Provide beauty services, such as shampooing, cutting, coloring, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp. May apply makeup, dress wigs, perform hair removal, and provide nail and skin care services.
U.S. Workers
295,460
Median Salary
$35,250
10-Year Growth
+5.6%
Annual Openings
75,800
Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
23 of 23 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Schedule client appointments.
AI: Fully automatable - Fully automatable—AI scheduling assistants and integrated booking systems can reliably manage appointments, confirmations, and rescheduling.
Update and maintain customer information records, such as beauty services provided.
AI: Fully automatable - Fully automatable—practice management software and AI can record, update, and maintain customer service histories and preferences automatically.
Analyze patrons' hair and other physical features to determine and recommend beauty treatment or suggest hair styles.
AI: Fully automatable - Fully automatable—computer vision and recommendation models can analyze photos or live images of hair and facial features to propose tailored styles and treatments with high accuracy.
Operate cash registers to receive payments from patrons.
AI: Fully automatable - Fully automatable—modern POS systems, self-checkout, and contactless payment solutions with AI support can handle transactions without human cashiers.
Recommend and explain the use of cosmetics, lotions, and creams to soften and lubricate skin and enhance and restore natural appearance.
AI: Fully automatable - AI systems can analyze skin/hair data, recommend specific cosmetics and regimen choices, and explain their use clearly, enabling full automation of recommendation and explanation tasks in this domain.
Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs.
AI: Partial - Partially automatable—sterilization equipment can be automated and AI can schedule/monitor cycles, but physical setup, inspection, and regulatory oversight still require human involvement.
Bleach, dye, or tint hair, using applicator or brush.
AI: Partial - Partially automatable—robotic applicators and AI can assist with mixing, dosing, and placement, but variability in hair types, safety risks, and client comfort keep humans necessary.
Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors.
AI: Partial - Partially automatable—robotic cutting systems and AI-guided templates can handle simple, repeatable cuts, but complex, context-sensitive styling and fine motor adjustments remain best done by humans.
Demonstrate and sell hair care products and cosmetics.
AI: Partial - Partially automatable—AI can recommend products, run virtual demonstrations, and handle e-commerce sales, but in-person tactile demonstrations and nuanced sales interactions often require humans.
Train or supervise other hairstylists, hairdressers and assistants.
AI: Partial - AI can deliver training programs, assessments, and remote supervision tools, but complete replacement of human supervisors for on-the-job mentoring, conflict resolution, and hands-on corrective coaching is not yet achievable.
Massage and treat scalp for hygienic and remedial purposes, using hands, fingers, or vibrating equipment.
AI: Partial - AI can prescribe scalp massage routines and control massage devices, but the nuanced, tactile, therapeutic scalp treatments requiring human touch and clinical judgment remain only partially automatable.
Shampoo, rinse, condition, and dry hair and scalp or hairpieces with water, liquid soap, or other solutions.
AI: Partial - Partially automatable—automated wash stations and dryers exist and can perform many steps, but safe, comfortable, and customized shampooing and drying typically still need human oversight.
Administer therapeutic medication and advise patron to seek medical treatment for chronic or contagious scalp conditions.
AI: Partial - AI can provide diagnostic suggestions and advise clients to seek medical care, but it cannot itself legally or safely carry out therapeutic medication administration or substitute for licensed clinical treatment.
Order, display, and maintain supplies.
AI: Partial - Partially automatable—inventory management and ordering can be automated, but physical restocking, merchandise display, and appearance maintenance require human work.
Comb, brush, and spray hair or wigs to set style.
AI: Partial - AI can plan and control robotic systems or guide a human to comb, brush, and spray hair but cannot yet fully and reliably execute these physical, fine-motor salon tasks autonomously in real-world settings as of 2025.
Develop new styles and techniques.
AI: Partial - AI can generate many new visual styles and propose techniques, but fully owning the end-to-end experimental, tactile refinement and trend-driving aspects of developing new styles still requires human creativity and hands-on validation.
Apply water, setting, straightening or waving solutions to hair and use curlers, rollers, hot combs and curling irons to press and curl hair.
AI: Partial - AI can provide detailed instructions, automation support, or control specialized hardware for setting and heat treatments, but reliably performing the full range of hands-on chemical and thermal manipulations on real clients remains only partially automatable in 2025.
Shape eyebrows and remove facial hair, using depilatory cream, tweezers, electrolysis or wax.
AI: Partial - AI can advise on eyebrow shaping and hair-removal methods and can assist robotic systems, but precise, safe removal (especially electrolysis and waxing on varied skin types) requires human skill and oversight today.
Clean, shape, and polish fingernails and toenails, using files and nail polish.
AI: Partial - AI can instruct, plan, or assist robotic tools for nail care, but the dexterity and safety required to clean, shape, and polish nails on diverse clients make full autonomous execution only partially achievable by 2025.
Shave, trim, and shape beards and moustaches.
AI: Partial - AI can plan and guide beard trimming or control assisted devices, but fully autonomous, reliable shaving and detailed shaping tailored to individual facial contours is only partially automated as of 2025.
Apply artificial fingernails.
AI: Partial - AI and machines can guide and partially automate nail application (e.g., press-on placement or nail printers), but by 2025 cannot reliably perform the full delicate, varied hands-on work across diverse human clients without human intervention.
Give facials to patrons, using special compounds, such as lotions and creams.
AI: Partial - AI can recommend products, protocols, and control some massage/cleansing devices, but giving a full, safe facial (including hands-on assessment, extractions and nuanced touch) remains a human task in most settings.
Attach wigs or hairpieces to model heads and dress wigs and hairpieces according to instructions, samples, sketches or photographs.
AI: Partial - Robotic systems and AI can mount and style wigs on mannequins and provide precise instructions from references, but fully autonomous, reliably nuanced wig application and styling on people is only partially automatable by 2025.