# Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists

> 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.

- **SOC code:** 39-5012.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-39-5012-00
- **Also known as:** Cosmetologist, Hair Stylist, Hairdresser, Hairstylist, Beautician, Hair Dresser, Stylist, Beauty Advisor
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs.
- Bleach, dye, or tint hair, using applicator or brush.
- Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type, and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors.
- Schedule client appointments.
- Update and maintain customer information records, such as beauty services provided.
- Demonstrate and sell hair care products and cosmetics.
- Analyze patrons' hair and other physical features to determine and recommend beauty treatment or suggest hair styles.
- Train or supervise other hairstylists, hairdressers, and assistants.
- Massage and treat scalp for hygienic and remedial purposes, using hands, fingers, or vibrating equipment.
- Shampoo, rinse, condition, and dry hair and scalp or hairpieces with water, liquid soap, or other solutions.
- Operate cash registers to receive payments from patrons.
- Administer therapeutic medication and advise patron to seek medical treatment for chronic or contagious scalp conditions.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Finger Dexterity _(ability)_
- Speaking _(essential_skill)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Originality _(ability)_
- Sales and Marketing _(knowledge)_
- Service Orientation _(transferable_skill)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Active Learning _(Common Skill)_
- Social Perceptiveness _(Common Skill)_
- Time Management _(Common Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Apple iOS _(hot technology)_
- Facebook _(hot technology)_
- Intuit QuickBooks _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Appointment scheduling software
- Customer information databases
- Sale processing software
- YouTube

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 17th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 29th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 15th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 17th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 29th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 5.6% growth (About average); 75.8k annual openings; 575.2k → 607.4k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $35,250; 295,460 employed.

## How people actually use AI here

Anthropic Economic Index — measured AI conversations mapped to this occupation's tasks:

- **Automation vs augmentation:** 27% automation, 66% augmentation (usage-weighted).
- **Autonomy median:** 4.0 (higher = AI acts more independently).
- **Dominant collaboration mode:** task iteration.

**Tasks most handed to AI here:**
- Analyze patrons' hair and other physical features to determine and recommend beauty treatment or suggest hair styles. _(2.6% of measured AI use; task iteration)_
- Recommend and explain the use of cosmetics, lotions, and creams to soften and lubricate skin and enhance and restore natural appearance. _(0.7% of measured AI use; task iteration)_

**Example prompts (honest phrasings of the tasks above — starting points, not endorsed instructions):**
- Help me analyze patrons' hair and other physical features to determine and recommend beauty treatment or suggest hair styles.
- Help me recommend and explain the use of cosmetics, lotions, and creams to soften and lubricate skin and enhance and restore natural appearance.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-39-5012-00_