Hairdresser Tip Calculator Chart (with cheat sheet) - How Much Should Good Customers Tip?

Hairdresser Tip Calculator Chart (with cheat sheet) – How Much Should Good Customers Tip?

When it comes to visiting a hairdresser, hairstylist, barber, or other beauty professional, it’s important for most people to look and feel their best.

But when you’ve gone and had a great hair cut, it shouldn’t end there. You must always remember to give a tip to your hairdresser.

Hairdresser Tip Calculator Chart

What is A Haircut Tip?

Tipping your hairdresser is not only a polite gesture, it’s also a great way to show your appreciation.

And it’s also an important part of any hairdresser’s income.

But how much should you tip your hairdresser?

That can be a tricky question, and one that many people struggle with.

Handy Formula for Hairdresser Tips – How to Calculate the Tip

We’ve provided this easy to understand Hairdresser Tip Chart below for your convenience.

Blow dry or shampoo 15%
Coloring 25%
Cut or basic styling 20%
Cut or basic styling + color 30%
Advanced coloring (such as color correction), highlighting, lowlighting, etc 35%
Updo 45%

Hairdresser Tip Chart – More Expensive Than you Thought?

When quoted the total amount for the service, very few salons will include the tip in the amount.

Think of it this way, if you can’t afford adding the tip onto the service, you can’t afford the service.

Haircut Tip Basics…

Are you satisfied with your service?
Did you enjoy the company of the stylist?
If you were in the stylist’s shoes, what would you expect or hope to receive as a tip for your work?

Service + Quality + Client Satisfaction X % you want = Total Tip Amount (See Cheat Sheet Calculator Chart Below)

Quick Tip Calculator Cheat Sheet

15%

$600 – $90.00

$500 – $75.00

$400 – $60.00

$300 – $ 45.00

$250 – $37.50

$200 – $30.00

$175 – $26.25

$150 – $22.50

$125 – $18.75

$100 – $15.00

$90 – $13.50

$80 – $12.00

$70 – $10.50

$60 – $9.00

$50 – $7.50

$40 – $6.00

$30 – $4.50

$20 – $3.00

20%

$600 – $120

$500 – $100

$400 – $80.00

$300 – $60.00

$250 – $50.00

$200 – $40.00

$175 – $35.00

$150 – $30.00

$125 – $25.00

$100 – $20.00

$90 – $18.00

$80 – $16.00

$70 – $14.00

$60 – $12.00

$50 – $10.00

$40 – $8.00

$30 – $6.00

$20 – $4.00

30%

$600 – $180

$500 – $150

$400 – $120

$300 – $90.00

$250 – $75.00

$200 – $60.00

$175 – $52.50

$150 – $45.00

$125 – $37.50

$100 – $30.00

$90 – $27.00

$80 – $24.00

$70 – $21.00

$60 – $18.00

$50 – $15.00

$40 – $12.00

$30 – $9.00

$20 – $6.00

Why Tip Percentages % are Calculated this Way

Many salons pay their stylists hourly, or by commission, both of which are calculated by the amount of time it takes for them to complete a service. The more time taken to complete the service the higher the dollar goes up, the higher the percentage and tip will become.

Here’s an easy to understand guide on how much to tip your hairdresser depending on the service you received.

☑️ The standard for tipping Hairdressers is 20% HOWEVER…👇

👉 For basic services such as blow drying or shampooing, a 15% gratuity is typical.

👉 If you’ve had a color treatment, an additional 10% should be included.

👉 This means that the overall tip should total 25%.

👉 For a full haircut or styling service, the gratuity should equal 20%.

👉 Again, when treatments or coloring are added on top, an additional 10% should be paid to the hairdresser, taking the total tip amount to 30% of the service.

👉 If you’ve had more advanced treatments such as highlighting, lowlighting, balayage, etc, you should add an additional 5%, bringing the total to 35%.

👉 Finally, for an extravagant, complex styling treatment like an updo – something that takes a lot of work for long periods of time – add an extra 10% after the haircut, color, highlight, style and updo after that, making the total 45%.

Now that you know how much to tip your hairdresser, you can have peace of mind every time you get a haircut. Your hairdresser will be sure to appreciate your thoughtful tip and you’ll be sure to get the best service possible.

So remember to use the Hairdresser Tip Calculator Chart the next time you book a hairdresser, and make sure you give your hairdresser the credit they deserve.

Special Considerations for Tipping

Holidays

Like everyone, hairdressers oftentimes have extra costs that come up around the holidays and work extra hours to cover those costs. If you tip them a few dollars extra it is not only a ‘gift’ during those holiday seasons but also showing them that you recognize the extra time they are putting in to working you into the busy holiday schedule.

Events and Special Occasions

Weddings and special occasions, Prom or Homecoming, Graduations, etc. typically take more time than other services so it is considerate to tip accordingly for that time. Especially if the stylist has to travel to you.

How much to Tip Shampoo Girl

Same as you would a stylist. If the shampoo alone were to cost $5, you would tip them $1 for example.

Think of it this way, if the shampoo service took 10 minutes, tip her minimum of $2 to be 20% of the time taken to do her work.

This goes the same for apprentices too.

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How Much Should I Tip to Be a Good Customer?

No one want’s to be a bad customer. You want to be a favorite, considered a friend.

For my favorite customers throughout my career, I will voluntarily stay late for them, work through my lunch, but they would do the same for me.

The best customers have these consistent attributes that help them maintain their status as ‘Great Customers’.

Respect

They respect that I am a person earning a living, running a business, doing my job, I’m human and make mistakes, and understand and respect that work does not come above my other priorities.

Communication

Good customers communicate when they are going to be late, if they need to come in earlier or need to reschedule. And if the services change, such as “I still need the haircut but not the color.” Or, “I’m still coming in but my son will not be with me, please cancel his appointment.”

Communication with your hairdresser or barber isn’t just about communicating what you want the results of your service to be, it’s respecting their time as you expect them to respect yours.

Extended Grace

Everybody has those days when words don’t come out right and everything seems to be going wrong. Be understanding with your hairdresser when they have those days too. They’re human and make mistakes just like you.

Responsibility and Accountability

When things don’t turn out the way they’re supposed to, such as the haircut, or hitting every red light on your say to the salon and being late, take responsibility and be accountable.

When someone is being unfair or unkind you can only be responsible for your own actions. If you as a customer are not responsible or accountable and lose it with the stylist- don’t expect to be invited back, they might just fire you.

Yes, hairdressers have that power.

Loyalty

From experience, when relationships are built between client and hairstylist they will do anything for you and you for them. I’ve had clients drive from other states just to see me.

Some people go for months without getting a haircut simply because our schedules wouldn’t align but they wouldn’t see anyone else. It feels good for the stylist to be needed and valued in that way.

What does any of this have to do with tipping a stylist?

The best customers show appreciation in more than just a ‘thank you, it looks great.’ They remember that I ‘undercharge’ because I expect a tip to be a part of the service. That’s just how the industry works in the United States.

FAQs for Hairdresser Tip Calculator Chart

Why do Hairdressers Receive Tips?

In many salons the stylists are paid minimum wage, even worse, minimum tipped wage. This is why gratuity (a tip) is extra compensation that stylists count on to make a living.

Others shops work on a commission basis where the owner of the shop makes a greater percentage than the stylist, therefore the gratuity (the tip) pays for the stylist’s groceries for the week.

What if the Salon Owner is my Hairdresser? Do I tip them too?

Imagine the overhead costs of owning a salon, they are more than you would imagine. And add hiring employees into the mix, it can be expensive.

There has to be money coming in so that there is a shop to go to in the first place, and to hire on and keep the best stylists employed, the owner also is responsible for all of this as well as make a living for themselves.

If the owner is working alongside their team, on the floor, just as hard, performing the same services, tipping the owner is just the same as if they were an employee.

If you have the great privilege and pleasure of your stylist or barber being the owner of your favorite barbershop or salon, thank them, and tip them well.

How Much do I Tip a Hairdresser Assistant?

It depends on the amount of work they do on your service. For example, if they wash and blow dry your hair and spend roughly 30 minutes on your service, $5-10 is appropriate.

If they spend minimal amount of time such as just a shampoo, $3-$5 is appropriate.

How Much to Tip Hairdresser on $200

For a $200 service you should tip the hairdresser 25-30% of the service, generally about $60.

It depends on the type of services provided.

If it was $200 total for the entire family to get their haircut, 20%.

If it was a $200 color service, 25%. If it was an updo for a wedding, 45%, which would still equal to about $65-85.

How Much to Tip Hairdresser on Highlights?

The correct percentage to tip for highlights is 35%.

So, if the service took roughly 4 hours, likely it would cost an estimate of $240, calculating an appropriate tip to cost an additional $75-80.

How Much to Tip for a Trim, Cut, or Color – Using the Hairdresser Tip Calculator Chart

Overall the kind service doesn’t entirely matter unless it’s a specialty service. What really counts is the dollar amount in the end, and that its tipped appropriately per the percentage chart above.

Should I Give my Stylist a Holiday Tip?

Let’s put it this way- a stylist will never forget a generous client. And they’ll never forget one that doesn’t tip, especially if you have a relationship with them.

If you want to gift them a little extra for fitting you into their holiday schedule, and if you extend a little extra holiday cheer you’ll always be on their nice list.

However, a holiday tip is by no means obligatory.