 employee or renting a chair to a booth renter? In the salon world that is not a technicality. Roughly half of hairstylists and cosmetologists, and most barbers, are self-employed, which means a large share of salon "hires" are really booth rentals that need a completely different document. A job description only fits a true W-2 employee.
At FirstHR, we build templates for the small salons doing this hiring, where the owner handles everything personally. The five templates below cover the real situations: employee (W-2), commission, assistant, booth renter (1099), and small salon. Each requires a state license and signals the classification clearly. Fill in the brackets and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Does a Hair Stylist Do?
A hair stylist provides hair services and builds a loyal clientele: consulting, cutting, coloring, treating, and styling, plus recommending products and keeping a sanitized station per state board rules. In federal occupational data the role maps to hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, and a valid state license is required to do the work everywhere in the country.
For the salon owner writing the posting, the useful frame is that the services core stays constant while the situation shifts: a standard employee stylist does the full range, a commission stylist earns a percentage of services, an assistant supports and learns, and a booth renter runs their own business in your space. That is why the templates below differ by situation, and why the W-2-versus-booth-renter decision comes before you pick one.
Hair Stylist Duties and Responsibilities
Hair stylist duties center on services, client experience, sanitation and licensing, and salon operations. The situation shifts the weights, an assistant's prep work versus a commission stylist's client book, but the categories hold. These are the duties grouped the way the templates use them.
A strong posting grounds these in your salon with specifics: your services, your clientele, your products, and your standards. Candidates read postings for the compensation model, the license requirement, the schedule, and the salon's vibe, before applying. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
W-2 Employee or Booth Renter?
The first decision when bringing on a stylist is whether they are a W-2 employee or an independent booth renter, because in the salon industry both are common and the difference is legal, not cosmetic. Federal data shows roughly half of hairstylists and cosmetologists are self-employed, so a large share of what owners call "hiring" is really renting out a chair.
A W-2 employee is someone you direct: you set their schedule, prices, and methods, you withhold taxes, and a job description is the right document. A booth renter is an independent contractor who leases your space and runs their own business: they set their own hours and prices, keep their income, pay their own taxes, and need a booth-rental or independent-contractor agreement, not a job posting. The IRS judges classification on the actual relationship and control, not the label, and publishes guidance specifically for the cosmetology and barber industry. Several states apply strict tests too, and misclassifying an employee as a booth renter carries back-tax and penalty risk. Decide honestly which one you are doing, then use the matching template. This is general information, not legal or tax advice; confirm with a professional.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by your situation. The services core runs through the employee versions, but the compensation, the level, and whether it is employment or a booth rental differ enough that the matched version always reads more credibly. Use this guide to choose.
5 Free Hair Stylist Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. The employee versions follow the same structure: salon overview, position summary, responsibilities, qualifications, compensation, schedule, and how to apply. The booth-renter version is built as a chair-rental listing, not a job offer. Fill in the brackets and post.
Template 1: Hair Stylist (Employee, W-2)
The base version for a W-2 employee: cutting, coloring, styling, client service, and salon standards. Start here for a standard hourly or commission hire.
Template 2: Commission Hair Stylist
For a commission-based W-2 stylist: earns a percentage of services while the salon provides space, products, and booking. Spells out the commission structure.
Template 3: Salon Assistant / Junior Stylist
For a recent graduate or assistant: shampooing, prep, support, and learning the craft while building toward a full stylist role. Lower experience bar.
Template 4: Booth Renter / Independent Stylist (1099)
For renting a chair to an independent stylist who runs their own business. This is a 1099 booth rental, not an employee hire, and needs a rental agreement.
Template 5: Hair Stylist (Small Salon)
For a small salon hiring a stylist to work directly with the owner: a hands-on role with the W-2-vs-booth-renter decision and license tracking built in.
State License and Renewal Tracking
A valid state cosmetology or hairstyling license is mandatory in all fifty states to provide hair services, so it belongs in every posting and must be verified at hire. Licensing typically requires roughly 1,000 to 2,100 hours of training and a state exam, with renewal usually every couple of years and continuing education required in some states.
Regulation is handled state by state through state cosmetology boards, not federally, so the exact hours and rules vary. Two things follow for the salon owner. First, verify the license at hire rather than taking the candidate's word, and store a copy. Second, and easy to overlook, track each stylist's renewal date, because working with an expired license is illegal in every state and the salon, not just the stylist, can face consequences. For a small salon, a simple system that stores the license and flags the renewal prevents an avoidable lapse, which is exactly what FirstHR's document storage and tracking handle. Keep the posting job-related and neutral, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics.
Compensation: Commission, Hourly, or Both
Salon pay is more varied than most roles, and stating it clearly in the posting wins better candidates. The common models are straight commission, hourly, or a hybrid, almost always plus tips, and sometimes with retail commission on top.
| Model | How it works | Often fits |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | A percentage of services the stylist provides | Established stylists with a book |
| Hourly | A set hourly rate, plus tips | Newer stylists, assistants |
| Hourly plus commission | A base rate plus a service percentage | A balance of security and upside |
| Booth rent (1099) | Stylist pays rent and keeps their income | Independent stylists (not employees) |
Whichever you choose for a W-2 stylist, name the percentage or rate, how tips work, and what the salon provides, and be upfront that the schedule typically includes evenings and weekends. Where your state has pay-transparency rules, include a pay range in the posting.
Skills and Qualifications
Hair stylist qualifications center on a valid license, technical skill, and client service, with experience set to the level, which makes the posting's job naming what you actually require.
| Weak requirement | Strong requirement |
|---|---|
| Can do hair | Skilled in cutting, coloring, and styling |
| Licensed | Valid [state] cosmetology or hairstyling license (verified) |
| Some experience | [N] years of salon experience, or recent graduate welcome |
| Friendly | Strong consultation and client-retention skills |
| Clean | Follows state board sanitation rules consistently |
Always require a valid state license and verify it, and adjust the experience bar to the role: recent graduates for an assistant, an established book for a commission chair. Keep every line job-related, and for the standard sections of a posting, the SHRM job description tools describe a good job description as a plain-language summary of a position's tasks, duties, and responsibilities.
How to Write a Hair Stylist Job Description
A strong hair stylist posting takes about 20 minutes and starts with the classification decision before any duties get written. Here is the process the templates are built around. If this is among your first hires, the guide to hiring your first employee covers the steps around the posting.
Hair Stylist Pay
Hair stylist pay varies widely by market, experience, and compensation model, and the national median understates the spread, which makes a clear commission or hourly range more useful than chasing a single figure.
That median runs low partly because tips are separate and part-time work is common, and because the compensation model changes the math: a busy commission stylist earns well above it, and a booth renter keeps their full service income minus rent. For a posting, set a commission percentage or hourly range that fits your market and clientele rather than anchoring to the national median. National compensation surveys can help you benchmark for your area.
Hiring for a Small Salon
Most salons are small, and the owner does the hiring personally, handling scheduling, compensation, and compliance themselves. That makes the classification call, the license tracking, and a clean onboarding the owner's job. Here is what actually matters.
After You Hire: Onboarding
The job description is step one, and for a W-2 stylist the onboarding gets them behind the chair fast and keeps you compliant on licensing. Send the offer with the pay structure, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days along with the rest of the new hire paperwork, gather tax forms, and verify and store the cosmetology license with its renewal date.
Then onboard them to your salon: your products and product lines, booking and point-of-sale systems, sanitation standards, salon procedures, and client-service expectations, alongside the usual onboarding documents. A structured first week helps, and a 30-60-90 day plan works well: learn the salon and standards, then start building a book with support, then run a full schedule independently, the kind of structured start the employee onboarding guide describes. Once terms are agreed, the offer letter template handles an employee hire. FirstHR generates and e-signs the offer letter, stores and tracks the license with its renewal date so it never lapses, and runs an onboarding workflow with product and procedure training. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with your payroll provider. A booth renter is not onboarded as an employee. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a hair stylist do?
A hair stylist provides hair services and delivers a great client experience. The core work is consistent: consulting with clients on cuts and color, cutting, coloring, treating, and styling hair, recommending products and services, maintaining a clean and sanitized station per state board rules, and building a loyal client base. Stylists also manage their bookings, support retail sales, and keep up with current techniques. The role requires a valid state cosmetology or hairstyling license, which is mandatory in all fifty states. The specifics shift by setting and level: a standard employee stylist does the full range, a commission stylist earns a percentage of services, an assistant or junior stylist supports senior stylists while learning, and an independent booth renter runs their own business within the salon. This page offers a template for each of these situations, plus a small-salon version.
Is a hair stylist a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor?
It can be either, and deciding correctly is the most important step before you write anything. In the salon industry, a large share of stylists are not employees: federal data shows roughly half of hairstylists and cosmetologists, and around three-quarters of barbers, are self-employed, often as booth renters. The distinction is legal, not just a label. A W-2 employee is someone the salon directs: you set their schedule, prices, and methods, withhold their taxes, and use a job description. A booth renter is an independent contractor who leases space in your salon and runs their own business: they set their own hours and prices, keep their income, pay their own taxes, and need a booth-rental or independent-contractor agreement instead of a job posting. The IRS publishes guidance specifically for the cosmetology and barber industry, and several states apply strict classification tests. Misclassifying an employee as a booth renter creates real back-tax and penalty exposure. Decide based on the actual relationship, and confirm with a tax professional or attorney; this is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Does a hair stylist need a license?
Yes, a valid state cosmetology or hairstyling license is mandatory in all fifty states to provide hair services. Licensing typically requires completing roughly 1,000 to 2,100 hours of training at an approved school and passing a state exam, with renewal usually every couple of years, and some states require continuing education to renew. Regulation is handled state by state through state cosmetology boards, not at the federal level, so the exact hours and rules vary by state. This matters for hiring in two ways. First, the license requirement belongs in your job description, and you should verify the license at the time of hire rather than taking it on faith. Second, you need to track each stylist's renewal date, because working with an expired license is illegal in every state and the salon can face consequences, not just the stylist. A simple system that stores the license and flags the renewal date prevents an avoidable and costly compliance lapse.
How do you pay a hair stylist?
Salon pay usually follows one of a few models, almost always plus tips. The common structures are straight commission, where the stylist earns a percentage of the services they provide; hourly; or a hybrid of hourly plus commission. Some salons add retail or product commission on top. Each model attracts a different stylist: newer stylists often prefer the stability of hourly, while established stylists with their own client base want commission upside. Whichever you choose, state it clearly in the posting, including the percentage or rate, how tips are handled, and whether the salon supplies products and booking, since stylists compare offers closely on these terms. Be upfront that salon schedules typically include evenings and weekends, the busiest times. Where your state has pay-transparency rules, include a pay range in the posting. Note that booth renters are not paid by the salon at all; they pay the salon rent and keep their own service income.
What should a hair stylist job description include?
A strong hair stylist job description includes a salon overview, a position summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, the license requirement, the compensation structure, the schedule, and how to apply. List the core duties: services, client experience, sanitation and licensing, and salon operations. State that a valid state cosmetology or hairstyling license is required, since it is mandatory everywhere, and verify it at hire. Be specific about compensation, naming the commission percentage or hourly rate, how tips work, and what the salon provides, and note that the schedule includes evenings and weekends. Critically, decide and signal whether this is a W-2 employee role or a booth rental, since a large share of salon hires are actually booth rentals that need a different document entirely. Include a pay range where your state requires it, and add an equal-opportunity statement. The templates here build in all of this across five versions so you can match the posting to your real situation.
How much does a hair stylist make?
Hair stylist pay varies widely by market, experience, and compensation model, and the national figure understates the spread. Federal data reported a median hourly wage of about $16.95 in May 2024 for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, which works out to roughly $35,250 a year for wage-and-salary workers, with the broader range running from about $24,580 at the tenth percentile to about $70,220 at the ninetieth. That median is low partly because tips are reported separately and many stylists work part time, and because the compensation model changes the math dramatically: a busy commission stylist earns well above the median, and a booth renter keeps their full service income minus rent. For a posting, the most useful approach is to set a clear commission percentage or hourly range that fits your market and clientele rather than anchoring to the national median. National compensation surveys can help you benchmark for your area.
What is the difference between a hair stylist and a cosmetologist?
The terms overlap heavily and are often used interchangeably, but there is a scope difference. A hair stylist focuses specifically on hair: cutting, coloring, treating, and styling. A cosmetologist is licensed more broadly across beauty services, which can include hair plus skin and nail services, depending on the state and the individual's training. In practice, most people who cut and color hair in a salon hold a cosmetology license, since that is the credential most states issue for hair work, and the job titles hair stylist and cosmetologist frequently describe the same role. For hiring, the practical point is to specify the services you need and require the appropriate valid state license. If your salon offers skin or nail services too, a broadly licensed cosmetologist may fit better; if it is purely hair, a hair stylist title is clearest. A separate cosmetologist template covers the broader scope if that is the role you are filling.
What happens after I hire a hair stylist?
For a W-2 stylist, run a consistent hire-and-onboard sequence so they are behind the chair quickly and compliantly. Send the offer letter with the pay structure, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days, gather tax forms like the W-4, and verify and store the cosmetology license along with its renewal date. Then onboard them to your salon: your products and product lines, booking and point-of-sale systems, sanitation standards, salon procedures, and client-service expectations, plus an introduction to the team and the clientele. A structured first week helps a new stylist learn your standards before they are fully independent. FirstHR handles this: generate and e-sign the offer letter, store and track the license with its renewal date so it never lapses, and run an onboarding workflow with product and procedure training. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with your payroll provider. A booth renter, by contrast, is not onboarded as an employee. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.