Are Men's Haircuts Now Just Supposed to Be $40 to $50+ for a Fade?

m4gician on 07/06/2025 - 20:11
Last edited 08/06/2025 - 10:40 by 1 other user

Just wanted to get a bit of a pulse check here.

Lately, every barbershop I’ve come across in Sydney, whether it’s in the CBD or out in the suburbs, seems to be charging $40 to $50+ for a standard men’s fade. And that’s just for the fade. No wash or condition, no hot towel shave or line-up, no neck massage… just a quick in-and-out cut.

I’m not talking about the $15 to $25 quickie cuts at Chinese-run shops (which I’ve had mixed results with to be honest), but the mid-tier barbers where you’d expect a decent experience. Are we now just expected to pay $45+ for a basic haircut with zero extras?

Am I out of touch with the market rate or missing out on some local gems? Do any of you know of places around Sydney where you can either pay less, or at least get the full service — wash, shave, massage — for the same price?

Would love to hear where you go and whether you think the value is still there.

Health & Beauty Hair Care

Comments

  • Overclocked91 on 07/06/2025 - 20:13
    +9

    Pretty standard in Perth as well now.

    • R4 on 08/06/2025 - 13:15

      $30 at my local shopping centre in Kalamunda.

      • Jake D on 10/06/2025 - 10:22
        +1

        I'd go for a drive but would spend at least $40 in fuel to get there.

  • Hybroid on 07/06/2025 - 20:16
    +1

    It's $20-22 out West for a 0.5 all over. Thought it was $30 for a fade cut. Maybe since everyone's doing it, they're jacking up prices.

    • supersabroso on 08/06/2025 - 12:55
      +15

      The Lebanese place I go to right next to Parramatta shopping centre charges $20 for a man's haircut & $15 for kids. $40-$50 is just ridiculous, some people don't mind getting scammed.

      • gadekle on 08/06/2025 - 17:04

        What's this place called in Parramatta? Or what is it near? Looking for a new place.

        • Draco on 09/06/2025 - 07:59

          check out this place or look around macquarie street there are a few https://maps.app.goo.gl/jHp6GKkWcG9JWfnK7

          • SarcasticEmu on 10/06/2025 - 12:59

            @Draco: It used to be $20, until the place got swamped with a sudden rush of people that wanted the ozbargain haircut. No idea what caused it.

            Thankfully, most folks still haven’t figured out how to use Google’s search filters.

            Imagine if people knew you could just type: "haircuts under $25" or "$0..$25 haircuts" [location]. The secret would be out.

      • Jolakot on 08/06/2025 - 18:21
        +17

        At $18.2 per haircut after GST, you would need to perform one haircut every 35 minutes (1.7 haircuts per hour, ~13 per day) just to clear minimum wage for a casual employee.

        If a men's haircut takes 20-25 mins from greeting to goodbye, and the barber is paying rent + insurance + utilities + supplies, then I can't see how they'd profit more than minimum wage per hour unless they're flat out with no quiet periods? Unless they're cash jobs I guess

        Sounds like a hard way to earn a living, like would earn about the same amount with less risk by working at a Just Cuts or similar

        • michaelTito on 09/06/2025 - 19:27

          Most of these $20 cuts are basically 5mins uneven cuts by barber who’s just starting

        • Jaspa7 on 09/06/2025 - 21:57
          +5

          agreed - don't know how these guys make a living.

          that being said, even @ $20 I just let my wife do it

        • Muppet Detector on 10/06/2025 - 16:55

          For places that cater to both men and women, there might be a bit more wiggle room.

          In my experience, it's women who tend to get extra services done for their hair, but I suppose men do as well, so I agree I shouldn't stereotype there.

          However, a lot of the colour and styling work that women get - with their streaks and highlights or whatever can cost hundreds of dollars but a lot of the time it takes for that stuff to happen doesn't need a hairdresser to dedicate their time to them iykwim.

          Hairdresser could be waiting for Mary's bleach or dye or hairdryer thing to work whilst fitting in some other haircut at the same time. Kind of like double dipping and getting paid multiple payments for the same 15 minutes work.

          I guess I'm trying to explain that sometimes hairdressers can be working on more than one customer at the same time so able to fit more than 4 x 15 minute hairdresser jobs into one hour. A hairdressing appointment isn't always a private consultation kind of thing.

          • Jolakot on 10/06/2025 - 22:32

            @Muppet Detector: I go to a Korean salon for my hair, as most barbers can't give you an even haircut on both sides with just scissors.

            My regular hairdresser there does balayage, rainbow hair, fades, transitions, and all kinds of fancy treatments that cost more than I'd spend there in a year.

            He often has women sitting around with foils while he cuts my hair, I imagine he does pretty well for himself by double or triple dipping.

            But if you can earn more from a single client than a budget barber can from 20, then you need to charge enough to move the needle. By being skilled and experienced enough to double or triple dip in the first place, you're just inherantly not going to bother with $20 men's haircuts

  • Benoffie on 07/06/2025 - 20:26
    +2

    Adelaide is $25-35 for standard buzz at one of the older shops and being fairly regular. Short back and sides with a beard trim and sculpt I can get for $50 usually.

    Cant help with fancy stuff - only fuddy duddies here 🤷

  • sharkyoz on 07/06/2025 - 20:28

    In Vic and I pay 20 for a number 1 all over the head, dont touch the beard

  • vorsprung on 07/06/2025 - 20:40
    +16

    I’m all about the $15 quick cut from my local Korean barber. Super efficient,

    I’ve had more issues with “fancier” barber shops.

    • Charity on 08/06/2025 - 13:49
      +5

      $40 for a fancy haircut and shampoo at my K barber in Bris. K dude spends over an hour cutting to get it just right each time. 10% less for cash. :)

      • trulymadly on 08/06/2025 - 22:28
        +2

        Name of the barber? I'm searching for a new one in Bris

      • montorola on 10/06/2025 - 11:19

        I'd like to know too please!

      • SarcasticEmu on 10/06/2025 - 13:08
        -1

        Hell if anyone pays me $40 I'll promise to take over an hour cutting your hair. But be warned I only know two hair cuts 0 and WTF.

  • elgrande on 07/06/2025 - 20:43
    +9

    Who gets a massage when getting a haircut?

    • AustriaBargain on 07/06/2025 - 21:25
      +5

      The barber I used to go to gave you a shot of scotch and sold cigarettes.

      • McMaferMur on 07/06/2025 - 22:27
        -2

        Mine offer to take me home too after…

      • Ade99 on 08/06/2025 - 14:08

        Ciggs made from Chop 'baccy would be more profitable than hair cuts…🤔

        • AustriaBargain on 08/06/2025 - 14:26

          No, real brands. He has a price board up. Real old fashioned guy, probably been doing it since the mid 20th century.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 07/06/2025 - 20:50
    +12

    $40 is cheap for a decent zero fade

    • Thundaja on 08/06/2025 - 13:42
      +5

      Yep.
      I’ve had a zero fade for the last 7 years or so. Had it done at a range of places from $10 all the way up to $80.

      Cheaper places make money on volume of clients in and out the door. A good higher end cut will charge more, but will spend more time on you/pay attention to the detail.

      Though there are of course exceptions to both. I’ve had some shocking $60+ cuts, and a some great <$20 ones.

      TL;DR - You generally get what you pay for. Up to you to decide if that is worth it to you or not.

  • JimmyF on 07/06/2025 - 21:44
    -6

    Are we now just expected to pay $45+ for a basic haircut with zero extras?

    Yes… /thead

  • FoxJump on 07/06/2025 - 21:49
    +9

    diy time

  • onetwothreefour on 07/06/2025 - 21:53
    +16

    My wife cuts my hair, as they say, you get what you pay for.

    • McMaferMur on 07/06/2025 - 22:29
      +6

      And we cant complain…. so sad…

    • reactor-au on 08/06/2025 - 08:12
      +5

      That must be the most expensive haircut then

    • Cheap Gamer on 08/06/2025 - 12:31
      +3

      Lucky. I have to cut my own hair.

  • Dlw on 07/06/2025 - 22:01

    I pay $25 for a no 1 fade sides and back to a no 6/7 on top in south Sydney.

  • McMaferMur on 07/06/2025 - 22:28
    +14

    I never pay for haircut since i bought a shaver…. 8 years ago… all the $$$ saved wow i feel rich

    • michaelTito on 09/06/2025 - 19:29
      +1

      To feel even richer you should charge people to cut their hair.

  • PissLUR on 07/06/2025 - 22:40

    Skin fade is $40 cash or $45 card. Joondalup WA.

  • outlander on 07/06/2025 - 22:54
    +3

    You're lucky. The places around here (SE Melb) like to charge extra for the fade. They also don't tell you upfront, but try and slip it in.

    The prices have driven me away, but I even though it seems like a shocking change to me personally, logically speaking haircuts were way underpriced for a long time. If you run the numbers, it's hard to see a way to make a decent profit when you're charging $20 and taking 15 minutes to do a cut. Even with nonstop customers.
    A hairdressing apprenticeship takes 4 years to do!

    • hazzad on 08/06/2025 - 09:12
      +3

      Reality is most aren't charging $20 an hour, closer to $30-35. That's easily $100 an hour per hairdresser/barber at minimum. I don't get why people always go back to spending X years to get your qualification. That's just par the course be it apprenticeship or uni/Tafe. Assuming you should be compensated for that time is a false economy. At least someone who went to uni can justify a HECS debt. A apprentice is still earning a wage of some sort. Id say $100/ hour is doable before all your other costs if you have steady trade. Retail has to tread this down line between raising prices to cover costs and driving people away. I've stopped going out for the most part due to high cost of hospitality now. We rarely ever eat out. Rarely even get fish and chips as prices have almost doubled in last 5 years. Just do everything at home.

      • Nickels n Dimes on 08/06/2025 - 13:22
        +4

        I agree. If a person can't live off $100\hr in 2025, there's something very wrong in their life.
        University education is totally overrated and waste of your career, in most cases. I regret it in hindsight, wish I'd done 2-3yrs TAFE instead. The only university courses worth doing are business management, academic studies or the like.
        I did my 5yr masters degree, then start on $17\hr for the first year, every change of job was about 2-5% increase until 25yrs later just $45\hr - what a shit ride that has been.

        • ihbh on 08/06/2025 - 17:36

          Impressed you persisted.

          My 3 years bachelors got us starting salaries 2x AWE. Tough to get in though, and conditions not as attractive nowadays.

      • Ade99 on 08/06/2025 - 14:13
        -1

        When the local Chippy put prices up to $21 for 3 F&C and some potato scallops it is time to make some hard decisions 🤔

      • outlander on 10/06/2025 - 12:28

        So many wrong assumptions here I don't know where to start. I think you would benefit from taking a business class.

        I guess the most obvious one is the assumption of 100% utilization. A hairdresser isn't booked solid all week. They have times they are busy, and then big lulls when nobody comes in. They have costs, in time (sweeping hair, cleaning, taking bookings on the phone etc) and in $ (Rent, equipment costs, taxes).

        I think they would be lucky to get $30/hr from cutting mens hair after costs, which is dogshit wages. Who would train for 4 years for that? An electrician easily makes way more. That's why most of them prefer to deal with women, because they can charge $250 to do things like a cut and color

        ps you made a mistake because I never said they made $20 an hour, I said $20 for a 15min cut, ie $80/hr (by your idealistic calculations)

    • hazzad on 08/06/2025 - 09:14
      +9

      Don't see him saying he could do it better or cheaper. He was simply questioning the state of play. And I agree with them. Haircuts have gotten stupidly expensive. And don't get me started on event bookings. Since when does is justified to double the price just because your going to a wedding or event?

  • hasher22 on 07/06/2025 - 23:17
    +3

    Most barbers I see charge extra for fade. Around $50 seems to be the going rate now.

    Luckily I don't get a fade and my hair cuts are around $30.

    But you do pay a premium going to those pimped up barber places.

  • ozpat on 08/06/2025 - 07:33
    +9

    I don't even know what a "fade" is! LOL :-)

    • cfuse on 08/06/2025 - 17:13
      +4

      Expensive, apparently.

    • Daabido on 08/06/2025 - 17:34
      +3

      There's only one haircut; number 1 short back and sides and a heap off the top.

      • MrFrugalSpend on 09/06/2025 - 20:25
        +1

        Not true, there's two … number 2 short back and sides and a heap off the top.
        … usually followed by being warned and then explaining to a new barber that I know it will stick up at the front but I want a heap off anyway, followed by "It only grows back!"

        That's my go-to

    • smartazz104 on 08/06/2025 - 22:37
      +3

      Sounds like a fancy short back and sides named so as to trick people into paying more for a haircut.

  • Joey2scoops on 08/06/2025 - 08:04
    +2

    Actually, people be paying $40 or $50 to allow a "fade" to be called a haircut. The "styling" tax?

  • hazzad on 08/06/2025 - 09:07
    +3

    Bought myself a $15 set of clippers for shaver shop 4-5 months back and get my daughter to do the job. Does the job. Saves me $35 a cut now so I'm happy.

  • nomoneynoproblems on 08/06/2025 - 09:58
    -2

    $40 for a fade is cheap. Anything under is a bargain imo.

    • jmytch on 10/06/2025 - 14:13

      This guy is cheap, bad at troll

  • amzinguserman on 08/06/2025 - 10:22
    +3

    Your local Tafe can offer very cheap haircuts for their trainee students

    • g12345567 on 08/06/2025 - 11:47
      +1

      Same. I saw one In a shopping centre offering cheap cuts but you had to get it done by an apprentice.

    • Plasma on 09/06/2025 - 07:01
      +2

      first thought

  • rexanator619 on 08/06/2025 - 10:30

    $35 here in Melbourne and they do a nice job with the zero fade.

  • 2esc on 08/06/2025 - 10:38
    +4

    I've cut my own hair for nearly 30 years im no show pony.

  • THICKnSLOW on 08/06/2025 - 10:40

    Pay for the time and conversation about the cost of living, especially in Sydney.

  • belongsinforums on 08/06/2025 - 11:20
    +1

    You're effectively paying for a side buzz cut. Easy to do yourself. My pro tip is to get a decent hair trimmer. A cheap one probably won't be as good for you, from my experience

  • Universal Constant on 08/06/2025 - 12:32

    In Perth, $25 for whatever in about 3 minutes at the local buzboys or $20 special for me at the ladies HD that my wife frequents for a square back and sides.

  • Piratarzt on 08/06/2025 - 12:47

    My local barber in Newcastle charges 25 bucks for a cut. Fancypants places in town charge double or triple that.

    • Stuj on 08/06/2025 - 17:46

      Where in Newy ? Ive been charged 45 for a fade in Newy

      • Piratarzt on 11/06/2025 - 16:15
        +1

        Grant's at Jesmond. It's been more than a year since I last had a cut there (growing hair long), but he always did a good cut. Popular with the locals.

  • Zondor on 08/06/2025 - 13:11

    27 for a haircut from my local (Non chain) barber in Adelaide.

  • 91rs on 08/06/2025 - 13:14

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/903589

    Yes.

  • GordonD on 08/06/2025 - 13:57

    $7.80

    And there's a 25% "student and pensioner" discount. Not many people are a student and a pensioner. I guess they mean student or pensioner discount.

    https://www.tafesa.edu.au/docs/default-source/hair-and-beaut…

    • ihbh on 08/06/2025 - 17:43

      this market is totally asking to be disrupted

      By robots or teenagers?

      • compound on 08/06/2025 - 19:27
        +2

        Whoever is willing to operate from their garage or vehicle via an app of course…

  • Muppet Detector on 08/06/2025 - 16:00
    +4

    When you think about it, a qualified hairdresser has done a four year apprenticeship and is technically another type of tradie.

    If you think back to Covid when everyone was being forced into lockdown and businesses forced to close, it was the hairdressing community that found themselves listed among the essential services categories and pretty much forced to stay open and continue trading.

    One of my nephews is a "hair artist" (whatever that is), in some posh Sydney hair salon. From what I understand, he doesn't own the salon in which he works, but he buys chairs within the salon that only he and his team are able to use for their own customers. Apparently it's quite competitive to be allowed to buy a chair. Don't know what the pay structure is though.

    • syousef on 09/06/2025 - 07:27
      -1

      When you think about it, accomdoation should cost $20k a night, since that flat cost $1M to buy.
      When you think about it, the janitor should be paid more than the CEO because no one else is willing to clean the toilets.
      When you think about it, OF should cost $1000/month, since they're saving you the expense of marriage and it takes a lifetime to become a good entertainer. Speaking of which your local community group play should cost about the same.
      Don't get me started on what a book should cost, nevermind a song. Do you know how many years it takes to get good writing or playing an instrument?

      How many years does it take to get through medical school, how much more risk does a doctor take and how much harder are their studies? 4 years to become a qualified hairdresser is an excellent example of how over-regulation of an industry doesn't always result in better outcomes for the customer. No one died of a bad haircut.

      I hope your nephew appreciates you.

      • compound on 10/06/2025 - 02:15
        -1

        Mic drop.

      • outlander on 10/06/2025 - 12:35

        How many years does it take to get through medical school, how much more risk does a doctor take and how much harder are their studies?

        I don't see how this makes your point. Doctors charge a shitload, and when you ask "Why?" the most common justification is that they have to study for a long time.

        A GP gets a medicare rebate of $40 per 6 minutes ($240 an hour by ignorant calculations) and most of the time they are saying "You have a cold. Go home and rest"
        A specialist gets $600 an hour, sometimes a lot more!

        Either time spent training is relevant to the price charged for the service, or it's not. Either way, people are going to charge what they can get away with

        • Protractor on 10/06/2025 - 13:16

          I'm actually more amazed it takes 4 years to become a hairdresser.And I'll go out on a limb and say most of them were acting as , and hence being charged out as a qualified person, l before the 4 years. And I'll gamble that there's a fair few in the industry who have never done a full apprenticeship, if any.

        • syousef on 10/06/2025 - 14:48
          +2

          No GP is making $240/hr and "ignorant calculations" are disturbing. In fact I think I'm wasting my time bothering to respond to you.

          A standard bulk billed medicare consultation is $42.80 for a 15 minute consultation that often lasts longer than that 15 minutes, doesn't include keeping notes and any correspondence or review done while the patient isn't in the office. They don't get to keep the full fee either. The practice gets 30% or more. Then there are professional fees, accreditation and ongoing training on a 3 year cycle that isn't paid.

          GPs deal with triage for everything from the mundane to the life-threatening and if they get it wrong the consequences to themselves and their patients can be dire. If you don't understand the difference between a GP and a hair dresser, you are beyond my help. No wonder good medical care is getting hard to find when they aren't valued, aren't well paid, and people think they're rich scammers.

          • outlander on 11/06/2025 - 11:58

            @syousef: Your help is of little value if you can't apply things consistently.

            • syousef on 11/06/2025 - 13:45

              @outlander: …and your words are of no value if they're just personal attacks. You are most certainly the one that inflated the earnings of GPs, considering only their income in the best case and none of their expenses or other overheads. As I suspected I'm wasting my time bothering to respond to you.

      • Muppet Detector on 10/06/2025 - 17:22
        +1

        Wow, never meant to touch a nerve. Sorry about that.

        I only mentioned the four year apprenticeship angle to align them as a tradie just like plumbers, electricians, chefs etc.

        I don't know why a hairdressing apprenticeship takes four years and I don't know if barbers do hairdressing apprenticeships.

        It just means they do have formal qualifications which include at least 3 x 7 weeks theory at TAFE and 4 years supervised work experience.

        Whilst they worked those four years during their apprenticeship, they were paid a lot less than what is the minimum wage if they were just unskilled workers you compared them to.

        It may not equate to them being in the same ball park as doctors, but it does peg them a bit ahead of a janitor or other unskilled worker who doesn't require any kind of formal qualifications to do their jobs and get paid at full wage for the duration of their training period.

        FTR, chefs, pastry chefs, butchers and bakers also do four year apprenticeships and tend to only get award wages whereas we seem to accept the likes of plumbers, builders and electricians can charge more than $30 an hour even though they have the same qualifications.

        That was the only comparison I meant to make when mentioning the four year apprenticeship to compare them with other tradesmen.

        I don't know how a hairdressing salon sets their prices or what profits they want/expect to make or how they justify what they do for a haircut.

        I don't know if you can be employed as a hairdresser without qualifications but I accept that you can probably employ unqualified people to cut hair.

        As for my nephew, I doubt I've had anything to do with him for more than 25 years. I wouldn't know him from a stranger, but I pick up bits of information at family gatherings etc and I mentioned here an employment structure that seems to exist in the industry which may have an effect on how things are priced sometimes. I don't know if this exists in every salon.

        • ratman on 11/06/2025 - 07:02
          +1

          No idea why your downvoted. Pretty reasonable info here.

          Slightly related, i have girl friends in some trendier/hipster parts of the city that see $5-600 for a hair cut as the norm. The salons charge this at a minimum and are fully booked well in advanced, to the point where they only see regular clients and typically on a regular schedule (every 5-6 weeks). Some even have long waiting lists for new clients, like a doctor or therapist might.

          Yeah these are specialist hair dressers, and each cut can take up a seat for hours with colouring etc, but I reckon these ones are doing ok after 4 years of training.

          Complete opposite side of the coin, I have no idea how my local does my cut for $20 in the CBD, shop is constantly empty. I feel like they make $20 every 6 months from me and I'm the only client and some how they stay open.

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