The Beauty Student's Guide to Success in Nashville
With an influx of population in recent years—drawn to booming industries such as healthcare and tech paired with low cost of middle Tennessee living—Nashville may be a perfect place for launching a beauty career.
Learn about beauty industry salaries, job growth, and local resources in Nashville, and check out some of the top salons and beauty supply stores in the area.
Salary and Job Growth for Nashville Cosmetologists and Other Beauty Careers
When it comes to finding a job in the beauty industry, Nashville offers plenty of opportunities and a higher-than-average salary for beauty professionals. Projected job growth in the metro area is a whopping 9 percentage points higher than the national average growth projection for cosmetologists, which means job prospects for cosmetologists in Nashville will be much stronger in this decade than many other places across the nation.
Here's what you can expect to earn, on average, in the Nashville area and how it compares to Tennessee as a whole.
| Career | Tennessee Salary | Nashville Salary |
| Cosmetologists | $34,540 | $36,060 |
| Estheticians | $28,200 | $31,810 |
| Nail Technicians | $26,720 | $28,520 |
Statewide and city area 2021 average salary information are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022).
CareerOneStop reports the following projected beauty industry employment growth in Tennessee versus the national average.
| Career | Tennessee Growth | National Growth |
| Cosmetologists | +7% | +19% |
| Estheticians | +10% | +29% |
| Nail Technicians | +10% | +33% |
Tennessee employment change (2018–2028) and national employment change (2020-2030) information is from CareerOneStop (2021).
Top Beauty Employers in Nashville
These are some of the most diverse and interesting salons in the Nashville area. While inclusion on the list doesn't guarantee they have open positions, it can provide you with an idea of the types of high-end employers and potential jobs available in the area.
Bréon Hair Salon
2115 Elm Hill Pike
Nashville, TN 37210
Owner Bréon founded the award-winning Bréon Hair Salon in 2003. Born in Key West, she moved to Dallas and later Nashville to pursue her cosmetology career. She has worked with many well-known celebrities in the Nashville music scene, including Toby Keith, George Strait, and Shania Twain.
Today, Bréon Hair Salon brings together talented stylists to provide the finest hair care products and services available. The team was named Salon Today magazine's "Top 200 Salons" in the country, "Best Salon in Nashville" by City Search, and "Salon Entrepreneur of the Year" by Global Salon Business Awards. The team also made appearances on Channel 4's "More at Mid-Day Show," and CTN for a "Mother's Day Makeover."
Services offered at Bréon Hair Salon include women's and men's cuts, coloring, highlights, balayage, makeup services, and waxing.
Dandelion Salon
1117 Porter Road
Nashville, TN 37206
Located in East Nashville, Dandelion offers fresh, modern styles in a laid-back environment.
Owned by Christie Bazemore, a formally trained stylist in the Italian style of cutting, the bright and airy salon offers a wide range of creative cuts and styles, including long layered cuts, razor techniques, and blowouts.
Other services include men's and women's haircuts, bleach and tone, highlights, balayage, extensions, and keratin smoothing treatments.
The salon is certified by Green Circle Salons, a partnership dedicated to reducing waste in the beauty industry by recycling aluminum foils, reusing cut hair, and sending hair chemicals to become energy sources rather than ending up in the community water supply.
Salon Ya Ya
2200 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
Salon Ya Ya is a locally owned and operated salon with two locations in Nashville.
Founded in 1996 by a husband-and-wife team, the salon is dedicated to building a positive culture where employees and clients alike are treated like family. Its mission is to provide the best professional hair care services in the area.
Popular services at the salon include women's and men's cuts and colors, heat styling, Redken deep conditioning, glazes, full and partial balayage, color corrections, and waxing. The salon also employs several Deva Curl-certified stylists who are skilled at cutting and styling curly hair.
The Natural Look MedSpa
1916 Patterson Street #100
Nashville, TN 37203
If you're looking to expand your offerings beyond cuts and colors—and are willing to get additional certifications and licenses—consider a position in a medical spa like The Natural Look.
Located in the heart of Nashville, The Natural Look MedSpa is a full-service luxury spa offering the latest in cosmetic and skin care procedures since 1992. Founded by Tim and Christine Haag, the spa offers a wide range of cosmetic and beauty services, including Botox, permanent makeup, Juvéderm, facials, chemical peels, oxygen facials, microdermabrasion, micro-needling, and laser hair removal.
Divine Hair Boutique & Salon
6975 Sunnywood Drive
Nashville, TN 37211
Stylists looking to offer natural hair services may enjoy working at a natural hair salon like Divine Hair Boutique & Salon.
Founded by Master Stylist Cherylline Israel-Jones, Divine Hair Boutique & Salon is a full-service salon and hair loss restoration center. The salon is an authorized retailer for Indique Indian Hair and provides a wide range of hair care services, including natural hair, wash and styles, sew-ins, extensions, lashes, eyebrows, color, cuts, wedding hair, and hair restoration services.
Owner and founder Israel-Jones has more than 15 years of experience in the beauty industry and has taught various hairstyle courses locally and internationally.
Specialties and Certifications Nashville Beauty Students Can Consider
Nashville is known for being the heart of the country music scene, but the beauty industry serves more than just country pop stars.
Popular services in the area include balayage, keratin treatments, natural hair services, and hair restoration. To improve your employment opportunities, consider taking advanced training in these areas.
The natural makeup look is also popular in Nashville, so you might want to take courses in permanent makeup or specialty skin care services, such as microdermabrasion. Note that you must hold an esthetician license to provide many skin care services in Tennessee.
Beauty School Scholarships and Grants for Nashville Students
The best way to find beauty scholarship opportunities in Nashville is to contact the Tennessee beauty or cosmetology school you plan to attend. Many schools offer scholarships and financial aid packages to incoming students.
For Tennessee-specific scholarships and grants, visit the College Pays TN website for information about education lotteries, scholarships, and grant programs.
Learn more about types of financial aid for beauty students and how they work.
Top Beauty Student Supply Stores in Nashville
As a beauty school student in Nashville, you'll likely need many supplies, including professional tools and products. The list below includes the most popular beauty supply stores in Nashville, the types of products they offer, and any discounts available.
While product listings and discounts were current at the time of publication, inventory and deals may change frequently.
Hair World Beauty Supply
Since 1988, Hair World Beauty Supply has provided Nashville-area beauty professionals with a one-stop-shop for all their beauty supply needs. They boast a wide selection of beauty products and tools from top industry brands, including NYX, Manic Panic, LA Girl Cosmetics, LA Splash Cosmetics, Z Palette, and Palladio. In addition, they offer 15% off the next purchase for email subscribers.
Call: (615) 850-1223
Visit: 500 Gallatin Avenue, Nashville, TN 37206
State Beauty Supply of Nashville and Hendersonville
State Beauty Supply is a wholesale beauty supply distributor with two locations in Nashville and Hendersonville, Tennessee. Unlike retail stores, State Beauty Supply is only open to licensed beauty professionals, which allows the store to offer lower prices.
Their stores provide a wide range of tools and supplies from professional brands, including 12Benefits, Agadir, Alterna, American Crew, amika, Andis, Bioelements, Centrix, Cricket, Helen of Troy, Joewell, OPI, and many others.
To receive monthly promotions and access other professional information, users must create an account and provide a license number.
Call: (615) 242-4595
Visit: 1516 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203
Other Resources for Nashville Beauty Students
These resources can help you grow your career as a licensed cosmetologist or beauty professional in Nashville.
Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners
The state board is responsible for licensing and approving cosmetologists in Tennessee. Their site offers resources for applying for licensure, renewing your license, downloadable forms, exam information, and FAQs.
Nashville Lifestyles
This Nashville lifestyle and fashion magazine covers fashion, entertainment, and people in the Nashville area. View their site to see what beauty trends are popular in the city.
Pass the Beauty
A nonprofit organization, this agency is dedicated to providing personal hygiene and beauty supplies to people experiencing homelessness and supporting victims and survivors of domestic violence and bullying. Volunteering can help you develop valuable connections in the beauty field.