Ulta’s average pay in the U.S. is in the mid‑teens per hour for most store roles, with higher rates in expensive cities and for management or salon positions.

How much does Ulta pay?

Ulta store pay varies by role , location, and experience, but most entry‑level positions fall in a fairly tight range. Recent pay data and employee reports show that Ulta is competitive with similar big‑box beauty and retail chains.

Quick Scoop

  • Typical hourly range for many store employees: around 13–18 USD per hour , depending on role and market.
  • Average reported hourly pay for “Ulta employee” roles (all types combined) is about 21 USD/hour , with most people clustered in the mid‑teens and a smaller group in higher‑paid specialist or corporate roles.
  • Overall average pay figure across Ulta roles has been estimated at a little over 38 USD/hour when high‑earning corporate and specialized jobs are included, which pulls the mean up above what frontline workers actually see.

By role (front‑of‑store)

Public wage data and crowdsourced worker reports suggest roughly:

  • Task associates / stock / basic sales : commonly about 13.50–18 USD/hour , with many postings around the mid‑teens.
  • Beauty advisors : estimates cluster around 16 USD/hour nationally, with higher pay in expensive metros and lower pay in rural areas.
  • Supervisors / leads / prestige advisors : can be several dollars more per hour than base advisors, often in the high teens to low 20s.

Because Ulta is national, pay bands in places like California or Alaska can be noticeably higher than in smaller or lower‑cost markets.

Salon, corporate, and high earners

  • Salon roles (stylists, brow techs, etc.) often earn a mix of hourly base plus commission or service‑based pay, so strong books of business can push effective hourly earnings significantly higher than base store pay.
  • Some specialized corporate and field roles listed under the Ulta umbrella reach 30–60+ USD/hour , which is why overall average hourly figures look much higher than what a typical store employee makes.

What forums say

On Ulta‑focused forums, employees often describe:

  • Starting pay around the low‑ to mid‑teens in smaller markets, and closer to the upper‑teens in big cities.
  • Mixed feelings: some people say the discount and environment help offset modest wages, while others feel the pay does not match workload or sales expectations.

If you’re thinking of applying

If you want a realistic number for your situation:

  1. Look up current job postings for your city and note the posted or “starting at” rate.
  2. Ask directly in the interview for the exact hourly rate range for that role in that store.
  3. Ask whether raises are tied to performance reviews or fixed annual bumps, and how often people actually move up a pay band.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.