Cosmetologists provide hair care services designed to enhance the appearance of a customer. They shampoo, cut, color, and style hair and may give advice regarding how to carry out proper hair care at home. Some cosmetologists are trained to provide pedicures, manicures, makeup analysis, hair removal, facial and scalp treatments, and the cleaning and styling of hairpieces and wigs. Work takes place in hair salons and it is common for self-employed cosmetologists to work longer than a 40-hour week.
Cosmetology Skill Set:
Active Listening
Service Orientation
Critical Thinking
Speaking
Active Learning
Judgement and Decision Making
Social Perceptiveness
Required Abilities:
Arm-Hand Steadiness
Manual Dexterity
Finger Dexterity
Oral Comprehension
Near Vision
Oral Expression
Originality
Speech Recognition
Tools Used by Cosmetologists:
Hairdryers
Scissors
Flatirons
Spray Bottles
Hair Chemicals
At a Glance: Salary Statistics
Cosmetology Salaries for Industries
Popular Industries
Salary
Personal Care Services
$26,550
Department Stores
$22,880
Health and Personal Care Stores
$32,140
Nursing Care Facilities
$28,410
Other General Merchandise Stores
$24,550
Typical Work Activities
Working Directly with the Public
Thinking Creatively
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Assisting and Caring for Others
Getting Information
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Cosmetology Salaries for Popular Cities and States
*Popular industries, cities and states are those with the highest employment levels for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists as updated by BLS.gov May 2011.
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologist Salaries by State:
100,900 new barber, hairdresser, and cosmetology jobs
14% increase in employment
The overall employment level of cosmetologists is anticipated to grow much faster than the average for other occupations, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
From 2010 to 2020, growth in the personal appearance worker sector is expected to be 14 percent. Entry-level workers will find favorable job opportunities, but those desiring a job at a high-end establishment will face stiff competition. Gaining the right education and certification will go a long way.
Get the hands-on training you need to succeed in the cosmetology industry at Empire Beauty Schools. Choose from over 80 locations across 18 states.
Some states require that cosmetologists have a high school diploma or a GED. In an O*Net occupational survey, six percent of cosmetologist respondents had a high school diploma or equivalent and 94 percent had taken some college courses but did not have a college degree. Full-time cosmetology programs are offered by high schools as well as private and public postsecondary vocational schools. These usually run for at least nine months and sometimes lead to an associate’s degree.
To stay current with trends, many cosmetologists take advanced hairstyling or personal appearance courses. Some also study marketing and sales. Every state requires that a cosmetologist be licensed. Licensing qualifications vary by state but generally require a high school diploma or GED, graduation from a cosmetology school licensed by the state, payment of a fee, and being at least 16 years old. The licensing exam is comprised of a written test and may also include an oral exam or a practical test regarding styling skills. Some states consider barber training toward a cosmetology license and vice versa and others combine these two licenses. Periodic renewal of a license may be required and some states offer reciprocity agreements with other states.
Related Occupations
Occupations related to a cosmetology career include fitness worker, massage therapist, and theatrical and performance makeup artist. Fitness workers motivate, instruct, and lead individuals or groups in various exercise activities. Massage therapists manipulate soft tissue muscles within the body with the use of touch. They may specialize in more than 80 types of massage and deliver a treatment that lasts between five minutes and two hours. Theatrical and performance makeup artists enhance the appearance of an individual performing for television, stage, or movies via the application of makeup.
