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FREE JOB DESCRIPTIONS

100% free hair & beauty job description templates

Complete job description templates for Australian salons and barbershops. Covering hairdressers, barbers, beauty therapists, nail technicians, make-up artists and salon managers. Aligned with the Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2020 (MA000005). 100% free, fully editable and ready to download.

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These templates are designed to reflect Australian workplace standards and hair and beauty industry practices at the time of publication. They are provided as a general guide only and do not constitute legal advice. You should review and tailor each template to suit your salon, qualifications required, modern award, enterprise agreement and specific requirements. For complex situations, seek independent legal or HR advice. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.

Hair & beauty job descriptions for Australian salons

The hair and beauty industry employs a large, mostly part-time and casual workforce across hairdressing, barbering, beauty therapy and nail salons. From salon assistants to managers, clear role definitions help salons hire well, roster fairly and stay compliant.

Most salon employees are covered by the Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2020 (MA000005), which sets minimum pay rates, weekend and public-holiday penalties, and allowances across six classification levels. Many roles require specific qualifications — a Cert III in Hairdressing or Beauty Services, a Cert II in Nail Technology or Make-up, or a Cert IV/Diploma for beauty therapists.

These templates provide compliant, industry-standard job descriptions you can customise for your salon. Each includes duties, required skills, qualifications and award-classification guidance — then pair them with salon rostering software and the Hair & Beauty Award pay guide once your team is hired.

Salon team members talking together

What's included in these templates?

Every hair & beauty job description template includes

Detailed duties and responsibilities
Required skills and attributes
Qualification and certification requirements
Award classification guidance (Levels 1–6)
Working conditions and weekend trade
Hygiene, sanitation and WHS requirements

All templates are fully editable and designed for Australian hair and beauty industry compliance.

Who should use these templates?

These job descriptions are designed for Australian salons and beauty businesses

Hair salons
Barbershops
Beauty salons & spas
Nail bars
Brow & lash studios
Salon groups

Helpful guides & resources

Put these templates to work across the hair and beauty cluster.

Award coverage for hair and beauty workers

Most salon employees are covered by the Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2020 (MA000005), the primary award for hairdressing, barbering, beauty therapy and nail services. It sets minimum rates across six classification levels — from a Level 1 salon assistant to a Level 6 diploma-qualified therapist or salon manager — plus Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday penalties, overtime, and allowances such as the manager’s, first-aid and tool allowances.

Classification is based on qualifications and the skills the role requires: a Cert III in Hairdressing or Beauty Services places an employee at Level 3 (the award “standard rate”), while make-up and nail technicians with a Cert II sit at Level 2. The Award does not cover general retailing or the theatrical and entertainment industries — a beauty counter inside a department store, for example, may fall under the General Retail Industry Award instead.

Being placed in charge of a salon attracts a separate manager’s allowance on top of the classification rate. Use award interpretation software to calculate accurate pay including weekend penalties and allowances, and read the full Hair & Beauty Award pay guide.

Simplify salon rostering and payroll

Once you've hired your team, manage them efficiently with RosterElf. Build weekend-aware rosters, calculate Hair & Beauty Award rates and penalties automatically, track qualifications, and simplify timesheets — all in one platform built for Australian salons.

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FAQ

Hair & beauty job description FAQ

  • A hair and beauty job description sets out the duties, required qualifications and working conditions for a salon role — such as a hairdresser, barber, beauty therapist, nail technician or salon manager. A good one also notes the employment type, the applicable award (MA000005) and the classification level. Our 7 free templates give you a compliant, Australia-specific starting point for each common salon role.

  • We provide 7 free templates: hairdresser, barber, beauty therapist, nail technician, make-up artist, salon manager and salon assistant. Each includes duties, skills, qualifications and award-classification guidance aligned with the Hair and Beauty Industry Award (MA000005).

  • Yes, all templates are fully editable. Adjust duties to match your services (hair, beauty, nails, brows/lashes), add salon-specific requirements, and tailor qualifications to your needs. The templates provide a compliant foundation to build from.

  • Most hairdressing, barbering, beauty and nail salon employees are covered by the Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2020 (MA000005). General retailing and the entertainment industry are excluded and have their own awards. Always confirm coverage before setting pay.