KEY TAKEAWAYS: Before choosing to become a beauty pro, you might wonder – how much does a cosmetologist make? There are many factors that influence your earning potential, here's some info to help you learn more.
Whether it’s your passion and creativity or your desire to help people find their confidence, there are many wonderful reasons to become a cosmetologist. For many, it’s a career path full of excitement, enrichment, and fulfillment.
At the end of the day, it is often those factors that make a life worth living. Still, a career needs to check one other (very) important box–you have to be able to make a living!
Before you dive headfirst into cosmetology, invest your time and resources into years of schooling and training, and commit yourself to the world of beauty, you should know the answer to this essential question: how much does a cosmetologist make?
A Cosmetologist Salary Guide: What Do Cosmetologists Make?
Cosmetologists make an average salary of approximately $52,000 a year. From an hourly perspective, that comes out to just over $22 an hour.
Before you take these numbers and run with them, realize that the range of salaries is quite diverse. Some cosmetologists make around $24,000 a year, while others cross the $100,000 threshold with ease.
"Some cosmetologists make around $24,000 a year, while others cross the $100,000 threshold with ease."
The reason for this discrepancy is complex, with factors like location, experience, specialty, and more affecting just how much you can make as a cosmetologist.
More Experience, More Earnings
Like most careers, cosmetology tends to reward those who invest their time into their craft. While it is possible to become instantly successful as a cosmetologist, the majority of beauty pros grow in financial success as the years pass.
The reasons for this correlation are many. You are likely to become skilled and technically proficient as your experience increases, allowing you to charge more for your services. Your reputation gains positive momentum, attracting new clients. You have an established base of loyal clients who bring you repeat business. You gain professional connections and enjoy opportunities as a result.
In other words, experience leads to rewards–not just financially, but in all facets of your cosmetology career.
Location, Location, Location
Where you live and operate your cosmetology business will have a significant impact on your earning potential. Cosmetology salaries can vary wildly between geographic locations, with certain regions, states, and cities offering much higher ceilings.
Keep in mind that not all that glitters is gold, especially when it comes to cosmetologist salaries in different locations. In fact, some cosmetologists who are earning less on paper are actually profiting more.
How? Cost of living! Living and doing business in certain places is far more expensive than in others, and these factors can negatively affect the profitability of your cosmetology business even if you’re earning more.
These things often balance out, but it is worth researching your potential region, especially when it comes to consumer demand, the cost of doing business, and living expenses.
Specialization Can Increase Your Earning Potential
Finding a niche and developing a specialization can drastically increase your earning potential as a cosmetologist. The more specialized your training and services, the more you can charge for them.
This comes with the trade-off of time and money on your part. Getting specialized training requires investment, advanced education, and sometimes, specialized equipment. It takes time, money, and effort to move forward as a cosmetologist.
Another challenge you might face is securing enough clients to make those potentially lucrative services viable. This is where market research and strategic advertising come into play. You need to ensure that there is demand for your specialized services, then effectively reach the target audience who would pay for them.
In the end, more advanced certifications and an investment in your expertise will likely pay off, raising your ceiling and helping you make more money as a cosmetologist.
Giving the Clients What They Want
Cosmetology is about a lot of things. Talent, technical ability, creativity, networking, marketing, and more are all essential to your success. At the core of it all, however, are your clients.
Staying connected to what your clients actually want is a surefire way to build a successful beauty biz. You must be able to identify your target audience, understand what they want, offer the services that appeal to them, and communicate with them effectively.
If you can do those things, you will build a strong, loyal client base and see your cosmetology career flourish.
From building your beauty biz to protecting your dream with cosmetology insurance, Elite Beauty Society has the resources to help you succeed. Be sure to subscribe for the latest industry insights and visit our blog to expand your beauty biz knowledge along the way.
Meet Hanna Marcus, the Founder and Head Copy Gal behind Boundless Copy, a one-of-a-kind copywriting agency that specializes in big, bold brand voice and industry-disrupting copy that’s all about resonating with the right audience.
Hanna has proudly teamed up with Elite Beauty Society for several years as their go-to copywriter on all things beauty, small biz marketing, and brand voice development. She’s big on feeling-first writing–her personal soapbox is that the best copy starts with telling a story.
When she’s not writing cheeky, converting copy for clients, she’s mentoring other aspiring copywriters and creating digital copywriting resources designed for service pros and focused on taking the stress out of DIY copywriting.
