How Much Should You Tip for a $100 Hair Color? The Real Numbers and Etiquette in 2025

$100. That’s how much you just dropped for your fresh new hair color, and you look amazing. But then, the moment you dread—your stylist smiles, your phone dings for EFTPOS, and the screen flashes that little question: "Would you like to add a tip?" Your mind races. Ten bucks? Fifteen? Twenty? Is there a rule, or are you playing a guessing game with your wallet and your stylist’s feelings?

What’s Normal for Tipping on a $100 Hair Color in 2025?

Things used to be simple: 10% for the pizza guy, maybe 15% at a fancy restaurant. But with salon color, we’re talking about someone literally putting their gloves on and spending hours mixing, brushing, timing, rinsing, and styling—you leave with more confidence than you came in. So what’s the norm these days?

This year, the accepted standard tip for salon services in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand falls between 18% and 20% of your total bill. New Zealand, where I call home, is a bit different: tipping is less baked into our culture, but it’s become more common, especially in city salons. According to the New Zealand Association of Hairdressers' 2025 survey, about 64% of clients now tip between 10% and 15% for color services. Yet in the US and major Australian metros, 20% is treated as a gold-standard minimum—especially for color.

For your $100 color, that means you’re looking at $15 to $20 as the sweet spot. Going higher isn’t unheard of if your stylist’s magic truly blew you away, handled a dramatic color correction, or squeezed you into an already busy schedule. But if your budget’s stretched, know that $10 (or 10%) is still appreciated—stylists say any gesture is better than none.

Here’s a quick glance at what people are tipping for a $100 hair color in 2025, based on several city salon surveys:

Cash is always welcome, but most stylists now receive tips via card or their apps, so don’t stress if you’re plastic-only. Tipping isn’t about giant gestures—it’s about respect for the time, care, and skill that went into your look.

How Much Do Hair Colorists Actually Make?

One big reason salon clients tip is to help stylists make ends meet. It’s a myth that your stylist pockets the entire $100. In reality, for commission-based salons—which make up over 80% of New Zealand’s and Australia’s urban salons in 2025—stylists usually take home 40% to 60% of what you pay, while the rest covers rent, products, utilities, and the salon’s cut. That means if you pay $100, your colorist receives somewhere between $40 and $60 before tax. Add to that the fact that color services can take up to three hours, and the hourly wage thins out pretty quickly.

Here’s the typical breakdown in the industry this year:

Salaried stylists are rare in New Zealand, but where they exist, wages hover around $25-$35 per hour for skilled colorists, with no commissions. In the US, it’s similar unless you’re at a high-end boutique, in which case stylists may earn a little more but also pay higher rent for their chair. Tipping helps cover the gap between the price you pay and what your colorist actually sees in their bank account. This isn’t guilt-tripping—it’s just the business math behind your glam.

Etiquette and Awkward Moments: What If You Can’t Afford to Tip?

Not everyone can throw down 20 extra bucks every few months. You might have scraped together every bit just to cover the cost itself, especially if inflation’s hit your groceries and rent hard (thanks, 2025). So what if you can’t tip at the “standard” rate?

Stylists say honesty always wins. They see plenty of clients struggling right now. If you want to tip but can’t swing the full 15-20%, leave whatever you comfortably can—$5, $10—or write a kind Google or Facebook review, tag them in your Insta story, or send a friend their way. Personal recommendations have more power than cash tips for some stylists (especially freelancers). One Auckland stylist, Jess T, told me she’d rather have “a loyal client and five-star reviews than a fat one-off tip.”

If you’re skipping the tip because the job was rushed or you genuinely disliked the result, speak up respectfully at your appointment rather than ghosting your stylist forever. Give them a chance to fix any mistakes—most reputable salons have redo policies, and color corrections are pretty common. Whatever you do, don’t tip out of guilt or pressure. Your tip—whether it’s money, a compliment, or posting a selfie crediting your stylist—should come from real gratitude.

Insider Tips: Getting the Most from Your Salon Visit

If you want to stretch your salon dollars and still show appreciation, there are a few clever moves:

• Book on weekdays: Some salons offer midweek discounts or junior stylist deals, and your colorist might have more time for you—better results, less stress.
• Build a relationship: Regulars get the royal treatment (and sometimes loyalty discounts), plus it’s easier to talk honestly about your needs and your budget.
• Ask about “menu” pricing: For simple root touch-ups or partial highlights, you might not need the full $100 service. Some salons offer à la carte pricing.
• Keep your hair healthy at home: The less fixing your stylist has to do at your next visit, the less time (and money) you’ll spend. Use color-protecting shampoos and avoid excessive heat.
• Refer a friend: Many salons reward you (and your friend) with a discount on your next color. Double win.
• Tip in teamwork: If your colorist had an assistant washing or blow-drying your hair, split your tip a little—maybe 15 for the colorist, 5 for the assistant—everyone feels noticed.

Here’s a quirky fact: In a 2025 study of over 400 Wellington clients, those who tipped at least 15% said they felt better during the salon process and noticed their stylists remembered their preferences the next time. Maybe it’s just karma—or maybe it’s good old mutual respect at work.

Next time that blinking EFTPOS screen asks the tip question, you’ll know the drill. For a $100 hair color, 15-20 bucks is the expected thanks, but whatever you give—money, reviews, referrals, or just a genuine smile—makes a difference. Stylists create confidence, tackle color disasters, and help you strut out feeling like you. A little gratitude keeps the good vibes (and better hair days) rolling.