Hairdressing and Beauty Services in Australia 2026: Industry Statistics & Trends

The hairdressing and beauty services industry in Australia encompasses establishments providing professional hair care, skin care, make-up, and nail services. The industry is facing a dual transition of adapting to modern consumer digital-booking expectations and navigating structural changes as independent, solo-operator, and freelance models gain popularity. According to a 2026 report by Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA), industry employment has remained steady at approximately 63,000 hairdressers over the five years leading up to 2026. However, persistent labor shortages continue to affect the sector, highlighted by Australian government data showing that only 45% of advertise

Industry snapshot

Key public data points

Historical & forecast

Get in touch and our analysts will be happy to help with custom market sizing, deeper segmentation, supplier detail or a bespoke study built for you.

What does the Hairdressing & Beauty Services in Australia industry cover?

The Australian hairdressing and beauty services sector consists of businesses primarily engaged in providing personal care treatments. These operations are centered around hair design, cutting, coloring, styling, and barbering, alongside beauty procedures such as nail care, facials, skin care, makeup application, and tanning. Under government definitions, the scope excludes medical-grade skin care, professional cosmetic surgery, and surgical hair transplant procedures, which are classed under specialist medical services.

• •Primary activities include barber shop operations, make-up, nail care, electrolysis, skin care, and tanning services.
• •The sector explicitly excludes medical skin therapies and surgical hair replacements under ANZSIC Class 8512.
• •Operations range from traditional brick-and-mortar commercial salons to home-based businesses, mobile operators, and chair-rental setups.

Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?

The market is heavily fragmented and dominated by small, local, and owner-operated businesses. Solo practitioners and micro-businesses make up the vast majority of establishments, with a high concentration of female ownership. The rise of flexible business frameworks, such as freelance styling, home salons, and rent-a-chair configurations, has restructured the traditional salon payroll environment and dispersed operator concentration.

• •Small businesses and owner-operators constitute approximately 90% of all beauty and salon establishments in Australia.
• •An estimated 85% of hair and beauty salon owners in Australia are female, reflecting a highly gender-focused business demographic.
• •The proliferation of independent and freelance operations has placed pressure on traditional, employee-dependent salon models.

What drives demand in the industry?

Demand is driven by consumer discretionary spending, household income levels, and demographic trends such as population aging. Consumers are increasingly focusing on specialized skin health, scalp wellness, and appearance-enhancing care, which maintains service volumes despite broader economic shifts. However, periods of soft consumer confidence and high cost-of-living pressures prompt clients to be more deliberate, lengthening the intervals between premium salon bookings.

• •Aging demographics and a rising focus on damage repair drive high demand for restorative hair, scalp, and skin treatments.
• •A growing consumer cohort prioritizes clean-label, organic, and sustainable products during their in-salon treatment regimens.
• •Economic cost-of-living pressures have led to increased appointment cancellations and longer booking intervals among discretionary clients.

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

Competition in the Australian market is highly intense and local, centered around service quality, location convenience, and pricing. While individual markets are dominated by independent operators, several major franchise networks and brand systems hold significant presence across Australia. Notable established names in the Australian hairdressing and retail-salon landscape include prominent national franchise groups, specialized hair retail-salon hybrids, and major regional networks.

• •Just Cuts operates as a major, highly recognized franchise network across Australia and New Zealand, focusing on style cuts.
• •Hairhouse (historically Hairhouse Warehouse) operates over 110 locations nationwide, combining a hair salon, piercing studio, and retail store.
• •Price Attack is another dominant national salon-and-retail brand with a focus on professional hair care products and full-service styling.
• •Stefan Hair Fashions operates as a highly prominent, long-standing hairdressing chain with a strong retail and salon network in Queensland.

What are the recent trends and outlook?

The industry's near-term outlook is shaped by digital tool adoption and a persistent domestic workforce shortage. Technology is reshaping the client experience, with online booking platforms, digital reservation software, and social media marketing becoming mandatory operations for independent practitioners. Simultaneously, the sector is experiencing structural training and retention bottlenecks that constrain the growth of traditional multi-chair salons.

• •Digital bookings and active social media marketing (e.g., Instagram, TikTok) serve as primary business drivers for solo practitioners.
• •Approximately 3,340 hairdressing apprentices withdrew or cancelled their training programs in 2024 alone, highlighting workforce pipeline strains.
• •Training pathways are undergoing reform under Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA) in 2026 to modernize Certificate III qualifications.

How is the industry regulated?

Operators are subject to stringent state and territory occupational health, safety, and hygiene guidelines. Local councils monitor compliance with personal services and skin penetration regulations, which apply when services involve procedures like waxing or cosmetic tattooing. Additionally, vocational qualifications remain highly structured, though licensing rules vary significantly by state.

• •National training packages, such as the SHB30416 Certificate III in Hairdressing, govern formal qualifications in the industry.
• •NSW Health and other state health departments mandate compliance with the Public Health Regulation 2022 for skin penetration procedures.
• •Hairdressing establishments must comply with local government guidelines, such as the Guidelines for the Hairdressing Industry, focusing on infection control.

Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.

• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ANZSIC Class 9511 Hairdressing and Beauty Services ·
• Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA) - Review of Hairdressing and Barbering Qualifications 2026 ·
• Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA) - Exploring the Drivers of Hairdressing Workforce Shortages Report 2026 ·
• NSW Health - Guidelines for Hairdressers and Barbers 2025 ·
• Jobs and Skills Australia - Hairdressers Occupation Profile 2026