Salon assistant job description

No formal qualifications are required for a salon assistant — it is an entry-level position. The essentials are working rights in Australia, a friendly and professional attitude, good presentation and availability for the required shifts. Previous salon or retail experience and an interest in a hairdressing or beauty apprenticeship are advantageous but not essential.

Yes. Salon assistant roles are designed for people new to the industry, so it is common to hire and train staff without prior experience. Focus on attitude, reliability, presentation and customer service skills. A clear job description helps candidates understand the role and self-select appropriately, and gives you a great pipeline of future apprentices.

Very often, yes. Working as a salon assistant is one of the most common ways into a hairdressing or beauty apprenticeship. Assistants learn the fundamentals — hygiene, client care, colour prep and salon workflow — while showing they are reliable, which makes them strong candidates when apprenticeship positions open up.

Mandatory requirements should be limited to working rights in Australia and availability for the required shifts, since this is an entry-level role. Preferred qualities typically include previous salon or retail experience, an interest in an apprenticeship, and a current first aid certificate. Avoid over-qualifying the role, as it unnecessarily narrows your candidate pool.

This depends on your salon’s needs. Casual salon assistants offer flexibility for variable demand but attract a 25% casual loading. Permanent part-time staff provide consistency and often better retention. Many salons use a mix — permanent staff for core trading days and casuals to cover peak periods and weekends.

Under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award (MA000005), Saturday work is paid at 133% (158% for casuals), Sunday at 200% (225% for casuals) and public holidays at 250%. Overtime is paid at 150% for the first hours and 200% thereafter. Use award interpretation software to calculate these rates accurately.

Many salon assistants are juniors, and junior rates are a percentage of the adult Level 1 rate under MA000005 — 50% for employees under 17 and 75% at age 17, increasing with age until the full adult rate applies. Confirm each team member’s age and the correct percentage before setting pay, and update it as they get older.

Under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award, casual and part-time employees must be engaged for a minimum of 3 hours per shift. Keep this in mind when building rosters for short or peak-period shifts. Use digital employment contracts to record employment type, classification and pay clearly for each new starter.

Match assistant shifts to your busiest stylist and therapist bookings so support is available when clients arrive. Our guide to rostering hairdressing staff walks through the process, and rostering software lets you build compliant rosters, see costs live and share shifts with staff instantly.

Publishing rosters at least 7 days ahead is good practice and helps staff plan around study, family and other commitments. Using rostering software makes it easy to publish early, notify the team automatically and manage any changes with a clear record.

Add the base hourly rate, any applicable weekend or public holiday penalties, and the casual loading if relevant. Our free shift cost calculator and overtime & penalty rate calculator help you estimate costs quickly before you publish a roster.

Collect availability preferences during onboarding and keep them up to date, especially for junior and student staff. Use staff availability management tools to track when each person can work, set clear policies for requesting changes, and reduce last-minute gaps in the roster.