You know what’s amazing about earning your cosmetology license?
With a broad spectrum of skills, you can pursue more careers than most people imagine, once you complete your beauty school training.
Here is a list of some of the top beauty jobs you can think about:
- Cosmetologist
- Hairstylist
- Barber
- Esthetician ,
- Nail Care Artists
- Manicurist
- Salon Owner or Salon Manager
- Salon Coordinator
- Salon Sales Consultant
- Manufacturer Sales Representative
- Makeup Artist
- Director of Education at Beauty School
- Distributor's Sales Representative
- Fashion Show Stylist
- Photo and Movie Stylist
- Platform Artist and Educator
- Beauty Magazine Writer/Editor
- Cosmetology School Owner
- Cosmetology Instructor
- Beauty Care Marketing
- Salon Franchisee
- Salon Chain Management
- Beauty Care Distributor
- Salon Computer Expert
- Beauty Care PR Specialist
- Research Chemist
- Beauty Product Designer
- Beauty Business Consultant
- Trade Show Director
That’s a lot of options…right?
Now take some time to read about what these jobs entail, to figure out which suits your personality and desire!
Cosmetologists
Cosmetologists can provide a variety of services, but typically focus on one area, like hairstyling or makeup, in their work. Having your cosmetology license and professional experience could open up doors to becoming an instructor later in your career.
Estheticians
If you want to give facials, help with skin conditions or apply makeup, earning your esthetician license is the best move. You can find work in salons, spas, and sometimes dermatologists’ offices. Your training may include extractions, and other techniques that patients need for skin treatments.
Hair Stylists & Barbers
Do you want to work in a salon, providing women and men’s styles, or work as a master barber and focus mainly on men’s services? Either way, seek training that focuses mainly on these areas. As long as the program includes safety, sanitation, and the hours for licensure you’ll be good to go.
Manufacturer, Distributor, & Trade Show Director
These sound like wildly different jobs – and they are. But putting them together shows how diverse the field cosmetology can be. With your knowledge, experience, and passion for beauty, you can work in many types of roles. There are countless companies that make and promote beauty products. They need people like you to represent their brands. And think about all the trade shows that beauty professionals flock to. Highly organized, strong leaders who love hustling products and showing off the latest beauty supplies and trends should consider becoming a trade show director.
Beauty School or Salon Owner
After gaining experience in the field, you might decide to teach beauty classes to aspiring students. Many cosmetologists are free spirits who prefer to set their own rules, hours, and services. You can also choose your own clients, and set other preferences as an owner. You can also use your creativity to the max when you open and own your salon or spa. If you have this goal, seek training that includes professional skills, such as management, simple accounting and computer skills.
Websites like CareerBuilder, Indeed, Monster, SimplyHired and Jobamatic can be great resources for job-hunting, though they aren’t as tailored and targeted to the cosmetology industry in particular so you may have to do some digging. Don’t be afraid to hit the pavement and talk to salons, spas and other beauty businesses in your area. Your cosmetology school, friends and family may be able to recommend places to look, or even introduce you to their connections who can help.
Cosmetology schools have a strong incentive to help graduates get placed in jobs after they graduate, so many beauty schools and cosmetology schools do offer cosmetology job placement services for their recent graduates. Our survey of 70 cosmetology schools found that 92.6% of them offer some type of career placement services.
Most schools will at least have a job bulletin board on campus that shares recent openings in the area. Many of the beauty educators and school owners also maintain relationships with salons and other beauty businesses in the community, and try to connect their soon-to-be graduates at salons that have job openings available. Some schools even have a job placement coach at their school to help counsel you on careers, interviewing, networking, job fairs and more. Some schools (like Aveda, for example) are also connected with specific salon chains, which could give you a leg up if you’re a graduate from their schools.
This service is not available at every school, but it is a great option to take advantage of when it is available. The admissions representatives at each school can confirm whether they offer such job placement services when you request information from beauty schools you are considering. If they do offer cosmetology job placement services, ask what their job placement rate is after graduation. Click the button below to find and compare schools near you.
This is a topic that is likely to produce a different answer, depending on where you live. Every community has its own employment landscape that affects which kinds of cosmetology careers are most in-demand.
That’s why many students earn a cosmetology or esthetician license. Having one of these two licensures can qualify you for work in the following areas:
- Hair design
- Nail technology
- Esthetics
- Makeup
According to the United States Department of Labor, the U.S. employment rates for personal appearance workers such as hairdressers, hairstylists, cosmetologists, skin care specialists and shampooers are projected to grow. Job growth in cosmetology is expected to rise at a rate of 13% between 2012 and 2022 (BLS, 2017) which could lead to greater demand for hairdressers, stylists, barbers and cosmetologists over the next decade.
Employment of manicurists and pedicurists is expected to show a similiar increase, with jog growth predicted to continue at a rate of 16% through 2022, which is faster than average for all occupations in the United States.
Want to learn more about careers you can pursue with cosmetology training? Check out this cool video right now…
If you work hourly or on salary for a professional salon, the company will most likely provide all supplies, tools and products to perform cosmetology services. From your client chair to makeup brushes to root lifter spray, you may be fully stocked by your new salon employer. Some salons, spas and other beauty businesses may also have contracts with specific suppliers to provide the beauty products and tools. Some salons have a specific brand they represent with their products and color formulas (for example, Beauty Brands is a Redken salon) and that brand may be a prime source of continuing education resources for the salon or spa.
However, if you are a booth renter, you are technically considered to be in business for yourself, and merely renting space from the building owner, so they probably will not provide your supplies and products. If you are renting a booth at a salon or other beauty business, or simply choose to work independently at your own business, you will likely have to provide all of your own beauty tools, supplies and products.