How Much to Tip for a Haircut

I used to do hair also but, I worked in a barber shop so it was usually 5 min haircuts that I was doing SO, I would say you should tip about $4 or $5 if it is just a haircut. If it is haircut and color services or other services then I would say $10 or so depending on how much time was involved and any other factors (i.e. they squeezed you in at the last minute, spent extra time showing you how to style it, etc). Hope this helps! :)
Roxanna

I tip $5 on a $35 hair cut. I have a great hairdresser that I love to death but I do have a hard time forking over another $5 when the cut is $35 and she told me she was raising her rates again soon. If I were rich I would love to tip a lot more but $40 a haircut, even just when trimming it, it not something I can explain to the hubby very well. I have to go longer (3-4 months)in between haircuts to justify it. Then it only works out to be $120-$160 a year.

Wow I did not realize it was expected to leave a tip for haircuts. I usually gave 1 or 2.00 as I can barely afford the haircut to begin with and my hair grows so fast it is needed about every 6 weeks but usually let it go 3-4 months because I get the boys haircuts more often and hubby has his cut at least once a month now that he can have it a little longer than the military cuts he had to have every 2 weeks. When I need mine cut we don't have the money for mine so I trim my bangs a few times before I actually get a haircut.

As a person that has been in the service industry (bartender, waitress, barista, etc.), I am glad you asked! Thank you! I always tip for any service done for me, and tip more when I feel it is deserved.

Here are a few links that help decipher how much to tip, and to whom:

http://www.tip20.com/div/con/
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/12/basic-tips-o...
http://www.findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php
http://www.lifescript.com/channels/healthy_living/Life_Ti... (esp. page 5)
Here's a great video with a bit of humor: http://www.onnetworks.com/videos/proper-ollie/salon-tippi...

Thanks for asking! I had to educate a boyfriend once that 10% is only enough for poor service, and $1 per person in a restaraunt for a large party wasn't enough either! (We had a party of 8, the bill was around $75, we had exceptional service, and he was going to leave $8! I told him he had better double that or I would be embarassed and would leave the rest myself!)

I did hair for 5 years before staying home with Emme and the average was about 15-20%. Granted, I worked at a nicer salon so it may be different. But, again, that was the norm. I'd say $5 for sure, and if you're happy with it, a little more.

Hi K.,
I am a non practicing licensed Cosmetologist. So here is what we thought when I was practicing hair and I did hair in 2002-2003 and then for a while in 2005. It depends on what you are having done, and where you are going and how good a job they did. I worked at Great Clips, our hair cuts were $13. We felt like $3 was a good average for just a hair cut. $5 we felt like the person thought we did a good job and they would probably come back to us. We especially liked when people had coupons for like a $5 or $7 hair cut and then gave us a $6 tip so they still saved money and we got a better tip. Now $1 and $2 tips had us wondering what we did wrong. I also know that if we did a shampoo, I always did a scalp massage with my shampoos to try and get just a little extra tip, it is very relaxing for the customer and really not supposed to be included in a shampoo. Generally 20% works for a good minimum. Also if you ever get like a perm, color or a style you should tip a little more especially if you like it, because something people don't take into consideration is that those services generally take about the same amount of time as 3 or 4 hair cuts, which at $3 to $5 a hair cut in tips you could have made, if some one gets a $30 or $40 service and tips you $10 it is a bit disappointing even though it seems like a nice tip. Those services are a lot harder on a stylist and like I said even with a $10 tip it still probably cost the stylist a bit of money. You mentioned that the person cutting your hair is an acquaintance, are they doing this at a discounted price, if so and you like the hair cut, you should make up the difference and tip them but still save money. If you don't like the hair cut and this goes for anyone who reads this please tell the person and try and do a good job of explaining what you want before you get started to avoid a bad hair cut. I know there are stylists that just don't listen trust me I've had some, but sometimes we would cut someones hair, and it happened to everyone, and they would act like they liked it or seem happy, tip us well, and then we would never see them again. That just leaves you wondering I wonder what happened to that nice person that tipped me $7 last month. You can also ask the person if they do booth rental or work on commission or if they are hourly, because it does make a huge difference in how much they take home. Commission based usually take home between 30 and 50% of the cost of the service sometimes more, booth rental always confused me so I am not sure how that works, but places like Great Clips and Fantastic Sam's the stylist only makes like $8 or $9 an hour and then a very very small commission on products and if they are super fast and do haircuts in under 15 minutes they get a small productivity bonus, but the time is averaged out over a week and with all the down time very few people actually get that bonus. That one always made me mad part of the reason I don't do hair any more I was trying so hard to be fast I tore ligiments in my neck and shoulder and can't practice any more. Sorry so long. Just a subject near and dear to me and anything is better than nothing because I don't care what anyone says nothing feels like an insult, and really makes you want to ask the person what they didn't like about you or their hair cut. Good luck! Hope it goes well.
M.

My sister is a beautician in a nice salon and she has also told me 15-20% (just like eating out).

I'd say you're tipping above most people. My sisterinlaw does hair & we've discussed the tipping. She works at Great Clips & they don't have to rent their station (&more places are getting to be like that) She makes $9 an hour from the salon & then her tips. What I have learned is it varies greatly what people tip, anywhere from $5 to $20 for a perm, $1 to $5 for haircuts

I used to wait tables & I don't always go by percentage, because that would mean when I'm by myself eating & I get a salad or sandwich & fries (usually under $10 @ Applebees' or similar) I only need to tip (on average) a $1.50 & that doesn't seem right, either.

I tip 20% (at least).

If she does something I don't like I just tell her. They want you to be happy so you will come back. My family and I have been going to the same lady for years. She is very resonable (cut, foils and eyebrows for $60). I usually give her $75. She has to pay booth rental and a percentage of the services she gave to management, but they don't get to touch her tip.

No, thats a good tip.

I'm an hairstylist. It really all depends what you are getting done and where. If you go to a great clips and just a haircut $5 dollars is great. Now if you go to more up the scale salon. Usually a little more. What lot of people don't know. Tips are a big part of our income. Unless you are charging 65 dollars and up for a cut. Now for perms and color usually the average is 10-20 dollars a tip. All depends on how you are treated while you are there. The whole 15-20% thing hard to apply to hair. Cause if you are working at a place that only charge 7.95 a cut that not much at all when tipping. But if you don't like it do not tip and tell them. I hope this help.

I may be awful or just plain cheap, but I go to a place where they charge, in my opinion, a lot. I pay their fees because, they are nice and do a good job. Anyway, that being said, I just don't tip. Where I go, the people can charge whatever they want so if they want more, they can charge it.

I'm with the others...15-20%!!!

K., I own a hair salon and I am also a stylist, and you are tipping just fine.
But to answer your question on your friend that will be doing your hair, I would say it all depends on the price of the cut.
I mean you are already paying her for her service and that is all we expect you to pay, anything more on top of our price is a complete bonus, so I would not worry too much about it.

Good Luck, and if you have any hair questions you can contact me for any advice. ____@____.com

I think in this area, $5 is very generous. I moved here from D.C. and was shocked at how inexpensive haircuts were! Most people here charge $15-$25, so I think $3 to $5 is appropriate.

From
S. A. in Dow

What a good question!! I have also been doing $5.00 for over ten years. And I love her to death. She is really amazing. So maybe I should do more. I just always felt like the salon charges so darn much for a cut and color anyway. I know how much the color costs....not much! I figured they were getting a good cut out of the price I was paying! But, I don't know! Thanks for this question.....I may learn something!

hey K.
im a cosmetologist,,work here in topeka
you tip what you can afford to tip
there is no preordained amount
some clients dont tip at all& thats fine, some just cant afford it
hope your new do turns out great
H.

Hi K....
Well I am a Cosmetologist and have been in the industry for 10 yrs. Currently, I am a Cosmetology educator.
Normally, my tips for Haircuts averaged about $5, so you are correct. However, there were many times I would get a suprising $10-$20 OR nothing at all depending on the person. Believe me... any stylist is happy with what you give.
Tips get bigger when you are getting Chemical services such as perms or color or if you know the stylist has gone above and beyong to provide you with an exceptional experience. If your service is bad then they really don't deserve a tip.
All places charge differently but please keep in mind that stylist does not pocket all that money. The stylist is only getting about 40% of the total service. So, lower end salons that charge say $10 for a haircut means they get $4. Just something to think about.
Hope this helps!
L. K

I am glad someone asked this so I could read the responses. I tip $5, but sometimes I resent it. I like my hairdresser, but their rates have gone up so much it's getting too expensive to pay $30 a cut, then another $5, what about when I color? This is just getting out of hand. When I take my kids - 3 at a time, I tip 20%, but this adds up. I am a single mom, and it's hard enough to make ends meet. I am a nurse, and guess I wonder why it seems everyone else gets tipped, but nurses barely get a "thank you" for a service that "gives" far, far more.

just to add to the confusion :)

if your stylist is a renter vs. a commision stylist it is nicer to tip in cash or on the check. credit card services run a stylist 3-5% of the service.

obviously any manor in which the gratuity is given is greatly appreciated.

I always tip between 15% and 20%

K., Good Morning. 5.00 is a nice tip. Would of been great when I was working...lol Our haircuts back in the 70's were $5.00
I usually received a dollar or so. I can cut my own hair most of the time or I have one of my grown son's finish the shaping in the back. Long (middle of my back) straight hair. Wanted to grow it long one more time before I got to old to have long hair. ;) It's also Fake Baked Blonde :))

Anyway K., even with the price of HC's now, I feel 5.00 is still a nice tip.

I usually do 20 percent. I am a massage therapist, and also worked in restaurants for a lot of years. Just like in restaurants where servers are making $2.13 per hour and depend on tips, salon employees do, too. I recently started with a salon and work only on a 40% commission. The workers are not making as much as it seems!

I would say you should tip at least 10-15%. I sometimes tip 20% or more. I usally give $15 or more.

I'm a single mom of 2 kids, Emma 6 and Fisher 4.

I often wondered the same thing but then I read an article about how you should tip about 20% for a haircut. For me, that's about $7-8. On Xmas, I read, that you should tip the full amount of the haircut in addition to the regular charge, so if your haircut is $35 then you pay that, plus tip $35. At first I thought that was outrageous, but then I figure, my husband & I tip more than $7 for a nice dinner, so why shouldn't my hairdresser get a nice Xmas tip. She spends an hour on me and I have a simple short cut. I always go to the same lady & I know she was happy w/her tip; she sent me a thank you card!

Hi K.- I used to cut hair, and if I got a $5.oo tip.. I was pumped! :) I think it is fair to look at the situation of your stylist. If she owns her own shop/or station... she gets ALL of the extra from that cut. If she is renting, she will have to pay a high dollar to cut there. I usually round up, like you said, on either instance, or give extra as I have it. Again, I also think you have to look at your personal finances. Any stylist worth gong to will be appreciative of any amount you give.... so give from your heart, and they will see that. Hope that helps!

I do 15-20 percent like if I was tipping a waiter or waitress.

I never know on this either, I do the same between $3-$5.

i usually tip $1 for every $5 of the cost. same with restaraunts.

Hi!

I tip the same as I would in a restaurant for good service, 15 to 20%. Back home my hair cuts were $55.00 so I always tipped $11.00.

Good Luck! M. :)

I've been told that proper tipping for a hair stylist is 10-15% of the total cost of the service provided. If your acquintance is giving you an "aquintance" discount, you should still tip on what they would normally charge. So, if they are charging you $50, but they would normally charge $75 for the same service, you would tip about $7.50-$8.00. That's just what I've been told anyway--good luck! Hope they do a good job on your hair!

Hi, I am a hairstylist and it is just like going to a restaurant or any other service job. Most people tip 20% of the total cost.

Your doing fine because you don't have to tip them anything. Never be embarrassed because you don't know. I wish you & your family all the best on your new journey in life, starting over isn't easy. I sell Mary Kay part-time & am considering doing it full- time when I relocate to Chicago, so at least I have something to do & I love meeting new people & making new girlfriends.