Hairdressing and Beauty Industry National Minimum Wage 2019.
- The rate for employees aged 25+ is £8.21 per hour
- The rate for employees aged 21 to 24 is £7.70 per hour
- The rate for employees aged 18-20 is £6.15 per hour
- The rate for employees aged 16-17 is £4.35 per hour
- The rate for apprentices is £3.90 per hour
Hairdressing & Beauty Apprentice Minimum Wage Rate
All apprentices under 19 and any apprentice of any age in their first year of apprenticeship the hourly rate is £3.90 per hour.
IMPORTANT Note: Any apprentice above the age of 19 in their SECOND YEAR of apprenticeship must be paid the minimum wage for their age….
chris says
I wrote last week because my daughters hours had been dropped and wanted to know if there was a minimum they had to work during a week. (I am still waiting a comment)
I have another question, my daughter is being rushed through her second year ready to start her 3rd year advanced seamingly because the hourly rate will drop back to £2.65, she is 19 and turns 20 in July.
Is this correct, it seems rather harsh that she will have more experience but yet her wages drop ?
Mick Say says
Hi Chris
Regarding your daughters apprenticeship. An apprenticeship has a start date and an end date. Not knowing the facts of your daughters contract, (deed of apprenticeship) I am assuming that she signed up for a three year apprenticeship when she was 16.
Please refer to my previous answer – Apprentices aged between 16 and 18 (the day before their 19th birthday) That’s a total of three years can be paid the current apprentice rate of £2.65 per hour. If your daughter is now 19 and has been an apprentice since she was 16 – she should bow be paid the minimum wage for her age (19) which is £4.98 per hour.
chris says
My daughter is a second year apprentice and is 19 at the moment.
Using your blog has been really good because we found out that she has been underpaid for the last 5 or 6 months at £2.65.
My question is are there any laws regarding apprenticeship that state how many hours they have to work per week ?
Mick Say says
Hi Chris
Apprentices are generally aged between 16 and 18 should work no more than 38 hours per week.
Mick
Margaret Evans says
I feel empowered to respond to this,..
I know Im long in the tooth, Ive been a Hairdresser for over 30 years.. Being a hairdresser is hard work, be it, people like to think its easy. 40 hrs a week on our feet all day, dealing with difficult customer’s as well as (Mostly) lovely customers…. BUT for someone who has been to collage, gone through the 3 years of silly wage only to find that we only deserve the state minimum wage.. Most employees will not pay a penny more than they have to, which is understandable.
I know of lots of people who have no qualifications at all, earning more than a qualified hairdresser..
This is absolutely absurd, I advised both my daughters not to go into the trade for this reason.. Both are earning more than me now and one’s 18 and the other is 20…
It makes no sense to me whatsoever…
Rant Over… Im sorry about that. but I do feel that the hairdressing Council or whoever decides on wages that hairdressers get need to look at things long and hard.. It is not an easy trade.
Mick Say says
Hi Margaret
I hear and feel your frustration and I sympathise with you and every person who works hard for minimum wage.
However – It’s not just the hairdressing industry in which people work for minimum wage, this happens across all industries. This situation was much worse before we had a minimum wage structure, so minimum wage is a good thing.
The bottom line today is that young people have to raise the bar, Many salon owners pay more than the minimum wage but only when the skills and stylists “Columns” demand this. I know many stylists who earn more than minimum wage, but these stylists are very highly skilled and they take personal responsibility for filling and making their own columns profitable, they make a difference and they negotiate their salaries.
If a stylist believes that they are underpaid for the work they do, they must either negotiate a better salary, or strive to find a job with a salon who will pay more. From my (unfortunately very long) experience the very best stylists raise to the top, get noticed and get paid much more than minimum wage.
Times have changed and we must change with them, a job for life or a job that pays everyone the same regardless of skill level is now a thing of the past. Today we are paid what we are worth and until a stylist, or a car mechanic, or a call centre executive proves that they are worth more than minimum wage, that’s where they will stay – on minimum wage.
Kind regards – Mick
Danielle Howard says
I have been on a hairdressing apprenticeship since June 2011 and I started my level 2 in the July. I finished my level 2 in January 2013. I have now enrolled on my Level 3 and I am enquiring as to whether my wage should increase. I work an average of 40 hours a week and my wage is currently £428 a month. The college also gives my manager £1700 towards my wages as it is a new business for the college. I am getting told different things about the wage so am getting confused as to whether I am eligible for minimum wage or whether I stay on £2.65 per hour because it is the first year of a new level 3 apprenticeship. Also if I should be on minumum wage from when when I turned 18 should I be back dated for the pay I have lost out on?
Mick Say says
Hi Danielle
Please read ALL of this page in detail – it will guide you. Minimum Wage is the law.
If you are under 19 years of age then your pay is correct.
Danielle Howard says
So should I have been getting paid minimum wage since july 2012 after I turned eighteen which was April 2012 and began my second year of level 2 which was July 2012? And if I should have been would my wage then go back to £2.65 per hour when I began my level 3 advanced apprenticeship?
Mick Say says
Hi Danielle
If you are currently 18 years of age your correct minimum wage is £2.65 per hour.
When you turn 19 and you are in your second year of apprenticeship, then you should be paid the minimum wage for a 19 years old which is currently £4.98
I realise that this can be confusing – but if I am getting your dates and ages right, you are currently 18 and turn 19 in April 2013.
If this is correct then you should be paid £2.65 NOW and then £4.98 when you turn 19 in April.
I hope this clears things up for you. Mick
Sara says
Evening, really sorry to be bothering you again, but my daughters employers are adamant that she is only due £2.65 per hour as she is an apprentice . They say that they have checked with Akast & Hair Dressing Federation. . As I said previously she is 18 years old & qualifies as level 2 in March 2013, we’re really confused as to what she should be getting , please help , who’s right ? Many thanks for all your help .
Mick Say says
Hi Sarah
No problem. You must be accurate with your ages and dates/length of employment. Please read this extract from the government website regarding apprenticeships and then follow the link below to the Government website for confirmation.
Please show this government link to your daughters employer. Gov.Co.uk – Apprenticeships Guide – What Apprentices Get
Don’t be to hard on your employer as this information changes every October and is not easily found.
Hope this helps.
Allison says
Hi my daughter is in her 2nd year as a hairdressing apprentice she started her 2nd year in September she is 18 what should her hourly rate be? In two weeks time she will be 19 what will her rate be as a 2nd year apprentice?
Thank. You Allison
Mick Say says
Hi Alison
As a second year apprentice your daughter should be paid the minimum wage for her age. for an 18 to 20 year old this should be £4.98 per hour.
Hope that helps – Mick
Allison says
Thank you Mick for your help would my Daughter be entitled to back pay?
Allison says
Thank you for your help, Allison
zoe says
i am 19 and im currently studying my level 2 in hairdressing i recieve £433 a month for a 40 hour week. is this correct? x
Mick Say says
Hi Zoe
At 19 years of age if you are in your first year as an apprentice you should be paid £2.65 per hour – If you are in your second year of apprenticeship you should be paid £4.98 per hour.
Hope that helps – Mick
Saraj says
Hiya, I have been offered an apprenticeship in hairdressing that is four days a week in salon and one in college. I will be 21 next month they have told me the rate of pay will be 106.00 pounds until I get NVQ level 3 which takes 2 years. Is this right?
Mick Say says
Hi Saraj
The minimum wage for an apprentice in their FIRST year is £2.65 per hour. In the Second year of apprenticeship the minimum wage is that which applies to their age.
SO – In your second year of apprenticeship aged 21 you should be paid £6.19 per hour.
Hope that helps – Mick
Rachael says
hi there
I have my own salon but it is all just a new thing for me. when i took over from the previous owner she had a young apprenticeship which is now leaving the salon as she can no long do hairdressing due to an injury.
I am not looking for a new apprent but i am slightly confused on the wages they should receive because i have had so many people tell me different. Is the wage for an apprent still £2.65 per hour no matter what age they are in their first year? and then in the second year it goes up to there minimum wage for their age?
hope you can help. thanks
Mick Say says
Hi Rachel
There is no confusion please read the post above – this is the law. You can only pay £2.65 to an apprentice who is below the age of 19 in his or her first year of training. In their second year of training you have to pay the minimum wage for their age.
If your apprentice is older than 19 – you have to pay the minimum wage for their age even in their first year.
Rachael says
thats great thank you very much for your help
Sara says
Hi, my daughter started as Saturday girl in salon at age of 14 she is now 18 years old was then taken on to do her level 2 in hairdressing, she’s getting all her training in the salon- college tutor comes and asses her there, she will be qualified level 2 hairdresser in march 2013, she works a 40 hour week and gets paid £400 a month = £100 a week , is this the right amount for her age/ qualification ?
Mick Say says
Hi Sara
£100 divided by 40 Hours is £2.50 – the minimum wage for a hairdressing apprentice in their first year of training is £2.65.
However your daughter is 18 years of age and in her second of training and should now be paid the minimum wage for her age which is: £4.98 per hour.
Please read this page in detail: it sets out the LAW for Salon Employee’s Minimum Wage:
Sara says
Hi , thanks for all your help, really appreciated. Does this £4.98 an hour start from when she turned 18 doing her level 2 ? Would she be able to get her due pay back dated till then ? Many thanks again for all your advice x
Mick Say says
Hi again Sara
The second year apprentice rate of £4.98 per hour should Kick in at the beginning of her 13 Month of apprenticeship. Yes she should be due back pay.
Be sure to use the chart here to view the dates of Minimum wage pay rate changes.