Cosmetology

Types of Degrees Cosmetology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many cosmetology graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	62,930
Basic Certificate	60,489
Associate Degree	1,192

What Cosmetology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to cosmetology were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Cosmetology Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Cosmetology Majors

When studying cosmetology, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Cosmetology Majors

As a cosmetology major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Cosmetology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with cosmetology:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Barbers	13.5%	$27,960
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers	14.6%	$38,400
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	13.0%	$24,730
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance	12.5%	$64,250
Manicurists and Pedicurists	13.2%	$24,330
Skincare Specialists	13.7%	$31,290
Spa Managers	14.6%	$38,400

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Cosmetology?

Cosmetology runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #25 out of all the trade school majors we track. In 2021, about 1,168 graduates completed their associate’s degree in this field. This major is dominated by women with about 96% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of cosmetology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	42
Black or African American	184
Hispanic or Latino	325
White	538
International Students	6
Other Races/Ethnicities	97

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Cosmetology, too. About 0.5% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Japan
• Nigeria
• South Korea
• Thailand

How Much Do Cosmetology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Cosmetology majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $30,190 to $41,710 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Cosmetology

Some degrees associated with cosmetology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to cosmetology have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	12.4%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	15.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	45.8%
Some College Courses	7.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	8.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	10.5%
Master’s Degree	0.2%

Online Cosmetology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2,307	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	135	0
Associate’s Degree	176	5
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Cosmetology Worth It?

The median salary for a cosmetology grad is $33,220 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Trades Related to Cosmetology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to cosmetology.

Major	Number of Grads
Culinary Arts	22,075
Funeral & Mortuary Science	2,186
Casino Operations and Services	385
Other Personal & Culinary Services	95

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Tiffany Bumgardner under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.