How Much Does a Loctician Earn in New Zealand?

I want to talk about money openly, because so many people in the beauty industry don't. And because silence around money is one of the reasons so many talented locticians end up exhausted and underpaid.

There is no single answer to how much a loctician earns in New Zealand. It depends on where you live, how you price, how many hours you actually work and how you take care of yourself. But I can show you how to think about it.

Where you live matters

Prices for hair services in Auckland or Wellington are different from prices in a small town. Look at what other locticians and hair specialists charge in your area, and in the places your clients might travel from. Don't just copy the cheapest. Look at who is fully booked and why.

Hourly or per service?

Many locticians charge by the hour, especially for new dreadlocks and extensions, which can take a full day or more. Others set a price per service. Hourly pricing is honest for long, unpredictable work. Per-service pricing is easier for clients to understand. Many locticians use both: hourly for creating and extending, set prices for maintenance.

A simple example

These numbers are only an example to show how it adds up. They are not a promise, and they are not a market average.

Say you charge NZ$100 an hour and work three full days a week, eight hours of actual hair time per day. That is 24 paid hours, or NZ$2,400 a week. Over 44 working weeks, that is NZ$105,600 before costs.

Now subtract what it costs to run your business: rent or chair fees, insurance, tools, hair for extensions, your booking system, your accountant. Then set aside money for income tax and ACC levies, and think about your own KiwiSaver. At that level of turnover you would also need to be registered for GST.

What's left is what you actually earn. It is often less than people expect, and more than people fear.

Why booked hours matter more than your price

An empty calendar earns nothing, whatever your hourly rate. In the beginning, the biggest difference to your income is not your price. It is how many people know about you, trust you and book with you. That comes from the quality of your work, how clearly you show it, and how people feel after a day in your chair.

The trap of working more

When the money feels tight, the instinct is to work more. More days, longer hours, no breaks. I did this. It led me to a burnout that nearly destroyed my business and took me years to come back from.

A sustainable practice is one where you charge enough that you don't have to work every day. Rest is not something you earn when you have made enough money. It is part of how you keep making it. Read How to Work as a Loctician in New Zealand Without Wrecking Your Body.

Other income streams

• maintenance appointments, which give regular, predictable income
• synthetic dreadlocks and decorations
• a travelling practice, visiting other towns and cities on a regular rhythm
• teaching, once you have years of experience

Investing in your skills

The better your work, the more you can charge and the more people refer you. That is why I see good training as an investment rather than a cost. My one-to-one training, The Professional Loctician In-Person Training, costs $4,599 USD, and I come to you in New Zealand. One of the bonus courses is about working smarter, not harder, as a loctician.

Read more about The Professional Loctician In-Person Training

You can read about the costs of getting started in How Much Does It Cost to Become a Loctician in New Zealand?

Do you want to talk about pricing your work? Send me an email at [email protected]. I will answer honestly, even if I think the time is not right for you yet.

With love,
Ann-Marie