# Shampooers

> Shampoo and rinse customers' hair.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/shampooers
- SOC code: 39-5093.00
- Career family: Personal care and service
- Median annual pay: $32,600 (10th percentile $23,110, 90th percentile $38,240)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +5.6%
- Openings a year: 2,200
- Typical entry education: No formal credential
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RSC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 76 |
| Investigative (I) | 6 |
| Artistic (A) | 9 |
| Social (S) | 46 |
| Enterprising (E) | 25 |
| Conventional (C) | 40 |

## What you'd do

- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 69/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 69/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 66/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 63/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 58/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 57/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 56/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 55/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 55/100)
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (importance 55/100)

## Skills

Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Coordination, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Time Management

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Sales and Marketing, Public Safety and Security, Chemistry, Education and Training, Psychology, Administration and Management, Production and Processing, Mathematics

## Also called

Hair Assistant, Hair Shampoo Assistant, Salon Shampoo Assistant, Scalp Treatment Operator, Scalp Treatment Specialist, Shampoo Assistant, Shampoo Person, Shampoo Specialist, Shampoo Technician, Shampooer

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1204) (CIP 1204, 326 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Clover Park Technical College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/clover-park-technical-college-582) | Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | $31,122 | $33,290 | not reported |
| [Douglas Education Center](https://www.collegesref.com/college/douglas-education-center-831) | Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | $24,344 | $32,245 | $12,000 |
| [Central New Mexico Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/central-new-mexico-community-college-469) | Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | $22,359 | $27,398 | not reported |
| [Central Piedmont Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/central-piedmont-community-college-473) | Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | $24,015 | $26,550 | not reported |
| [Bevill State Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bevill-state-community-college-246) | Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | not reported | $23,086 | not reported |
| [Coahoma Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/coahoma-community-college-585) | Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | not reported | $22,918 | not reported |
| [Houston Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/houston-community-college-1235) | Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | $24,421 | $22,631 | $18,626 |
| [Gadsden State Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/gadsden-state-community-college-1041) | Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | $15,398 | $18,504 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Skincare Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/skincare-specialists): $45,330 median pay
- [Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/hairdressers-hairstylists-and-cosmetologists): $35,790 median pay
- [Massage Therapists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/massage-therapists): $58,450 median pay
- [Barbers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/barbers): $38,210 median pay
- [Manicurists and Pedicurists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/manicurists-and-pedicurists): $35,760 median pay
- [Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/makeup-artists-theatrical-and-performance): $97,150 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.