Free calculator for salon owners
How much can a salon owner pay themselves?
Many salon owners still work behind the chair. Your stylist income and your owner profit are two different things. Know both before deciding what to take.
The starting numbers are an example for a salon. Replace them with yours.
Three rules for paying yourself from a salon
- Pay yourself for the chair hours you work, then take profit separately.
- Leave gift card cash and retail stock out of what you count as spare.
- Personal taxes come out of what you take. Ask your accountant how much to set aside.
What changes the answer for a salon
A salon's bank balance includes gift card money for services you still owe, and cash sitting in product. The cash you can take is what is left after both.
The worked example
In the example, the business keeps $33,000. That covers $20,000 for two payrolls, $9,000 of monthly bills and $4,000 due soon. Steady pay comes to $4,000 a month. Anything above $33,000 in the bank is spare.
A common question
Should a salon owner who works behind the chair take a salary?
Pay yourself for your chair hours like any stylist. Then take owner profit on top, when cash allows. That shows whether the salon itself makes money.
Know what is safe to take, every week
One Page CFO shows the cash above your safe line every Monday, from your QuickBooks, checked by a CFO.