OSCA 392132

Hairdresser

Overview

  • Employed persons

    48,700

  • Employment status

    41.3% Full time

    58.7% Part time

  • Median age

    36 years

  • Employment by sex

    89.4% Female

    10.6% Male

    Highly female dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    2.2%

  • Main employing industry

    Other Services

Indicator Hairdresser Total employment
Employed persons 48,700 12,049,400
Median age 36 years 40 years
Full-time share 41.3% 64.2%
Part-time share 58.7% 35.8%
Female employment share 89.4% 48.5%
Male employment share 10.6% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Highly female dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 2.2% 2.2%
Main employing industry Other Services Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Hairdressers cut, style, colour, straighten and permanently wave hair, and treat hair and scalp conditions.

What the occupation involves

  • Consults with clients to determine their desired hair style, and hair and scalp conditions
  • Analyses clients' hair and features to design and recommend styles
  • Cuts hair using scissors, clippers, razors and other hair cutting tools
  • Styles, straightens and permanently waves hair using brushes, combs, straightening irons and other styling tools
  • Applies hair colour, highlights and lowlights using various techniques
  • Performs hair treatments such as deep conditioning, moisturising and scalp massages

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 3
equivalent to a mid-level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least 2 years’ on-the-job training).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Technicians and Trades Workers (3)

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Hairdresser Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Other Services 96.0% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Retail Trade 0.9% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 0.6% Construction 8.9%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.2% Education and Training 8.8%
    Education and Training 0.2% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Accommodation and Food Services 0.1% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Information Media and Telecommunications 0.1% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Manufacturing 0.1% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Wholesale Trade 0.1% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing <0.1% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      26.0%

    • Victoria

      25.3%

    • Queensland

      22.6%

    • South Australia

      8.8%

    • Tasmania

      2.7%

    • Northern Territory

      0.5%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.7%

    Hairdresser Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 12,700 26.0% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 12,300 25.3% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 11,000 22.6% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 4,300 8.8% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 6,000 12.3% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 1,300 2.7% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 270 0.5% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 830 1.7% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Hairdresser

    Total employment

    Age group Hairdresser Total employment
    15–24 years 20.1% 14.3%
    25–34 years 26.4% 22.7%
    35–44 years 21.1% 22.3%
    45–54 years 19.4% 20.4%
    55–64 years 10.2% 15.3%
    65–74 years 2.5% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.3% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Hairdresser Total employment
    Female 89.4% 48.5%
    Male 10.6% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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