Beauty salon owners provide any number of services and products to the public, from basic hair care to nail care and spa services. Specific services may include pedicures, manicures, tanning, or massages. The actual income a beauty salon owner will make depends on a number of factors, such as the number of employees, what services are provided, state of the economy, and the particular region or location.
Beauty Salons Types
There are at least two types of beauty salons: full-service salons and specialized salons. Specialized salons may focus on a couple areas of service. For instance, a specialized salon might provide services such as pedicures, manicures, and facials, or maybe focus more on hair and offer cutting, styling, extensions, coloring, and wig styling. On the other hand, a full-service salon will offer most everything, from hair services, nail care, massages, and other personal care treatments. The more services a salon provides, the more money a beauty salon owner can make.
Employee Arrangement
Employment at beauty salons can be through two options when hiring stylists and other professionals. Employees can be hired on a regular basis, which means that you pay the personal care professional an hourly rate plus commissions on products and service up-sells. Also, some salons will also provide their employees benefits, paid vacations, and other perks. Booth rentals are another way personal care services can be offered. A professional who rents a booth or space in your salon will pay you a fee to use it, and sometimes a percentage of sales that they make while working there. Most beauty salon owners can potentially make more money by renting space than by hiring regular employees, if the professionals renting the space have a good number of existing customers.
Economic Conditions
During good economies, women will flock to beauty salons to get full days of treatment. However, in times of economic distress and declining economies some services may not be utilized as much. The basic services such as haircuts and/or coloring might still be done, but the customer might skip the manicure and pedicure. So the state of the economy will affect how much you, as the beauty salon owner will make.
Earnings Potential
The amount of overhead the salon owner has will help them figure out how much they can make. Overhead includes items such as utilities, wages, unemployment insurance, and supplies. In addition, the number of clients and what is charged for the services will influence how much a salon owner can make in a year. There are some salon owners that choose to draw a salary, but others may simply to choose to live off the income that’s left over after the bills have been paid. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2008 the average for beauty shop professionals was $30,000 annually, with the lower 50 percent earning $22,000 and the upper 50 percent earning $41,000. Geography differences can also affect how much is earned. For instance, a salon technician in California will earn $25,000 annually, on average, but one in West Virginia earns only $20,000, as of May 2010. Owners may have higher earnings, as opposed to earnings for professionals, but is dependent on various factors such as overhead and other expenses.
Growth Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, industry growth for those in the personal care field is expected to increase by at least 20% between 2008 and 2018. This above-average rate is attributed to the expected rise in population growth in the coming years.