All you Need to Know About the Cosmetology Industry in 2024

Cosmetology is the art of beautifying hair, nails, and skin. Becoming a cosmetologist teaches you how to work with these particular human body areas through beauty treatments and therapeutic processes.

Cosmetologists help people attain their beauty goals through standard and innovative beauty treatments. Thankfully, the continually-changing beauty industry offers many career opportunities for licensed cosmetologists.

Presently, you can do much of the cosmetology curriculum online. But, some requirements may need you to complete them face to face. Once you graduate with a cosmetology certificate, you can work in vast areas of the beauty industry.

Cosmetology focuses on areas such as:

• Hairstyling
• Nail care
• Manicures and pedicures
• Permanent and non-permanent hair removal

How Can You Get Your Cosmetologist License?

You must excel in both the written and practical exams to get your license. The requirements may differ based on your state. So, after training, the only thing standing between you and your career as a beauty professional is your state board exam.

The best part is that experts have made the exam preparation easier with the free nail practice tests. Once you study these questions, you will be able to familiarize yourself and understand them. This is because the practice test questions are extracted from the main exam. So, you have a good chance to pass, and you will feel more confident to take it.

Since the actual cosmetologist exam includes some scientific concepts, you must understand far more than just nail care treatments. So, when it comes to the final exam, you can handle both the written and practical exams fearlessly. Remember that passing your exam is the key to obtaining your cosmetology license.

What Does Cosmetology Training Lead to?

If you love to showcase your creativity and artistic skills, a career in cosmetology can be perfect for you. Here, you get to focus on everything beauty-related. As mentioned earlier, there are diverse career opportunities in the cosmetology field. You can work in salons, hotels, resorts, or spas.

As a cosmetology student, you can learn a wide range of beauty treatments. But, you can concentrate on a particular area. There are diverse career choices for trained cosmetologists. Once qualified, you can work as a:

• Hairstylist
• Hair color specialist
• Barber
• Skincare consultant
• Perm specialist
• Nail care artist
• Manicurist
• Cosmetology school instructor
• Salon manager or coordinator
• Makeup artist

You can also decide to proceed into the more technical profession like medical esthetician. However, before practicing as a licensed cosmetologist, you need to complete several training hours and take the state board exam.

Fortunately, the job outlook for cosmetologists is promising. The overall employment is estimated to grow by 19% between 2020 and 2030. This is a much faster rate than the average of every other occupation.

Approximately 85,300 job openings for hair care and skin care professionals are projected yearly. Most of these positions should result from the market’s need to replace workers who move to other occupations. Other slots come from those who exit the labor force through circumstances like retirement.

What Are the Overall Cosmetology Duties and Roles?

Your main objective as a cosmetologist is to check what suits your clients’ nails and hair. You will be inspecting the client’s face, hair, and scalp before discussing suitable treatment options. 

Your job will also include hair trimming, cutting, coloring, conditioning, drying, or styling. In addition, you will offer clients the correct details about specific styles and colors that suit them based on the client’s hair condition, texture, and complexion. 

Also, after doing their makeup, you can offer advice on the appropriate skincare routine. You may also conduct skin makeup analysis, do facials, do beard shaving, and shape their nails. You will even use various cosmetics to change or improve a customer’s appearance.

How to be time-efficient in the cosmetology industry?

As a cosmetologist, the way you organize your schedule is essential. If you mess up your calendar or if you’re always late and clients have to wait too long in your salon, then you’ll end up losing time, clients, and, of course, money.

A great solution to stay organized in your daily activity as a beauty professional is to use an appointment scheduling app. Goldie is a free booking app that allows you to schedule appointments, send text reminders to clients, take deposits or full payments online, access your financial reports, and more.

Well, if you’re thinking about improving the way you manage your administrative work, you can give a try to Goldie by downloading it from the App Store or Google Play.

What is the Approximate Cosmetology Salary?

To make good money as a cosmetologist, you must work hard and stay focused. Unique talents and determination will set you apart from other beauticians.

As a thriving salon owner or a celebrity hairstylist, your salary can get up to six figures. A story by CNBC reveals how a 25-year-old Detroit hairstylist earns $280,000 a year.

Some of the top-paying cosmetology jobs include:

• Skincare specialists
• Beauty copywriters
• Hairstylists
• Beauty influencers
• PR specialists
• Theatrical and performance makeup artists

Otherwise, the pay scale shows that the average hourly pay rate for a cosmetologist is $11.70. This is based on over 600 salary profiles. In addition, cosmetologists’ pay varies based on whether they are self-employed or employed by a private company.

If you work under an employer, the four basic payment categories include:

• Hourly payment
• Commission-based payment
• Salaried payment
• Performance-based payment

The great part is that all these pay structures can occasionally go up with tips from clients.

If you are self-employed, you can also consider other side hustles. For example, you can create your products, blog, or formulate online tutorials.

Key Takeaways

Cosmetology is a fulfilling career if you enjoy helping clients look and feel their best. The job will involve listening to clients’ needs and preferences. You will also offer suggestions to assist individual customers in achieving the desired hair and skin effect. 

Remember that there are also safety and sanitation protocols that you must follow strictly. This is according to the state health laws and OSHA regulations.

You should also take note that communication skills and time management are critical for your achievement. Clients expect a pleasant and fulfilling experience. They are more likely to be loyal to you when they receive excellent service.

Thus, cosmetology training and education are essential for a career in beauty. It will enable you to obtain the right skills to offer people the best service possible. If you want to develop and improve your skills continuously, cosmetology education and training are always available. It will boost your knowledge and creativity in the field.