7 Steps to Become A 6-Figure Hairstylist

Want to Earn a 6-Figure Hairdresser Salary? Here’s How! 

Ready to level-up your income (and career)? We’re here to help! Keep reading for seven steps you can take to make more money behind the chair, find the ideal work/life balance and maintain a loyal clientele! 

Take Your Career to the Next Level: Find Out How!

Step 1: Set Goals 

This might sound simple, but having a long list of goals can be overwhelming. Massachusetts-based stylist Brittany Predella (@elitestylistbrittany)’s advice? Break down your goals into categories to make them more manageable. Here’s how:

• Start by setting small, weekly goals that are easier to hit that build on your larger goals. For example, if you want to make six figures by the end of the year, what should your income look like each week?

• Make that number less intimidating by dividing your weekly goal by how many days (or even hours) you’re working.

• Consider your hourly productivity (daily service sales divided by daily hours worked) to ensure you’re making the most out of every hour you work. 

Step 2: Establish a Work/Life Balance 

We’re not going to lie, building a successful business behind the chair takes work, dedication and commitment. But if you aren’t taking care of yourself outside of the salon, your business will suffer. That’s exactly what happened to Pennsylvania-based stylist Sharay Corbitt (@my_giftedhandz), until she started at The Salon at Ulta Beauty. 

“I love my job, but there was no work life/ balance. I was working so much that on my day off, I truly didn’t know what day it was,” she explained. “When I met with my Ulta Salon manager John, he asked me ‘What can ULTA do for you?’ and it really made me think about working smarter, not harder. He helped me rework my schedule to give me that balance and my career took off from there,” explains Sharay. 

Step 3: Be a Mentor 

Yes, having an assistant is a MUST for any busy stylist, but they are also essential to growing your business (not to mention rewarding!)

“The Assistant Stylist program at The Salon at ULTA Beauty is incredibly rewarding,” explains Brittany. “I couldn’t be prouder of my associate stylist’s success. The program not only grows my business but also prepares them for a lucrative career of their own.” 

Step 4: Offer Specialty Services (You Can CHARGE FOR!)

Is it important to offer specialty services? Yes. Should you be limiting yourself to one specific service? No. Building new skills and techniques will only increase your reach for new clientele—aka building your business. “Offering a variety of services and techniques enabled me to reach a new, more diverse clientele, and I love that,” explains Sharay. 

Our advice? Learn everything you can about the techniques you love! Want to be the go-to blonding specialist at your salon? Invest in your education to stay on top of the latest trends and techniques! Never stop expanding your skill set. 

Step 5: Offer Services You Enjoy!

Having a lucrative career behind the chair won’t be because you offer every service under the sun. It will be because your clients can tell you enjoy what you’re doing, and they enjoy being a part of that! 

“I’ve found that focusing [on techniques that I’m] specifically passionate about portrays my confidence and my guests can feel that,” explains Brittany. “By doing less of the services I don’t enjoy and more of the services I do, I have increased my earnings.” 

Step 6: Rethink Your Retail Strategy

“As the professional, maintaining the integrity of my clients’ hair is the most important thing I can do,” explains Sharay. Don’t think about retail as a money-maker. Instead, offer products that will help clients maintain their hair for the better, building more trust between client and stylist—which will grow your business long term. 

Step 7: Build a loyal clientele

This one might seem obvious, but that doesn’t mean stylists don’t struggle with it. In addition to all of the steps above, Brittany explained a few more things you can do to build a solid relationship with your clients: 

• Utilize your surroundings: “Being at The Salon by Ulta is so perfect for building a clientele because I can chat with retail guests and make relationships with them, converting them into salon clients,” explains Brittany. 
• Pay attention to the details: Clients will notice when you go the extra mile for them.
• Have genuine conversations: Get to know your clients, and let them know they are more than just a paycheck.
• Listen to their hair needs: This will build trust and establish a hair journey you can both take together.