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Salon Assistant salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a salon assistant is $49,900 per annum, before tax, up $10,500 since 2018.
Most salon assistants are paid under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award, which sets minimum rates that step up with age and experience, so junior and trainee pay sits below the figure above. Casual work and weekend shifts attract penalty rates and loadings, which can lift take-home pay, and some salons add commission on retail products sold.
Roles that pay more than salon assistant
The largest typical pay rise is $13,000 a year, moving into Hairdresser.
- Hairdresser+$13,000/yr
- Barber+$13,000/yr
- Beauty Therapist+$11,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher salon assistant salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time salon assistant salary is $49,900; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Cleaning and grounds maintenance and Personal care services tend to command a premium over general salon assistant experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Hairdresser pays a typical $13,000 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Salon Assistant salary questions
How much do salon assistants earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a salon assistant is $49,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is salon assistant pay rising or falling?
The median salon assistant salary is up $10,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than salon assistant?
Hairdresser pays a typical $13,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to salon assistant.