Price calculator

How to find your hourly rate as a hairdresser

The price calculator is free and designed specifically for hairdressers, barbers and beauticians, not as a general hourly rate calculator for freelancers. It answers the question many ask themselves when they start out: What should I charge for a haircut, a colour service or a balayage? You do not need to create an account or log in. Enter your desired salary, fixed expenses and the time you actually have available for clients, and the calculator works out your hourly rate and automatically distributes it across more than 20 specific services, from men's haircuts to Head Spa.

What should I charge for a haircut?

The price of a haircut is your hourly rate multiplied by the time it takes. If your hourly rate is 600 and a men's haircut takes 30 minutes, the base price comes to 300. If a women's haircut takes 45 minutes, it comes to 450. The calculator rounds to the nearest 50 and subtracts 1, so you end up with neat salon prices such as 299 and 449 instead of awkward numbers. A haircut rarely uses much product, so in practice the price follows the time. The cost of hair care and consumables is already included in your hourly rate through your fixed expenses. All prices include VAT.

What does a colour service, balayage or highlights cost?

A colour service takes longer than a haircut, which is why it costs more. By default, the calculator allows 60 minutes for a root colour, 90 minutes for an all-over colour and 30 minutes for a glossing service. Highlights are set at 120 minutes and balayage at 150 minutes. The latter two are shown as starting prices because the time typically depends on the length and thickness of the hair and how much needs to be applied. Colour and care products are already included in the hourly rate, so if you use extra product for a service, you can add a few more minutes. You adjust the time in 5-minute increments, and the price follows automatically.

Guide: What is included in your hourly rate

Six factors determine what you really need to earn per hour. Here are the factors the calculator takes into account.

1. Your desired salary

Start with the salary you would want if you were employed somewhere else, before tax. This is not the same as what you hope the salon will earn; it is what your time is worth. If you set it too low to keep prices down, you ultimately pay the difference with your own job satisfaction. The calculator uses this figure as the foundation of the calculation, not as a ceiling.

2. Fixed salon expenses

Rent, electricity, water and heating, consumables and hair care, as well as booking systems, insurance and accounting, must be covered before there is anything left for salary. Most hairdressers do not know most of these figures by heart, which is exactly why many set their prices based on gut feeling instead of their accounts. The calculator adds them together, including VAT, so you can compare them with your bank account without having to recalculate anything.

3. Savings for quiet periods

A month with fewer clients, sick leave or a holiday still costs rent. The calculator lets you set aside a fixed amount each month, so these situations do not become a crisis but a period you have already paid for. The same amount also covers future investments, so you do not need to take out a loan every time something needs replacing.

4. Investment in furnishings

If you need to replace or expand your furnishings, such as chairs, wash units and mirrors, you can enter the total price including VAT. The calculator assumes financing over 5 years, so the investment is spread across your hourly rate instead of hitting you as one large expense in the month you make the purchase. If you want to see what is available, you can browse salon furniture, or read about how financing works if you would rather spread the payments yourself.

5. Realistic working hours

Not every hour in the salon is a paid client hour. The calculator deducts 5 hours per week for non-client time, such as cleaning, ordering and breaks between clients. It assumes 44 working weeks per year instead of 52, so holidays are included from the start, and it assumes a calendar that is 70 per cent booked, not 100. These are the kinds of assumptions that determine whether an hourly rate actually works or only looks good on paper.

6. Distributed across specific services

Your hourly rate does not remain as one abstract figure. It is automatically distributed across more than 20 services in the categories haircuts, children, barber, colour, treatments and styling, brows and lashes, and Head Spa, each with its own duration. If you do not offer a particular service, remove it. If you use more or less time than the standard duration, adjust the time, and the price updates automatically.

Why you can trust the figures

Just Add People is a family-owned and family-run business that has helped hairdressers furnish and run their salons for more than 30 years. Just Add People is Denmark's largest inspiration centre for hairdressers and beauty artists, with more than 175 products on display in the showroom. If you are unsure about your own figures, you can get personal advice from Klaus Østergaard, Denmark's best-known expert in salon furnishings. If the amount for furnishings from the calculator turns into a real purchase, the same terms apply as elsewhere in the shop. You can see the equipment in person at the showroom in Viborg before you decide, or read about what other hairdressers earn in What does a hairdresser earn?

Frequently asked questions about the price calculator

What is a normal hourly rate for a hairdresser?

There is no single normal hourly rate, because it depends on how much you want to earn, how much your salon costs to run and how many hours you actually sell. A hairdresser in an expensive neighbourhood with high rent needs to charge more than a hairdresser in a smaller town with lower expenses. The calculator uses your own figures and assumes a calendar that is 70 per cent booked. This gives you an hourly rate that suits your salon instead of an average you cannot really use.

How long does a haircut, colour service or balayage take?

The time varies depending on the length of the hair, the technique and your experience, but the calculator starts with some realistic standard times. A men's haircut is set at 30 minutes and a women's haircut at 45 minutes. A children's haircut takes 30 minutes, a root colour 60, an all-over colour 90 and a balayage 150. The standard times are only a starting point. If you use more or less time in your salon, adjust the minutes for the individual service, and the price updates immediately. If you are unsure about your own timings, time your services for a week.

Should a colour service have a fixed price or a starting price?

If a service has a consistent duration, such as a root colour or glossing service, a fixed price works well. If the time varies significantly with the length and amount of hair, as with highlights and balayage, a starting price is often more honest for both you and the client. The calculator therefore shows highlights and balayage as starting prices and the other services as fixed prices. You agree the final price with the client after seeing the hair. The starting price ensures that no one is surprised and that you do not end up working for free on longer services.

What should I charge for a Head Spa treatment?

The calculator includes two Head Spa treatments: a full treatment lasting 60 minutes and a refresh lasting 30 minutes. Both include an additional charge for materials. Because the surcharge is added to the time-based price, a Head Spa treatment costs more than a service of the same duration without the surcharge. You can adjust the minutes just as with the other services, and remove them if you do not offer Head Spa. If you are considering offering it, you can read more about what is involved on the page about Head Spa.

Is the price calculator free, and do I need to create an account?

Yes, the calculator is completely free, and you do not need to create an account or log in to use it. You can get started straight away by entering your salary, expenses and the services you offer. Your figures are not saved automatically anywhere, and they are reset if you reload the page or close the tab. It is therefore a good idea to save the results for printing as soon as the prices suit your salon, rather than assuming you will be able to find them again later.

How is it different from an ordinary hourly rate calculator?

Most hourly rate calculators you find online are made for freelancers and consultants in general, and they do not know the difference between a balayage and a men's haircut. The Just Add People price calculator is based on the services specific to the hairdressing profession, with realistic assumptions about how much of your time is actually paid client time, instead of assuming that every hour in the salon generates income. The result is not just one hourly rate but a complete list of prices distributed across the specific services you actually offer your clients.

Can I customise the services to suit my salon?

Yes. If you do not offer one of the suggested services, remove it from the list with a single click, and your hourly rate is automatically redistributed across the remaining services. If you spend more or less time on a service than the calculator suggests, you can adjust the time, and the price updates immediately. The list covers haircuts, colour, barber, treatments and styling, brows and lashes, and Head Spa, but it is intended as a starting point that you make your own.

Can barbers and beauticians use it too?

Yes. Although several of the services in the list are related to haircuts and colour, the calculation behind the hourly rate is the same regardless of which part of the industry you work in. Enter your salary, expenses and working hours as usual, then remove or add services so the list matches what you actually offer your clients. If you are unsure how a particular service from your own profession should be included in the calculation, you are welcome to contact Just Add People.

How do I create a price list for my salon?

Remove the services you do not offer and click "Save for printing" when the figures are right. You will then get a clear A4 price list containing only your own services, which you can put up in the salon or show to your clients. The price is your starting point, not a definitive answer, and it is completely normal to adjust it over time as your salon, expenses and experience develop. If you want to keep working on your prices over time instead of setting them just once, you can read Stop giving discounts or How to price your products.