Hair and Beauty
The hairdressing, beauty and body art industry has an annual turnover of £5.25 billion a year and employ over 240,000 people.
The UK has over 35,000 hair salons; 300 African Caribbean hair salons; nearly 3,000 barbers; 1,500 nailbars/technicians; 13,000 beauty salons/consultants; nearly 1,000 mobile beauty therapists and 400 spas.
A large proportion of workers are female.
42% of people chose to work part-time in the hairdressing and beauty sector.
Half of the hairdressing and beauty workforce are between the ages of 16 and 34.
93.5% of workplaces have less than 10 employees.
The hairdressing and beauty industries are both highly dependent on regular repeat business from satisfied clients. This means that interpersonal skills are very important, especially the ability to communicate verbally so as to customise the service to meet individual needs.
An apprenticeship can be a good route into these careers. Taking an apprenticeship means you are learning while you are employed. As well as taking a qualification, you will also cover key skills that are essential for a successful career.
How much could I earn?
Beautician £13,179
Hairdresser/Barber £10,605
*Salary rates have been calculated using the average gross pay rates for full time workers. Figures are for the United Kingdom. Averages can hide higher earnings. With training and career development, higher salaries can be achieved. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2009, O.N.S., © Crown Copyright.
What we think will happen
Although to a certain extent hairdressing is seen by many as an essential service it has still been hit by the recession. Once the worst effects of the recession are over it is likely to recover again.
People working in beauty salons have to be multi-skilled, as they often have to provide a wide range of treatments to clients. This means that training is important in keeping up to date with techniques.
The training authority reports positive growth trends in the industry, though predicts that growth will be dependent on an adequate supply of suitably qualified personnel. Particular difficulty is reported in the recruitment of beauty therapists, nail technicians, tattooists, body piercers, stylists and barbers. Between 2002 and 2012, 18,000 of those working in leisure and other personal service occupations (which includes jobs in this sector) will have retired.
New qualifications, called Diplomas, are being introduced. These will help people prepare for university, college or work. There will be a Diploma in Hair and Beauty Studies. Look out to see whether it’s on offer in your area.
Certain facts/figures are reproduced under the terms of the Click-Use Licence. © Red Bridge Solutions Ltd (www.redbridgesolutions.co.uk) December 2009
More information is contained in the pdf below.