# Will AI replace hairdressers? Updated October 2026 Hairdressers score 26 of 100 for AI exposure. 55% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 17% today and speed up another 28%. - **17%** AI can do it - **28%** AI helps - **55%** Needs a person Low exposure Lower than 69% of the 923 occupations we scored. ## Task by task We graded 22 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 3 of them today, speeds up 6 and leaves 13 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Schedule client appointments. Online booking and calendar software handles appointment scheduling. | 85% AI can do it | | Update and maintain customer information records, such as beauty services provided. Software can log and update service records from notes. | 80% AI can do it | | Operate cash registers to receive payments from patrons. Point of sale software already handles payment processing and receipts. | 80% AI can do it | | Order, display, and maintain supplies. Software can automate reordering and tracking; displaying stays physical. | 40% AI helps | | Recommend and explain the use of cosmetics, lotions, and creams to soften and lubricate skin and enhance and restore natural appearance. AI can answer product questions; recommendations still need in person assessment. | 40% AI helps | ## How hairdressers compare All occupations (923) Personal care and service (31) **Hairdressers score 26**, marked by the dark line. Each dot is a score, darker where more occupations share it. The short marks show the averages, 37 for all occupations and 30 for personal care and service. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $35,790 a year, May 2025 People employed 305,710 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs +7.7% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Perform balayage, color correction and cutting on live clients - Manage client bookings in appointment scheduling software - Keep color formulas in customer information databases - Hold a state cosmetology license for hair services - Demonstrate hair care products during in-person consultations - Track product reorders in Microsoft Excel ## Safer roles nearby 5 related occupations with lower scores. - [Barbers23 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/barbers/) - [Skincare specialists24 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skincare-specialists/) - [Shampooers19 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/shampooers/) - [Manicurists16 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/manicurists/) - [Tailors22 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/tailors/) ## Questions about hairdressers and AI Will hairdressers be replaced by AI? Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly scheduling appointments and taking payments at the register. The hands-on work stays with people, since cutting, coloring and styling need a person in the chair. Will AI take over hairdressing? AI can already do 17% of the task time in hairdressing and speeds up another 28%. People still do 55% of it. The US has 305,710 hairdresser jobs, with a projected change of +7.7% from 2024 to 2034. Which tasks is AI taking over for hairdressers? Appointment scheduling is the most exposed task, scoring 85 for exposure, and online booking software already handles it. Updating client service records, scoring 80, can be logged automatically from stylist notes. Point of sale software also covers the cash register, which scores 80. Which hairdresser tasks stay human? Shampooing, rinsing and conditioning hair scores 3 for exposure because it is physical work on a client's scalp. Waxing, tweezing and electrolysis score 2 and need direct hands-on skill. Scalp massage manually also scores 3, since the treatment depends on touch. How can hairdressers stay valuable as AI spreads? Lead the in-person consultation, since recommending products scores only 40 and still needs a physical check of the hair and scalp. Keep color formulas and patch test notes current in your customer information database. Use Excel to track product reorders and sales. Post color transformations on YouTube and Facebook to attract clients who book in person. ## Related jobs - [Retail salespeople48 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/retail-salespeople/) - [Laundry workers13 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/laundry-workers/) - [Maids8 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/maids/) - [Opticians32 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/opticians/) ## Next steps for hairdressers - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your actual tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV and see which of your tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Cement masons score lowest, at 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Radiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Cement masons need little prior training and score 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**For natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we publish, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 occupation groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.