Pay transparency
What barbers and hairdressers get paid in Australia
Real rate ranges pulled from verified candidates on BarberRise, shown next to the legal pay floors under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award (MA000005) for 2026-27. Use both to sanity-check an offer before you sign anything.
Hair and Beauty Industry Award (MA000005), 2026-27
These are legal minimums for a qualified adult barber or hairdresser (Cert III, award level 3), not a recommendation and not payroll advice. Penalties, allowances and junior rates sit outside this figure, and individual awards or agreements can differ. When in doubt, check with Fair Work or a payroll professional.
Full-time hourly (base)
$28.87
per hour
Casual hourly
$36.09
base + 25% loading
Full-time weekly
$1,097
38 hour week
Full-time annual
$57,047
approximate
Verified candidate rates by discipline and city
Averages of the rate ranges verified candidates have told us they're after, hourly rates only. Day rates, weekly rates and commission structures aren't comparable side by side, so they're left out of this table. We only publish a city and discipline once at least 3 verified candidates sit in it, so no individual can be identified.
Not enough verified candidates yet in any single city and discipline to publish a number without risking someone's privacy. Check back soon, or lean on the award floors above.
Based on 1 verified, hourly-rate candidates out of 1 verified profiles at time of publish. Figures are self-reported by candidates and are indicative, not a guarantee of what any shop will pay.