Hairstylist Extra Income Calculator
Calculate how much extra money you could make in 2026 by leveraging your skills beyond your regular salon schedule.
Your Current Salon Income
Side Hustle Options
(e.g. £50-80 per visit)
(e.g. £25 per person)
(e.g. 20-40% commission)
(e.g. £20 per 15-minute service)
Estimated Monthly Extra Income
Pro Tip: Many stylists start with just 5-10 hours per week of side hustle work and see significant income increases. The key is consistency!
Being a hairstylist isn’t just about cutting and coloring hair anymore. In 2026, the best stylists aren’t just working behind the chair-they’re building multiple income streams around their skills. If you’re wondering how to make extra money as a hairstylist, the answer isn’t just working longer hours. It’s working smarter.
Offer Mobile Hair Services
Not everyone can make it to the salon. New parents, elderly clients, people with mobility issues, and busy professionals are all looking for someone who comes to them. Mobile hair services are booming, especially in cities like Bristol where demand outpaces supply. You don’t need a full van to start. Just bring a portable chair, a good set of shears, a blow dryer, and a portable color kit. Charge £50-£80 per visit depending on the service. A client who needs a touch-up before a wedding or a business meeting will pay extra for convenience. Many stylists report adding £1,000-£2,000 a month just from mobile bookings.
Teach Mini Hair Workshops
You don’t need a full NVQ to teach. People want to learn how to style their own hair between salon visits. Host a 90-minute workshop at a local community center, library, or even your own home. Teach them how to use a curling iron without burning their scalp, how to blow-dry for volume, or how to make a quick updo for work. Charge £25 per person. Five people? That’s £125 in one evening. Do this once a month, and you’re making £1,500 extra a year-without stepping foot in a salon. You can even record your sessions and sell them as digital guides later.
Sell Hair Care Products Online
Most clients trust their stylist’s recommendations more than any ad. Start by curating a small selection of high-quality, affordable hair products you actually use. Think sulfate-free shampoos, heat protectants, or leave-in conditioners from brands like Olaplex, Kérastase, or local UK indie brands. Set up a simple online store using Etsy or Shopify. You don’t need to hold inventory-use dropshipping or consignment. You earn 20-40% commission on every sale. One Bristol-based stylist started with just five products and made £700 in her first three months. She now has a monthly recurring income of £1,200 from product sales alone.
Partner with Local Businesses
Think beyond salons. Local spas, yoga studios, and boutique hotels often need someone to offer quick hair touch-ups for guests. Offer a deal: “15-minute blowout for £20” during their brunch hours or after a yoga class. You bring your own chair, they bring the clients. Split the profit 50/50. It’s low effort, high reward. One stylist in Bath started doing this with three local yoga studios and now gets 12-15 clients a week. That’s £300-£400 extra every week.
Specialize in a Niche Service
Generalists make average money. Specialists make bank. Pick one thing you love and get really good at it. Maybe it’s curly hair correction, gray blending, or men’s fades with beard shaping. Once you’ve mastered it, market yourself as the expert. Charge 30-50% more than your peers. Post before-and-after photos on Instagram. Use hashtags like #BristolCurlyHairExpert or #GrayBlendSpecialist. Clients will come to you-and they’ll pay more because you’re not just another stylist. One stylist in Bristol doubled her income in six months by focusing only on Afro-textured hair and offering protective styling workshops.
Turn Your Salon into a Mini Education Hub
If you’ve got experience, others want to learn from you. Offer short, affordable courses. Not full NVQs-just 2-hour crash courses. “How to Maintain Your Color Between Visits,” “DIY Hair Masks That Actually Work,” or “The Truth About Heat Tools.” Charge £30 per person. Do three sessions a month. That’s £900 extra. You can even get your local library to host them for free in exchange for promoting their community programs. This builds your reputation, brings in cash, and turns clients into loyal students.
License Your Brand
Have a signature style? A unique braid technique? A signature scent blend for your products? You can license it. For example, create a “Bristol Blowout Method” and sell the rights to other stylists for a one-time fee or monthly royalty. You don’t need a patent. Just document your method clearly, create a PDF guide, and offer it for sale on Gumroad or your own website. One stylist in Manchester made £8,000 last year licensing her “No-Heat Curl Method” to 40 other stylists across the UK.
Use Social Media to Build a Personal Brand
Instagram and TikTok aren’t just for trends-they’re for income. Post real clips: your hands working on a client’s hair, the transformation after a color job, your process for a specific cut. Use captions like “This is how I fix damaged ends in 20 minutes” or “Why I stopped using this popular brand.” Build trust. Once you hit 5,000 followers, brands will start DMing you for collaborations. Even small UK brands pay £100-£300 per post. You don’t need viral videos. Just consistency. One stylist in Bristol went from 0 to 12,000 followers in 8 months and now earns £1,500/month from sponsored content.
Combine Skills with Other Trades
What if you could offer hair + makeup? Or hair + scalp massage? Or hair + aromatherapy? Team up with a freelance makeup artist or a reflexology practitioner. Offer bundled services: “Hair Color + 15-Minute Scalp Massage for £85.” Split the profit. It’s a win-win. Clients get more value. You get more income. You don’t need to learn everything-just know who to partner with. Many stylists in the South West are doing this now, and it’s one of the fastest-growing side income streams.
Start a Loyalty Program
It’s simple: give clients a punch card. Buy five services, get the sixth free. Sounds basic, right? But here’s the trick-make it digital. Use a free app like Loyverse or even a Google Form. Track who comes in, what they get, and when they’re due for their next visit. You’ll see who’s at risk of leaving. You’ll also see who’s ready to upgrade. Offer them a premium service they’ve never tried-like a keratin treatment or a scalp detox-for 20% off. You’re not just selling haircuts-you’re selling relationships. One salon in Clifton increased repeat bookings by 60% using this system-and their stylists made £500 more per month from upsells.
Why This Works Now More Than Ever
In 2026, people don’t just want a haircut. They want expertise, convenience, and personal connection. The old model of waiting for clients to walk in is dead. The new model? You become the brand. You become the solution. You become the go-to person-not just for hair, but for confidence, care, and control.
Every extra pound you make comes from leveraging what you already know. You don’t need a degree. You don’t need a big budget. You just need to start small, stay consistent, and treat every client like a potential partner in your growth.
Can I make extra money as a hairstylist without leaving my current job?
Yes. Many stylists add side income by offering mobile services on weekends, teaching evening workshops, or selling products online. You can start with just 5-10 hours a week. Mobile hair services, for example, can bring in £500-£1,500 a month without touching your salon schedule.
Do I need formal certification to teach hair workshops?
No. You don’t need an NVQ to teach short, practical workshops. As long as you can demonstrate real results and your advice is safe and clear, clients will pay for it. Many stylists teach DIY techniques like blow-drying, curl maintenance, or color touch-ups without any formal teaching credentials.
What’s the easiest side hustle for a beginner hairstylist?
Selling curated hair products online is the easiest. Start with 3-5 products you already use and love. Set up a free Etsy shop. Take photos of them in your salon or home. Write honest reviews. You’ll start making sales within weeks. No inventory, no shipping headaches-just commissions.
How do I find clients for mobile hair services?
Start locally. Post in Facebook groups for new parents, elderly care networks, or local business pages. Offer a first-time discount. Ask your salon clients if they know anyone who can’t get to the salon. Word-of-mouth works faster than ads. One stylist in Bristol got her first 10 mobile clients just by asking her existing clients.
Is social media really that effective for hairstylists?
Absolutely. Instagram and TikTok are now the new portfolios. Clients find stylists by scrolling, not by calling salons. Posting real, unfiltered clips of your work-even 30-second videos-builds trust. One Bristol stylist went from 200 to 12,000 followers in 8 months just by posting one video a week. She now gets 80% of her new clients from social media.
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