How many watts does a hair dryer use?
A hair dryer uses about 1,800 watts when it is running (most models draw 1,200–2,200 W). Each hour it runs uses 1.8 kWh, which costs about 33¢ at the U.S. average price of 18.16 ¢/kWh. Running 15 minutes a day, that comes to about 13.5 kWh, or $2.45 a month.
Watts, amps, and kWh for a hair dryer
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Rated wattage range | 1,200–2,200 W |
| Average draw used in our math | 1,800 W |
| Amps at 120 V | 10–18 A (15 A at the average draw) |
| kWh per hour | 1.80 kWh |
| kWh per day at 0.25 hours/day | 0.45 kWh |
| kWh per month | 13.5 kWh |
| Cost per month at the U.S. average (18.16 ¢/kWh) | $2.45 |
The math is kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1000 and amps = watts ÷ volts. A standard 120 V household circuit on a 15 A breaker carries about 1,800 W. For the dollars in your state, open cost to run a hair dryer in Texas and switch states from there.
Cost to run a hair dryer in every state
Same 1,800 W draw and 0.25 hours/day, priced at each state's average residential rate (EIA data for August 2026, updated Oct 28, 2026). Open a state for its full cost page.
| State | Price per kWh | Cost per hour | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.33 ¢/kWh | 29¢ | $2.20 |
| Alaska | 29.41 ¢/kWh | 53¢ | $3.97 |
| Arizona | 15.05 ¢/kWh | 27¢ | $2.03 |
| Arkansas | 14.37 ¢/kWh | 26¢ | $1.94 |
| California | 29.75 ¢/kWh | 54¢ | $4.02 |
| Colorado | 17.17 ¢/kWh | 31¢ | $2.32 |
| Connecticut | 24.51 ¢/kWh | 44¢ | $3.31 |
| Delaware | 18.70 ¢/kWh | 34¢ | $2.52 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98 ¢/kWh | 47¢ | $3.51 |
| Florida | 14.99 ¢/kWh | 27¢ | $2.02 |
| Georgia | 15.90 ¢/kWh | 29¢ | $2.15 |
| Hawaii | 47.18 ¢/kWh | 85¢ | $6.37 |
| Idaho | 13.37 ¢/kWh | 24¢ | $1.80 |
| Illinois | 19.32 ¢/kWh | 35¢ | $2.61 |
| Indiana | 17.02 ¢/kWh | 31¢ | $2.30 |
| Iowa | 17.06 ¢/kWh | 31¢ | $2.30 |
| Kansas | 15.47 ¢/kWh | 28¢ | $2.09 |
| Kentucky | 13.80 ¢/kWh | 25¢ | $1.86 |
| Louisiana | 12.87 ¢/kWh | 23¢ | $1.74 |
| Maine | 32.11 ¢/kWh | 58¢ | $4.33 |
| Maryland | 21.40 ¢/kWh | 39¢ | $2.89 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48 ¢/kWh | 55¢ | $4.11 |
| Michigan | 22.99 ¢/kWh | 41¢ | $3.10 |
| Minnesota | 17.20 ¢/kWh | 31¢ | $2.32 |
| Mississippi | 14.43 ¢/kWh | 26¢ | $1.95 |
| Missouri | 16.02 ¢/kWh | 29¢ | $2.16 |
| Montana | 15.57 ¢/kWh | 28¢ | $2.10 |
| Nebraska | 13.54 ¢/kWh | 24¢ | $1.83 |
| Nevada | 12.72 ¢/kWh | 23¢ | $1.72 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64 ¢/kWh | 50¢ | $3.73 |
| New Jersey | 24.61 ¢/kWh | 44¢ | $3.32 |
| New Mexico | 16.51 ¢/kWh | 30¢ | $2.23 |
| New York | 28.65 ¢/kWh | 52¢ | $3.87 |
| North Carolina | 14.95 ¢/kWh | 27¢ | $2.02 |
| North Dakota | 13.31 ¢/kWh | 24¢ | $1.80 |
| Ohio | 19.38 ¢/kWh | 35¢ | $2.62 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82 ¢/kWh | 27¢ | $2.00 |
| Oregon | 15.92 ¢/kWh | 29¢ | $2.15 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77 ¢/kWh | 39¢ | $2.94 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18 ¢/kWh | 51¢ | $3.80 |
| South Carolina | 15.76 ¢/kWh | 28¢ | $2.13 |
| South Dakota | 15.15 ¢/kWh | 27¢ | $2.05 |
| Tennessee | 13.42 ¢/kWh | 24¢ | $1.81 |
| Texas | 15.91 ¢/kWh | 29¢ | $2.15 |
| Utah | 13.31 ¢/kWh | 24¢ | $1.80 |
| Vermont | 23.84 ¢/kWh | 43¢ | $3.22 |
| Virginia | 17.64 ¢/kWh | 32¢ | $2.38 |
| Washington | 14.63 ¢/kWh | 26¢ | $1.98 |
| West Virginia | 16.31 ¢/kWh | 29¢ | $2.20 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41 ¢/kWh | 35¢ | $2.62 |
| Wyoming | 14.43 ¢/kWh | 26¢ | $1.95 |
Hair Dryer electricity usage profile
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| kWh per hour | 1.80 kWh |
| kWh per day (typical) | 0.45 kWh |
| kWh per month (typical) | 13.5 kWh |
| kWh per year (typical) | 164.3 kWh |
| Low runtime scenario | 0.5 hours/day |
| High runtime scenario | 2.25 hours/day |
Connect usage to cost tools
Related appliance usage pages
Source & Method
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Retail Sales of Electricity. EIA data for August 2026, updated Oct 28, 2026. Usage calculations use fixed appliance wattage and runtime assumptions so results stay comparable across pages.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a hair dryer use?
A hair dryer uses 1,200–2,200 W (about 1,800 W on average). Our usage and cost math uses 1,800 watts running 0.25 hours/day.
How many amps does a hair dryer draw?
On a 120 V circuit, 1,200–2,200 W works out to about 10–18 A; at the 1,800 W we use in the math that is 15 A.
How much electricity does a hair dryer use per month?
About 13.5 kWh a month at 0.25 hours/day. Lighter use (0.5 hours/day) comes to roughly 27.0 kWh and heavier use (2.25 hours/day) roughly 121.5 kWh.
How much does it cost to run a hair dryer per hour?
About 33¢ an hour at the U.S. average rate of 18.16 ¢/kWh: 1,800 watts uses 1.80 kWh each hour. At the same draw it is about 23¢ an hour in Nevada and 85¢ in Hawaii.
How much does it cost to run a hair dryer?
About $2.45 a month at the U.S. average rate of 18.16 ¢/kWh — from roughly $1.72 in Nevada to $6.37 in Hawaii at the same usage. The state cost-to-run pages price it at every state's rate.