Whenever we pay for any services, such as when visiting a hairdresser or cosmetologist, there is always that awkward moment when it is time to pay. Most of us usually stumble upon the same question: how much should you tip your hairdresser?
Since we usually have no idea what amount of tip for hairstylists will be fine and what will not, this article was created to solve the problem and finally clarify how much money we shall (if we shall at all) leave at the salon.
How Much Should You Tip a Hairdresser?
In general, there is no fixed price for the hairdresser’s tips. Basically, we pay (if we want to reward the specialist, of course) according to both our financial abilities and the total price of the service we received.
Getting ready for a haircut or a more complicated procedure like coloring or styling is always fussy, but the most bothersome part starts when we need to pay for the service. What is it so difficult about it, you may wonder? Well, in terms of setting the price, nothing. But what about how much to tip at hair salons?
WIll the amount of tips hang upon the total price of the procedure you did? Or is there any fixed price for tipping the staff? How much to pay to not be considered too stingy but also to not give too much (especially if the service costs quite a lot)? Let’s take a closer look at all the details.
First of all, there is no such thing as tipping law whatsoever. In general, giving tips to the staff of a hairdresser’s salon is not something that is a priori expected from a visitor. At the same time, giving tips is always kind of implied, and that makes the whole situation a bit tense.
First of all, how do we calculate how much to pay? What percentage should you tip your hairdresser? The simplest scheme is to set your own price list according to the services provided to you and their cost.
Nevertheless, to make it easier to calculate the necessary sum of money, we recommend everyone focus on twenty percent tips since it is a common average amount that will suit both parties, you and the salon.
How much to tip a hairdresser on $100?
According to the unspoken industry standard, if your haircut or dyeing session cost you around one hundred bucks, it will be acceptable to give from eighteen to twenty percent tips if the service was excellent. Of course, if any issues took place, you can decide yourself how much to cut off that amount of money.
To give you an example, imagine you had a coloring session that cost you one hundred dollars. If you like how the work was done, and you are completely satisfied with the result you see in the mirror, praising your colorist with twenty percent tips would mean that he (or she) will receive twenty dollars of reward.
How much to tip a hairdresser on $300?
For a pricier service, it will be fine to leave from fifteen to twenty percent tips, but again, the total amount of your gratitude shall not be higher than that rate.
How much to tip a hairdresser for highlights?
Highlights is one of the most popular hair-styling procedures today. How much to tip for highlights, you may wonder? Well, normally there is no specific price rate for a certain kind of service, so if you stick to the twenty percent rule, it will be absolutely fine. But of course, if you want to give more, feel free to do that!
This procedure can be rather pricey depending on the level of complication, your hair state of health, products used, and the overall time taken to complete the session. So if the specialist had to be busy handling your locks, it would be nice to reward him or her a bit more generously.
How much to tip a hairdresser for color?
How much to tip a colorist? We would say that everything hangs upon the level of difficulty of the session. If the procedure took you much time and products (hair dye, shampooing, conditioning, etc), and if you are satisfied with the final result, then it will be acceptable to pay about twenty percent from the total price.
But again, if there are any nuances or issues you see in the mirror after the session is finished, decide yourself how much to pay, and whether to do it or not.
We agree that all these calculations may seem somewhat tricky and tangled, so to make it all simpler for you, we prepared a brief tip chart for hairdresser services.
| Solid tipping range | 18-22% |
|---|---|
| The amount of tips if you decide to reward the owner of the salon | 20% |
| Tips for a hair washer/color assistant | 5-20% |
| In case you are not satisfied with the result | 0 |
What we can suggest is that you decide how much money you are ready to pay most according to your level of income, and then define the price you are willing to pay for the excellent service, as well as for a moderately fine and unsatisfactory work.
Hairstylist Tip. Mandatory Or Not?
Along with that “how much should I tip my hairdresser?” inquiry, clients often wonder whether it is necessary to tip at all. Well, to be short, no law exists that would enforce the clients of a hairdresser’s services to pay tips to the stylists.
That means that, no matter how much time you have been in a client-specialist relationship with your hairdresser, you still are not obliged to pay tips if you don’t want to, if you are not able to pay, or you don’t think it is necessary to do so.
Of course, we must not forget about the common tradition of a client tipping when being served long-term, but even in this case, the long period of time you have been using the service of the same hairdresser or a colorist does not necessarily mean that you must leave tips just because you still use their service.
In Case You Don’t Like the Result
Of course, we tip a hairdresser only if we liked the service provided and we are absolutely satisfied with the result we see in the mirror! We strongly recommend not tipping just because it is expected from you even if the quality of service is lower than you initially expected.
It is your money that is paid, and it is your choice whether to give some extra or not. Tips show your gratitude for the work done by the professionals, and they have to be paid only in case the result is beyond praise. If there are any issues or errors, we recommend you hold back on the extra money. Besides, professional stylists will never accept tips that were given unwillingly.
Anyway, if this is not the first time you are not happy with the service provided to you, better talk to your stylist. Let the specialist know what upsets you about the work done and try to find a solution together. And only if it doesn’t work, think of changing the hairdresser.
How Much Do You Tip Apprentices At a Hair Salon?
Figuring out the appropriate tip for hairdressers is only half a business! What about the rest of the staff? How much tips shall we leave for the assistant or a person who brings us rollers?
We can only say that everything hangs upon you. Usually, apprentices shall get some monetary reward for their work, and anything between five and twenty percent is more than acceptable. Of course, it will depend on how much time the assistant person spent helping you out and how qualitative his or her service was.
Tipping Extra. Yes Or No?
Another stumbling stone is whether to tip or not during the holiday period. Of course, before and during the Christmas holidays, all the service industry is loaded with work, and so the service workers work harder than usual being extremely busy!
Shall you pay tips considering this nuance? It is up to you anyway, but of course, your hairdresser or a stylist would appreciate some extra tips pretty much during the busy holiday time!
So, as you can see, tipping is pretty much dependent on you and your preferences. The basic rule of thumb is the following: if you liked the quality of service, leave tips. If anything was wrong, decide yourself whether to tip or not.
Of course, any hairdresser or a stylist will appreciate some monetary reward which is the major factor that makes clients feel uneasy when they don’t leave tips. However, no matter whether you are expected to pay or not, the final decision is up to you.
But in any case, remember that no specialist is allowed to force you to tip by no means!
Frequently Asked Questions
⭐ How much to tip for hair color?
Between 18% and 20% will be fine.
⭐ How much to tip for balayage?
Twenty percent is an average common amount of tips, but of course, if you think it’s worth paying more, you can be more generous.
⭐ What’s the appropriate tip for a hairdresser?
The unspoken amount of tips varies from 18 to 22 percent.
