Salon Pricing Calculator
Most salon prices were set years ago and drift below cost as rent and products climb. This calculator prices a service from first principles: your time at your target hourly rate, plus products, plus overhead and a real margin — so you know exactly what each service must charge to be worth doing.
The pricing formula
Time is the anchor: a service that takes 90 minutes at a $60/hour chair rate costs $90 in labor before a single product is opened. Track real hands-on time, not the booked slot.
Overhead is everything the service must carry: rent share, front desk, utilities, card fees, supplies. 15–25% is typical for booth renters and small salons.
Margin is what's left as profit. If the resulting price is above your market, the service needs to be faster, cheaper to deliver — or replaced with a better-priced one.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know my target hourly rate?
Start from what you need to earn annually, divide by billable hours per year (usually 1,000–1,400 after no-shows and gaps), then add your taxes and benefits load.
Should prices include the stylist's product kit?
Product cost here is what the service consumes in color, solution, lashes or product. Kit amortization belongs in overhead.
What margin should a salon service carry?
After overhead and labor, 15–25% is a healthy target. Below 10%, one slow month erases the year's profit.
Related tools
- Formula: standard service-pricing model (cost-plus with overhead allocation). Benchmarks: US salon industry practice, 2026.
Last updated: 2026-09-08