The average cost of a haircut in the U.S. is about $53, based on 194 real price quotes Yelp gathered for its October 2026 cost guide. Women’s cuts averaged $66 and men’s averaged $40, before the tip.
I didn’t think of haircuts as a budget category until the year I tracked every dollar while paying off my credit card debt. My $85 cut every six weeks, plus tip, added up to more than $850 a year. That number stopped me cold. Below is what haircuts cost right now for women, men and kids, why prices swing so much, and the changes that cut my own hair spending almost in half without looking like I’d given up.
The average cost of a haircut right now
Haircut prices are all over the place, so averages need a source you can trust. Yelp’s cost guide, updated in October 2026, pulls from 194 quotes from U.S. businesses. Here’s what it found:
- All haircuts: about $53 on average, with a typical range of $15 to $118.
- Women’s haircuts: about $66 on average.
- Men’s haircuts: about $40 on average.
- Tip: 15% to 20% is customary on top.
That $15 to $118 range is the real story. A quick clipper cut at a strip-mall chain and a cut, wash and blowout at a downtown salon are both “a haircut,” and they can be eight times apart in price.
The cut is the price on the menu. The haircut is the cut, the tip, and how often you go back.
Average cost of a haircut for women vs. men
Most of the roughly $26 gap between women’s and men’s averages comes from the service itself. Men’s cuts tend to be shorter and quicker, and they less often include a blow-dry or styling.
A typical women’s appointment often bundles a wash, the cut and a blowout. Longer hair takes longer. Layers take longer. Time is what you’re paying for, since stylists are paid largely by the hour and the chair.
Some salons have moved to pricing by hair length or by time instead of by gender, which I like. If your hair is short and you skip the blowout, it’s worth asking whether there’s a lower price for that. I asked once, at a salon I’d been going to for two years, and the answer was $20 less. Two years of overpaying because I never asked.
When a haircut turns into a color appointment
This is where my old salon bills got scary. The same Yelp guide lists blowouts at about $40 to $90, full color at $50 to $200 or more, and highlights at $60 to $150 or more. Add any of those to a cut and the appointment can cost several times the haircut alone.
I’m not anti-color. I just learned to book it on purpose instead of saying yes in the chair. When I wanted highlights, I’d plan them for every other visit and put the extra in my hair envelope for two months first. A “while you’re here” gloss once added $45 to a bill I’d budgeted at $85, and I didn’t find out until the card reader showed the total.
If you color, ask for the full price of the whole appointment before anything starts, tip included. A good stylist won’t mind.
What kids’ haircuts usually cost
Kids’ cuts are usually cheaper than adult cuts, especially at barbershops and family chains, though there’s no reliable national average I’d stake a number on. The price depends a lot on the shop and on how wiggly the kid is.
My nephew gets his hair cut every four weeks because his hair grows like a weed and he refuses to let it touch his ears. My sister found that a neighborhood barber was cheaper and faster than the kid-themed salon with the race-car chairs, and her son didn’t care once the barber started talking about baseball.
If you have more than one kid, ask about a sibling price or a punch card. Plenty of small shops have one and never advertise it.
Why haircut prices vary so much
When the range runs from $15 to over $100, a few things usually explain it:
- Where you live. Rent for a salon in a big city costs far more than in a small town, and that shows up in the menu.
- The type of shop. Budget chains move people through fast. Independent salons and high-end studios book longer appointments.
- The stylist’s level. Many salons charge more for a senior stylist than for a newer one in the same building.
- What’s included. Wash, blowout, styling products and a quick bang trim between visits can all be bundled or extra.
It also helps to know the person holding the scissors isn’t getting rich. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median pay for barbers, hairstylists and cosmetologists at $35,880 a year, or $17.25 an hour, in 2025. That’s part of why I don’t skip the tip, even when I’m cutting costs elsewhere.
What I spend on haircuts in a year (and how I cut it)
Here’s the change that made the biggest difference: I stopped thinking about the price of one cut and started thinking about the yearly total. Going a little longer between appointments did more than switching salons ever could.
- Add up last year. I scrolled my bank app for the salon’s name and found 8 visits. With tips, it was $850 and change.
- Ask your stylist for a “grow-out friendly” cut. Mine changed the shape so it looked fine at 10 weeks instead of falling apart at 6.
- Stretch the gap one step at a time. I went from 6 weeks to 8, then to 10. Nobody noticed.
- Learn one small at-home fix. For me it’s trimming my own bangs between visits, carefully, with real hair scissors.
- Skip the add-ons you don’t love. I dropped the blowout. I was going home and putting my hair in a bun anyway.
Now I go about five times a year, and without the blowout each visit costs less too. My yearly haircut spending is closer to $450 with tip. Same stylist, same salon, roughly $400 a year back in my pocket.
Cozy tip: Divide your yearly haircut total by 12 and set that amount aside every month in a small “hair” envelope or sinking fund. When the appointment comes, the money is already waiting and the cut doesn’t feel like a splurge. The free printable budget template has blank sinking fund lines for exactly this.
The average cost of a haircut per year: a worked example
Since how often you go matters as much as the price, here’s the yearly math at different paces. These are example numbers built from Yelp’s averages, with an 18% tip, so swap in your own.
| Example | Price per cut | With 18% tip | Every 4 weeks (13 cuts) | Every 6 weeks (9 cuts) | Every 10 weeks (5 cuts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average men’s cut | $40 | $47.20 | $614 | $425 | $236 |
| Average of all cuts | $53 | $62.54 | $813 | $563 | $313 |
| Average women’s cut | $66 | $77.88 | $1,012 | $701 | $389 |
Look at the women’s row. Going from every 6 weeks to every 10 weeks saves about $312 a year at the same price. You’d have to find a much cheaper salon to save that much by switching.
Where to get a cheaper haircut without regretting it
If stretching the time between visits isn’t enough, these have worked for me and for friends:
- Beauty school salons. Students cut hair under an instructor’s eye, usually for much less. Expect a longer appointment.
- Newer stylists at your current salon. Same products and booking system, lower price tier.
- Model calls. Some salons offer free or cheap cuts when they’re training staff on a specific style. You give up some control.
- Budget chains for simple cuts. For a basic trim or a men’s clipper cut, a chain can do the job for a fraction of a salon price.
What I wouldn’t do: cut my own hair fully at home to save money. I tried once in 2020. It took a $90 “fix it” appointment to recover, which was the most expensive free haircut I’ve ever had.
If you’re trimming the family budget in other places too, my guide to making a family budget is a good next step, and back-to-school season is a natural time to book the kids’ cuts as part of a back-to-school budget.
Common mistakes with the average cost of a haircut
- Forgetting the tip in your budget. A 15% to 20% tip turns a $66 cut into roughly $76 to $79, so plan for the full amount.
- Comparing one visit instead of a year. A cheaper cut you need every 4 weeks can cost more per year than a better cut that lasts 10.
- Paying for services you don’t use. Ask whether you can skip the blowout or styling, and whether that lowers the price.
For more on how everyday costs stack up, see my budgeting statistics page, and browse the saving money section for more small wins like this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a haircut cost on average?
About $53, based on 194 U.S. price quotes in Yelp’s October 2026 cost guide, with a typical range of $15 to $118. Women’s cuts averaged about $66 and men’s about $40, before tip.
How much should you tip for a haircut?
A tip of 15% to 20% is customary, according to Yelp’s cost guide. On a $53 haircut, that’s roughly $8 to $11. Many people tip a little more at the holidays or for a regular stylist.
Why are women’s haircuts more expensive than men’s?
Women’s appointments more often include a wash, blowout and styling, and longer hair takes more time. Some salons now price by hair length or appointment time instead, so a short cut without a blowout may cost less if you ask.
How often should you get a haircut?
It depends on your style. Short cuts often need a trim every 3 to 6 weeks, while longer styles can go 8 to 12 weeks. Asking your stylist for a cut that grows out well can stretch the time between visits and lower your yearly cost.
Where can I get a cheap haircut?
Beauty school salons, newer stylists at an established salon and budget chains are usually the cheapest options. For simple trims and men’s clipper cuts, a chain or neighborhood barber can cost a fraction of a full-service salon.
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