Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
In short: today's best AI models could do about 8% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about the same by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 92% of the time, stays with people.
Provide beauty services, such as cutting, coloring, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp. May shampoo hair, apply makeup, dress wigs, remove hair, and provide nail and skincare services.
305,710 people do this job in the US. $35,790 a year.
Reviewed on September 30, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on3 h
- A person checks AI's work0 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people37 h
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 3 hours, 0 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 37 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Develop new styles (about 2 h); Order and display supplies (under an hour); Update client records (under an hour).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 4%
- 3%
- 0%
- 21%
- 71%
of the work: Anthropic's measure of what people already bring to Claude at work (2025). It counts help with part of a task, so it can be higher than the share within reach.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 8% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 2%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 6%. Today's estimate: 8%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, 0.021% went to this job's tasks in May 2026, the 314th largest of the 447 jobs that showed up at all; 2 of its 20 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.019% to 0.0074% (released February and March 2025); 0.028% to 0.049% (August 2025 to February 2026); 0.023% to 0.021% (April to May 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.019% | 455 of 708 | 3 of 20 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.0074% | 541 of 703 | 3 of 20 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | 0.028% | 323 of 655 | 3 of 20 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 0.04% | 272 of 672 | 4 of 20 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 0.049% | 252 of 677 | 4 of 20 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.023% | 307 of 434 | 2 of 20 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.021% | 314 of 447 | 2 of 20 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 85% of this job's working time as physical work. For 23% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 9% in a purpose-built cell, 14% in a structured facility. 0.36 of 3, the 361st highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 15%
- No robot shown 62%
- In a purpose-built cell 9%
- In a structured facility 14%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
91% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Color hair, the hands-on work, 22%
- Cut and shape hair, the hands-on work, 13%
- Set, straighten and curl hair, the hands-on work, 10%
- Shampoo and dry hair, the hands-on work, 7%
- Develop new styles, the hands-on work, 7%
- Train and supervise stylists, the in-person work, 5%
What becomes checking the machine
No desk work within reach by then in tasks where a mistake costs something. Another 8% is desk work that is small if wrong, which can be handed over with lighter checks.
What to learn
- The hands-on craft. About 71% of the time is hands-on work, which no model here does; robots are rated separately on this page.
- Signing off under your license. Some tasks need a licensed, certified or sworn person to do or sign them. The license, and the judgment it stands for, stays with the person.
- Dealing with people outside the organization. Customers, patients, suppliers or the public: trust with them is built by a person.
- The conversations. About 22% of the time is conversation and in-person work, which this site leaves with people: listening, explaining, persuading, calming.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 20 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bleach, dye, or tint hair, using applicator or brush.Mixing and applying color at the chair.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 22% | 1.1 h25 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 80%, in person 20% | Stays with people |
| Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type, and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors.Cutting to the client's wishes and their hair.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 13% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Hands-on 80%, in person 20% | Stays with people |
| Develop new styles and techniques.Trying techniques on the block and the chair, with references studied.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 11% | 1.7 h50 min to 4.2 h | Hands-on 60%, documents 40% | 40%Desk part half by now |
| Apply water or setting, straightening or waving solutions to hair, and use curlers, rollers, hot combs and curling irons to press and curl hair.Chemical and heat work on the hair by hand.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 10% | 42 min25 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Shampoo, rinse, condition, and dry hair and scalp or hairpieces with water, liquid soap, or other solutions.At the basin and the chair.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, EAIN AI hair-washing machine (Shenzhen EAIN Technology Co. Ltd.) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 7% | 17 min8 min to 33 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Train or supervise other hairstylists, hairdressers, and assistants.Leading and teaching in the salon.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 5% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | In person 100% | Stays with people |
| Analyze patrons' hair and other physical features to determine and recommend beauty treatment or suggest hair styles.Looking at the client and talking through what would suit them.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 13 min8 min to 21 min | In person 100% | Stays with people |
| Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs.Cleaning and sanitizing by hand.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Somatic BCR bathroom cleaning robot (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 8 min4 min to 21 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Comb, brush, and spray hair or wigs to set style.Finishing the style by hand.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 13 min8 min to 29 min | Hands-on 80%, in person 20% | Stays with people |
| Order, display, and maintain supplies.Checking stock, ordering, and setting out the products.Done more than monthly by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Tally (Simbe Robotics) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 3% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Hands-on 60%, systems 40% | 40%Desk part half by now |
| Demonstrate and sell hair care products and cosmetics.Showing and selling at the chair and the counter.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 3% | 10 min4 min to 17 min | In person 80%, hands-on 20% | Stays with people |
| Massage and treat scalp for hygienic and remedial purposes, using hands, fingers, or vibrating equipment.Hands-on scalp treatment.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, AI hair-washing machines (Shenzhen AI hair-wash stores) (Chinese AI hair-wash equipment makers) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 3% | 17 min8 min to 33 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 8% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 8% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five. Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Develop new styles (40% of the task's time now); Order and display supplies (40% of the task's time now); and Update client records (100% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Color hair; Cut and shape hair; and Set, straighten and curl hair. Together such tasks are about 83% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are the hands-on craft; signing off under your license; and dealing with people outside the organization. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 91% of the working time stays with people, 0% becomes checking a model's work and 8% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026 and tied to a work task, 0.021% went to this job's tasks, the 314th largest share of the 447 jobs that showed up; 2 of its 20 tasks appeared. Anthropic's labor market measure puts the share of the job's tasks seen in real Claude use at work at 3%. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 85% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 23% of the working time, 14% in a structured facility. Its index is 0.36 of 3. One example: EAIN AI hair-washing machine for "shampoo and dry hair". A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 20 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on September 30, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
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