Cities with the Highest Wages
The metropolitan area where a cosmetologist chooses to work has a definite impact on the amount of average wages earned. As the chart indicates, the highest paying metropolitan area was the Brockton area in Massachusetts paying a $43,010 annual rate in May 2008. The lowest paying metropolitan area of the top 5 was the Burlington area in Vermont at $35,560. Since the average annual wage for all cosmetologists as of May 2008 was $27,070 it becomes clear that the area of employment affects the amount of wages paid. Cosmetologists in the Brockton area were making almost 59% more than the average national wage rate. All of the 5 top paying metropolitan areas for cosmetologists are paying more than the national average wage.
Yet even among the top paying metropolitan areas there is a spread of 17.6% between first on the list (Brockton area) and the fifth on the list (Burlington area). The Peabody area in Massachusetts is in the middle of the top 5 areas at $39,090 annual wages paid as of May 2008. The Peabody area pays 10% less than the Brockton area and 7% more than the Burlington area.
The top paying metropolitan areas have much higher wages than some of the smaller metropolitan areas like Punta Gorda, Florida which pays an average cosmetologist annual wage of $20,620. Cosmetologist salaries are determined by the area of employment, years of experience and expertise in specialized services to name a few influencing factors. Employment prospects are higher than average according to the Department of Labor with the number of jobs expected to grow by 20% during the ten year period from 2008 to 2018.
Cities with the Highest Employment Levels
The metropolitan areas with the highest employment levels pay wages that are quite a bit lower than the top paying metropolitan areas in the country. For example, the highest employment metropolitan area of Ocean City, New Jersey pays an annual average wage of $29,160. The top paying metropolitan area for cosmetologists without regard to employment levels is the Brockton area in Massachusetts paying $43,010 average annual wages. Upon reviewing the chart, of the top 5 highest employment metropolitan areas there are 3 paying less than the average national wage of $27,070. The 3 areas are Mansfield, Ohio ($24,160); Erie, Pennsylvania ($21,990); and Punta Gorda, Florida ($20,620).
The area where a cosmetologist works has an big impact on the wages that can be expected to be earned. Even among the top 5 paying metropolitan areas with the highest employment levels there is a large spread. Number 1 on the list is Ocean City paying $29,160 in average wages and number 5 is Punta Gorda paying $20,620 which is an $8,540 difference or 41%.
The actual amount of pay will be determined by many different factors including the industry, the type of employment and the years of experience. Entry level wages may be low, but experience and specialization can lead to much higher wages. Many cosmetologists that are self-employed earn high wages through a combination of service fees and tips. Those working for employers may be paid by the hour or on a per service basis with commissions. There are a number of possible pay arrangements found in the cosmetology field.
