Career Opportunities in the Hairdressing Industry

Hairdressing is an industry that is significantly all about making people look and feel great. The greatest hairdressers understand their clients needs and have outstanding technical prowess and unrivalled knowledge of products, the latest tools of the industry and most importantly key trends. The hair and beauty industry is made up of businesses directing hairdressing, beauty, barber shops, epilation, manicure and pedicure services.

The hair and beauty industry is continuously evolving with constant changes in fashion and the development of breakthrough products, groundbreaking techniques and highly sophisticated technology. The scientific research into anti-ageing and rejuvenating skin and hair care is at an all-time high and it is a truly exciting time to be in the industry. This industry is highly fashion conscious and is driven by fads and trends. Students are able to begin their studies with the Certificate II in Hairdressing (SIH30111) before furthering their studies to complete an apprenticeship in hairdressing.

Industry Overview

The hair and beauty industry in Australia is predicted to deliver $4 billion in revenue this year and is projected to continue to grow over the next 5 years. Employment opportunities for hairdressers are increasing with more than 50,000 job openings predicted over the next five years. Service demand is driven by a complex array of factors including population growth, fashion changes and seasonality.

There are currently 12,400 hairdressers in Victoria. Employment prospects for the next five years are good and an average weekly wage of $926.30 and an hourly earning of $24.80. The 53.6% of students in Australia who studied the Certificate III in Hairdressing (SHB30416) from the people who were not employed before starting the course were employed after completing it.

In the past, the hairdressing industry focused its services on females, with male clients opting for haircutting, beard cutting and a range of design and shaving services. More recently males have also become increasingly active consumers of an expansive range of skin and hair care products and services.

The female share of hairdressers is 84.6% and 54.8% of hairdressers work full time. Average weekly hours for full time workers are 37.8%. The main age group is 25-34 years with the median age of 30 years.

Employment by Region

The top three regions for employment in Australia as a Hairdresser include:

• NSW: 32.6%
• VIC: 27.2%
• QLD: 16.4%