Duties and responsibilities
A manager stylist is responsible for overseeing daily salon operations and ensuring that salons are clean, well-maintained, adequately stocked and that operations maximize salon profitability. Their typical duties and responsibilities include:
- Overseeing all the daily operations of the hair salon they work in
- Hiring and training hairdressers as needed in the salon
- Organizing hairdressers shifts, considering peak times and holiday requests
- Ordering hair and beauty products
- Arranging for regular maintenance services for all equipment
- Maintaining staff records, including salaries and working schedules
- Promoting hair services, products and discounts on social media
- Keeping updated records of costs and revenues
Qualifications
To become a manager stylist, you will need at least a high school diploma or equivalent. In addition, every state requires that hairdressers complete a program in a state-licensed barber or cosmetology school, which are typically found in postsecondary vocational schools. Manager stylists will also need considerable experience in hairdressing and will need to be able to demonstrate leadership and management skills.
Skills and relevant work experience
Manager stylists will need physical stamina as they will be on their feet all day. They will also need skills such as:
- Customer-service skills, as in order to retain a positive reputation of the salon and attract return and loyal clients
- Leadership skills, as manager stylists will need to instruct and manage a team of hairdressers
- Time-management skills, as manager stylists need to schedule appointments and complete all salon tasks by strict deadlines
- Creativity, as manager stylists need to keep up with the latest trends
- Communication skills, as hairdressers need to interact with plenty of clients and with the hairdressers they are responsible for
- Business management skills, as manager stylists will need to promote the salon as a business
Hours
Manager stylists tend to work full time hours, they may have to work evenings and weekends to meet the clients and salons needs.
Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists was $12.54 in 2019. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.86 per hour, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $24.94 per hour. Manager stylists can expect to earn towards the upper range of this.
Progression
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, which includes manager stylists, is projected to grow 8 percent from 2018 to 2028, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This is because the growing population will create a greater demand for haircare services.
Manager stylists typically progress from hairdressers, and can then progress further by becoming self-employed and/or opening their own salon.