Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists

Median salary

$35,790

Average salary

$43,960

Employment

305,710

Projected growth

5.6% growth

Annual openings

75,800

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

What Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists Do

Provide beauty services, such as cutting, coloring, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp. May shampoo hair, apply makeup, dress wigs, remove hair, and provide nail and skincare services.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 47.6%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.4/5
Sales and Marketingimportance 3.7/5
Administration and Managementimportance 3.0/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.0/5
English Languageimportance 2.9/5
Chemistryimportance 2.8/5
Administrativeimportance 2.5/5
Economics and Accountingimportance 2.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls5.0/5
Telephone Conversations5.0/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
Contact With Others4.8/5
Freedom to Make Decisions4.8/5
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions4.7/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Skincare Specialists96% skill match
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers96% skill match
Exercise Physiologists96% skill match
Recreational Therapists96% skill match
Nurse Midwives96% skill match
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education96% skill match
Nurse Practitioners96% skill match
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Service Orientationimportance 3.6/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
Persuasionimportance 2.9/5
Instructingimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Social Orientation
Dependability
Cooperation
Attention to Detail
Optimism
Empathy
Sincerity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
SocialMedium
EnterprisingMedium
ArtisticMedium
InvestigativeLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).