Hairdresser Jobs in Australia
Hairdresser Jobs in Australia Hairdressing is a highly in-demand profession in Australia, currently listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).1 This demand makes it one of the more accessible trades for both local job seekers and international professionals looking for visa sponsorship.
Market Demand & Locations
Australia is experiencing a significant shortage of qualified hairdressers, particularly in regional areas and fast-growing urban hubs.
- High Demand Areas: Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane have the most vacancies, but regional cities like the Gold Coast, Perth, and Adelaide often offer easier pathways for migration due to regional visa incentives.
- Growth: The industry is projected to see continued growth through 2026, with tens of thousands of new job openings expected.
Current Job Numbers
There are strong numbers of active listings across the major boards. 12SEEK currently lists 780 Hairdressing jobs found in Australia, with new jobs added daily. On LinkedIn, 4there are 1,000+ Hairdresser jobs in Australia, with new Hairdresser jobs added daily.
Major Companies & Salon Groups Hiring
National chains and well-known brands:
- Hairhouse – One of the biggest employers. 1At Hairhouse, they’ve spent over 30 years creating an environment where hairdressing professionals thrive, combining time-tested expertise with modern innovation. They notably hire on attitude, not just experience: 1they look for individuals with a genuine passion for hair and beauty and enthusiasm for learning, with good communication skills — and previous experience isn’t required, as they value attitude and willingness to learn above all else.
- Just Cuts – A large franchise operation. 8With over 220+ Just Cuts salons globally and 3000+ qualified hairstylists, they provide affordable Style Cuts serving over 100,000 clients per week, and as a family-owned business they’ve scaled to become larger than most corporate haircare companies.
- TONI&GUY – 6Roles to join a dynamic team as a Hairdresser at TONI&GUY, offering competitive salary, training, and career growth.
- Franck Provost – 3At Franck Provost Australia they work in a fun and open environment with great team spirit, with a culture of diversity, fairness, respect and personal growth.
- Oz Hair & Beauty – Recruiting for retail and customer service roles alongside salon work.
- Maurice Meade – 13Maurice Meade is seeking motivated and creative stylists and colourists to join their busy salons.
Glassdoor’s North Sydney listing summed up the active recruiters well: 3the top companies hiring now are Franck Provost, Hairhouse, The Barberhood, VALONZ HAIRCUTTERS, Blow Bar Co, Salon Connected, and The Blowdry Boutique.
Product/supplier companies (non-salon roles):
- Kao Australia – 7A hybrid Brisbane-based sales rep role immersed in their Goldwell, KMS and Kerasilk brands, offering base salary plus super plus product discount.
Types of Roles Available
The market spans several role types and experience levels:
- Apprenticeships – Widely available. 12Many salons take 1st year apprentices to undertake a Certificate III in Hairdressing while being part of a team. Note that for some programs, 3you must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident to qualify for the apprenticeship program.
- Senior/qualified stylists and colourists – Often the most in-demand and best paid.
- Barbers – Frequently advertised alongside hairdresser roles.
- Salon coordinators / receptionists and retail assistants in hair & beauty stores.
- Aged care hairdressing – 16Roles as part of a team of hairdressers/beauticians in a boutique aged care home.
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Salary Snapshots from Live Listings
Real ads show a range depending on location, experience and structure:
- 14 A full-time senior stylist role at Portabello Hair in Hyde Park, Adelaide advertised at $70,000 – $80,000 per year.
- 15 A senior hairdresser blonde specialist role at Studio K Hair Co. in Wynnum, Brisbane advertised at $45 – $55 per hour, above award wage.
- 1 A Barber/Hairdresser role at Top Cuts in Katherine, NT advertised at $80,000 – $90,000 annually.
- 17 A hairdresser role at Bella Hair Luxury Salon in Seven Hills, NSW advertised at $75,000 to $85,000 for 38 hours per week.
Many roles add commission and bonuses on top of base pay — for example, several listings mention 1above award salary with generous commission, bonuses and incentives.
Common Requirements
Across listings, the consistent asks are:
- A formal qualification — 9someone who holds a Certificate III or IV in Hairdressing qualification and thrives on learning about new products and techniques. In some cases 8a relevant qualification in hairdressing, or at least 3 years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualification.
- Typically 2+ years of salon experience for qualified roles (5+ years for senior colour specialists).
- Strong cutting, colouring, styling and customer service skills.
Qualifications & Skills Assessment
To work as a “Qualified Hairdresser” (ANZSCO 391111) in Australia, you typically need:
- Education: An Australian Certificate III in Hairdressing or an equivalent overseas qualification.2
- Skills Assessment: If you are migrating from overseas, you must undergo a skills assessment through Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) or VETASSESS.
- This usually requires proving 3–5 years of experience (depending on whether you have a formal qualification).
- The process may include a “Technical Interview” or a practical demonstration of skills
Salary Reality: The “Gap” in Numbers
You will see two very different versions of “average salary” online:
- The Job Board Version ($70k – $85k): This is the salary usually advertised on SEEK or Indeed to attract senior talent. These roles often require a “full book” (an existing client list) and high technical skills.
- The Real-World Version ($31k – $55k): This is the actual average take-home pay reported by the Australian Hairdressing Council (AHC). The discrepancy exists because a large portion of the workforce is part-time, casual, or fails to hit the high commission targets required to reach the $80k bracket.
2. Commission: The “Moving Goalpost”
Most high-end Australian salons use a “Hybrid” model: Base Award Rate + Commission.
- The Reality: To earn commission, you usually have to “clear” your chair cost (roughly 3x your weekly salary in service revenue).
- The Challenge: Due to the cost-of-living crisis, clients who used to visit every 6 weeks are now waiting 10–14 weeks.1 This makes it significantly harder for stylists to hit their weekly targets, leaving many stuck on the base “Award” rate (~$28/hr), which is often not enough to cover city rents.
3. Demand vs. Suitability
- The Demand: It is real. Over 50% of advertised hairdressing jobs in Australia go unfilled.
- The Reality: Employers report that 85% of applicants are “unsuitable.” This is because salons are desperate for Senior Stylists who can work fast and manage complex color (balayage/blondes) without supervision. There is very little demand for juniors or “basic” stylists, leading to a market that is “top-heavy.”
4. The Massive Shift to “Rent-a-Chair”
The biggest trend in 2024–2025 is the exodus of senior stylists from traditional employment to Chair Rental (Independent Contracting).
- Costs: You pay a flat fee ($350 – $700 per week depending on the city) to a salon owner.
- Pros: You keep 100% of your service takings and set your own hours.
- Cons: You lose all “safety nets”—no paid annual leave, no sick pay, and you must pay your own Superannuation (11.5%) and tax.
- Market Share: It is projected that by 2030, over 50% of Australian salons will move to this freelance model because owners can no longer afford the rising overhead of traditional employees.
5. Summary: Should you enter the market?
| Factor | The “Good” News | The “Hard” Reality |
|---|---|---|
| Job Security | You will never be unemployed; you can find a job in 24 hours. | Hours can be cut if the salon is quiet; “burnout” is extremely high. |
| Income | High-end stylists in Sydney/Melbourne can earn $100k+. | 1st/2nd-year seniors often struggle to move past $55k–$60k. |
| Migration | High chance of visa sponsorship (482/190/491). | Sponsorship requires high “market salary” ($73,150+), which many salons struggle to pay. |
| Lifestyle | Creative, social, and flexible.2 | Physically grueling; “unpaid overtime” (staying late to finish a color) is still common. |
Pro-Tip: If you are looking for a job right now, don’t just look at the base salary. Ask about the “Commission Structure” and the “Rebooking Rate” of the salon. A $65k salary in a busy salon with a 70% rebooking rate is worth much more than a $75k salary in a “quiet” salon where you’ll never hit your bonuses.
Growth Snapshot
Australia’s logistics sector is in a phase of steady, sustained expansion driven by e-commerce, infrastructure investment, and technology adoption. Market-sizing estimates vary by methodology, but all point upward:
- Mordor Intelligence: 3The Australia freight and logistics market size was valued at USD 99.08 billion in 2025 and estimated to grow from USD 103.2 billion in 2026 to reach USD 126.52 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 4.16% during the forecast period.
- Expert Market Research: 4The Australia logistics market, valued at AUD 158.00 billion as of 2025, is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 5.70% from 2026 to 2035, potentially reaching AUD 275.05 billion by 2035, with a growing focus on eco-friendly practices.
- IMARC Group: 1The market was valued at USD 97.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 140.6 billion by 2034, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.98% during 2026–2034.
Key Growth Drivers
E-commerce and last-mile delivery is the standout engine. 3E-commerce parcel traffic grew 15% in 2024, prompting Australia Post to extend same-day coverage to 85% of Sydney and Melbourne postcodes. Within the market, 3courier, express and parcel services post the highest 4.92% CAGR (2026-2031) fueled by e-commerce demand.
Infrastructure investment is reshaping freight routes. 3Public-sector spending, led by the USD 14.5 billion Inland Rail program, is lowering route costs by as much as 20% and catalyzing a long-term shift from road to rail on the key Melbourne-Brisbane corridor. 3Once completed in 2027, the 1,700 km line is expected to cut Melbourne-Brisbane transit by 10 hours and lower freight costs 20%.
Key Takeaways
- The market is growing steadily, not explosively. Most forecasts cluster around a 4–6% CAGR, signalling resilient, structural growth rather than a boom. 3Growth reflects the sector’s resilience during supply-chain shocks and its rapid pivot toward e-commerce fulfillment, decentralized inventory models, and regional distribution networks.
- E-commerce is the dominant tailwind. New marketplace entrants are intensifying demand — 3Chinese marketplace entrants such as Temu added 1.66 million local users, injecting new demand peaks that strain last-mile capacity.
- Warehousing is moving closer to customers. 3Fulfillment models are shifting toward micro-warehouses near population centers, reducing facility footprints by 30% yet lifting throughput per square meter by 25%.
- Labour shortages are the biggest constraint. 3An aging workforce and licensing hurdles leave the industry short by 26,000 drivers, inflating wages and threatening service reliability. In contract logistics, 10out of the 189,900-strong truck workforce, nearly half are older than 55, and only 5.4% are under 25.
- Demand for industrial property is rebounding. 13Gross take-up is forecast to reach approximately 3.3 million sqm in 2026, rising further to 3.8 million sqm in 2027.
- Sustainability is becoming mandatory, not optional. 6Mandatory emissions reporting and new trade corridors are reshaping supply chain strategies for the country’s exporters and importers alike.
- Cost pressures are real. 10Diesel prices, which jumped to approximately 265 cents per liter in April 2026, are pushing shippers toward longer contracts with surcharge clauses.
Conclusion
Australia’s logistics sector enters 2026 as a resilient, structurally growing backbone of the national economy, expanding at a healthy mid-single-digit pace across most forecasts. The growth story is anchored by three durable forces — relentless e-commerce demand, major infrastructure investment like Inland Rail, and the rapid roll-out of automation and AI. 6In 2026, agility, intelligence, environmental consciousness, and resilience will define the Australian transportation and logistics landscape.
That said, the sector’s biggest brake is people, not demand: a deep and aging labour shortage in driving and warehousing, compounded by fuel-price volatility and regulatory complexity. The winners will be those who invest wisely. 6In 2026, agility, intelligence, environmental consciousness, and resilience will define the Australian transportation and logistics landscape. The companies that thrive will be those that leverage technology and data-driven transportation and logistics providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How big is the Australian logistics/freight market right now?3 The market is valued at USD 103.2 billion in 2026 with a 4.16% CAGR outlook between 2026-2031 according to Mordor Intelligence, though other firms put the figure higher (e.g. AUD 158 billion in 2025 per Expert Market Research). Estimates differ based on what each report includes.
Q: What is the fastest-growing segment?3 Courier, express, and parcel services post the highest 4.92% CAGR (2026-2031), fueled by e-commerce demand. Meanwhile, 3 freight transport leads with 64.10% share, driven by bulk commodity and interstate flows.
Q: Who are the major companies in the sector?3 Australia Post Group, Japan Post Holdings, Linfox Pty Ltd., Aurizon Holdings Limited and Qube Holdings are the major companies operating in this market. Global players include 11 FedEx Logistics, Schenker Australia, DHL Express, Yusen Logistics, DTDC Australia, and Mainfreight, among others.
Q: Is there a jobs/labour shortage? Yes — it’s the sector’s defining challenge. 16The industry faces a shortage of skilled labor, including truck drivers, warehouse operators, and logistics professionals, which poses a challenge to meeting the increasing demand for services. The trucking workforce is growing but ageing — 11the industry anticipates a workforce of 600,648 employees in 2026, a 4.6% increase from 2021.
Q: Which states are growing fastest? In contract logistics, 10New South Wales accounted for 41.21% of the market share in 2025, while Western Australia is set to post the fastest growth at 6.79% CAGR through 2031.
