Alkali Salon Pricing

At Alkali Hair Studio, we believe in providing clear and fair pricing for all our services. Our pricing is based on an hourly rate that reflects each stylist’s level of expertise, experience, education, and demand, while at the same time, elevating your experience.

Modern Pricing that Promotes Fairness and Inclusivity For Clients and Stylists

We've found that generic pricing and cookie-cutter services don't fit the highly customized services our clients come to Alkali for. In fact, clients can easily pay more when having to pay for every add-on they get during their appointment. Our pricing structure corrects this and ends up being more favorable for everyone.

Here is an example:

Let’s say you need a partial highlight and have short, fine, hair, which takes less time and resources than someone with long, thick hair. With traditional salon pricing, you pay the same price regardless. Plus, any other services you get during your appointment are extra costs. This old-fashioned way of pricing ends up being unfair to clients and stylists. Another example is clients with longer or thicker hair would sometimes incur arbitrary miscellaneous charges for additional "color bowls" or glazes in an attempt to make up for lost time or product costs.

At Alkali, any additional services that can be completed during your booked reservation time are provided for free. Essentially, we’ve created a way for you to get added value during your appointments without shorting the stylist. With our pricing, experienced stylists are able to provide you with vital add-ons that they know will extend the life of your hairstyle and/or color. It's truly a win-win for everyone!

Here's how it looks:

If you book a two-hour reservation with a Junior Stylist at $100/hour, your service would cost $200. During this reservation, you could receive a full range of services including a partial highlight, glaze, root smudge, conditioning treatment, brow wax, haircut, and detailed blowout.

For longer, thicker hair, the same services would require a longer reservation; typically about 2.5 hours, which would cost $250.

If you choose a Specialist, whose rate is $172/hour, the same service would be estimated at $344-$430, depending on the time booked, hair length, and texture.

The only time your service cost would exceed the reservation time you booked is if you requested additional services that couldn’t fit in that window (uncommon), or you booked an inappropriate reservation length for your hair length or desired service and outcome.

You can find each stylist's hourly rate on their bio page.

We strongly encourage all new clients to book a complimentary consultation before scheduling your appointment. This will provide you with a personalized estimate, so you can confidently plan your visit. Service estimates are also available at the beginning of your appointment so that modifications can be made.

Our goal is to ensure you receive the best value for your unique needs. We want you to be overjoyed with your hair and your experience at our salon!

Alkali Stylist Levels Explained

We offer four levels of stylists to suit your specific needs:

Junior

Junior Stylists are early in their careers, offering high-quality services at a more accessible price point. They bring fresh perspectives and focus on building their expertise. Our Junior Stylists must complete Alkali’s extensive in-house training and demonstrate their services are above typical “entry-level” stylist positions. Training includes completion of Alkali’s advanced cutting system and Goldwell color education.

Senior

Senior Stylists have several years of experience and are proficient in a wide range of techniques. They provide reliable, consistent results, making them an excellent choice for clients seeking experienced hands at a mid-level price.

Alkali values continuing education and provides company-paid quarterly classes for all stylists. To be promoted to senior-level pricing, stylists must have completed between 4 and 12 continuing education programs focused on cutting, coloring, customer service, and best business practices.

Specialist

Specialist Stylists are highly skilled in specific areas like color correction or precision cutting. Their advanced training and expertise make them ideal for clients requiring specialized services.

At the Specialist level, stylists have earned the opportunity to focus on what they love most about their craft. In addition to our regular quarterly training, Alkali provides each Specialist an amount equal to their yearly educational budget to attend Premium Education courses to enhance their skills.

Examples of these opportunities include:

One-on-one training with celebrity artists
Becoming an American Board-Certified Haircolorist
Goldwell's Master Colorist program
Oribe's "Journey to Mastery" program

These certifications elevate Alkali’s Specialists to an elite level that most hairstylists never achieve.

Expert

Expert Stylists are seasoned professionals with extensive experience and advanced education. They are leaders in the industry, offering top-tier services for clients seeking the highest level of skill and creativity.

At the Expert level, a stylist has developed a strong professional reputation within the beauty industry. This is the level all stylists wish to achieve. Expert Stylists at Alkali mentor and train other Alkali stylists and have the opportunity to become international educators. They’re also positioned to enter the exciting realm of events and showcases like Fashion Week and cutting and styling for editorial.

The Difference Between Leveling at Alkali and Other Hair Salons

As there is no set leveling convention in the beauty industry, you’ll see a range of titles and levels, which can be confusing, and worse, often misleading for customers.

For instance, some salons use the term master or expert for stylist levels that aren’t really producing true “master” or “expert” work. This is because they are leveled based on their tenure at the salon and/or their cumulative years of experience, regardless of actual skill.

A hairdresser can have 15 years of experience, but if they haven’t invested in continuing education and specialized certifications, they aren’t elevating their craft to its full potential. That’s not to say a stylist in this scenario isn’t good or even great at what they do. It just means they don’t have the education to have truly reached certain levels.

Another thing to consider is that the beauty industry is always changing and evolving. Even the most seasoned hair and makeup professionals benefit from refining their skills and continued education to learn new techniques.

If you have any questions or concerns about the price of your service, don't hesitate to contact us!