Salon Service Pricing Calculator
Calculate salon service prices from service time, target hourly rate, product cost, and overhead.
Returns minimum price, recommended price, and gross margin.
Salon service pricing must cover costs, pay staff fairly, and generate a profit margin — while staying competitive in your local market.
The core formula:
Service Price = (Time in Hours × Hourly Cost Rate) + Product Cost + Profit Margin
Hourly Cost Rate = (Monthly Fixed Costs + Monthly Variable Costs) / Monthly Billable Hours
Break-even Services Per Month = Monthly Fixed Costs / Average Contribution Per Service
What each variable means:
- Hourly Cost Rate — what it costs per billable hour including rent, utilities, insurance, staff wages, and equipment amortization
- Product Cost — color, treatments, shampoo, and consumables used per service
- Profit Margin — target percentage above costs (typically 20–40% for a healthy salon)
- Billable Hours — actual hours generating revenue (subtract consultations, cleaning, breaks)
Worked example: Monthly fixed costs: $4,500 (rent + utilities + insurance). Monthly variable costs: $1,200 (products, credit card fees). Monthly billable hours: 160.
Hourly cost rate = ($4,500 + $1,200) / 160 = $35.63/hour
A haircut takes 45 minutes. Product cost: $2. Base cost = ($35.63 × 0.75) + $2 = $28.72 At 30% margin: Price = $28.72 / (1 − 0.30) = $41.03 → price at $42–$45
Typical salon pricing benchmarks (US, 2024):
- Basic haircut: $25–$80
- Women’s blowout: $45–$90
- Single process color: $80–$150
- Full highlights: $120–$250
- Keratin treatment: $200–$450
Review pricing every 6–12 months to account for rising product costs and local market changes.