Before you take a new stylist job, ask one big question: will you be paid as a W-2 employee or a 1099 independent contractor? It changes how much tax you pay, how you get paid, and whether you qualify for things like unemployment if the job doesn't work out.
W-2 Employee
- Taxes withheld from every paycheck
- Salon pays part of Social Security & Medicare
- Schedule usually set by the salon
- Station, chair, and product usually provided
1099 Contractor
- No taxes withheld — you pay quarterly
- You cover the full 15.3% self-employment tax
- Usually sets their own schedule
- Usually provides their own station and product
One big red flag: getting paid commission — a percentage of the salon's own bookings — while also being handed a 1099. Commission pay almost always comes with a set schedule and salon-provided product, and both of those point toward employee, not contractor.
On a personal note: we know most of our stylists are also parents, partners, and caretakers juggling a full life outside the salon. Family comes first, and we build our schedules around that — flexibility isn't something we offer reluctantly, it's something we're proud of.
We're not attorneys or CPAs, and this isn't legal or tax advice — just a starting point for good questions. If anything about a position feels unclear, a quick conversation with a CPA or employment attorney before you sign is always worth it.
Sources
- IRS — Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?
- IRS Topic No. 762 — Independent Contractor vs. Employee
- IRS — About Form SS-8, Determination of Worker Status
- IRS — About Form 8919, Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages
- IRS Publication 4902 — Tax Tips for the Cosmetology and Barber Industry (PDF)