Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists

Provide beauty services, such as cutting, coloring, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp. May shampoo hair, apply makeup, dress wigs, remove hair, and provide nail and skincare services.

Also Known As:

Beautician Cosmetologist Hair Dresser Hair Stylist Hairdresser Hairstylist Stylist

Wages

Hourly

Annual wages for Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists in United States

Job Outlook Bright

New job opportunities are very likely in the future

United States 2033 Projected Employment

611,400

7% Change From 2023

Explore Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type, and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors.
Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type, and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors.
Shave, trim, and shape beards and moustaches.
Demonstrate and sell hair care products and cosmetics.
Analyze patrons' hair and other physical features to determine and recommend beauty treatment or suggest hair styles.
Comb, brush, and spray hair or wigs to set style.
Administer therapeutic medication and advise patron to seek medical treatment for chronic or contagious scalp conditions.
Schedule client appointments.
Operate cash registers to receive payments from patrons.
Bleach, dye, or tint hair, using applicator or brush.
Apply water or setting, straightening or waving solutions to hair, and use curlers, rollers, hot combs and curling irons to press and curl hair.
Update and maintain customer information records, such as beauty services provided.
Recommend and explain the use of cosmetics, lotions, and creams to soften and lubricate skin and enhance and restore natural appearance.
Shampoo, rinse, condition, and dry hair and scalp or hairpieces with water, liquid soap, or other solutions.
Administer therapeutic medication and advise patron to seek medical treatment for chronic or contagious scalp conditions.
Order, display, and maintain supplies.
Massage and treat scalp for hygienic and remedial purposes, using hands, fingers, or vibrating equipment.
Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs.
Develop new styles and techniques.
Train or supervise other hairstylists, hairdressers, and assistants.
Attach wigs or hairpieces to model heads and dress wigs and hairpieces according to instructions, samples, sketches or photographs.
Shampoo, rinse, condition, and dry hair and scalp or hairpieces with water, liquid soap, or other solutions.
Shape eyebrows and remove facial hair, using depilatory cream, tweezers, electrolysis or wax.
Clean, shape, and polish fingernails and toenails, using files and nail polish.
Give facials to patrons, using special compounds, such as lotions and creams.
Train or supervise other hairstylists, hairdressers, and assistants.
Demonstrate and sell hair care products and cosmetics.
Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs.
Demonstrate and sell hair care products and cosmetics.
Order, display, and maintain supplies.

Subject areas you may need to master.

Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
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.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
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.
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
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.
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
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.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Strengths you may need in this role.

Operation and Control - Using equipment or systems.
Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Management of Material Resources - Managing equipment and materials.
Management of Personnel Resources - Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Programming - Writing computer programs.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Mathematics - Using math to solve problems.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Operations Analysis - Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Systems Analysis - Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Technology Design - Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Equipment Maintenance - Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Management of Financial Resources - Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Systems Evaluation - Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Speed of Closure - Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Visual Color Discrimination - Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Sound Localization - Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Extent Flexibility - Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Visualization - Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Auditory Attention - Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Number Facility - Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Memorization - Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Rate Control - Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Stamina - Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Night Vision - Seeing at night or under low light.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Flexibility of Closure - Seeing hidden patterns.
Gross Body Equilibrium - Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Far Vision - Seeing details that are far away.
Reaction Time - Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Response Orientation - Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Trunk Strength - Using your lower back and stomach.
Gross Body Coordination - Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Hearing Sensitivity - Telling the difference between sounds.
Dynamic Flexibility - Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Explosive Strength - Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Spatial Orientation - Knowing where things are around you.
Finger Dexterity - Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Glare Sensitivity - Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Mathematical Reasoning - Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Static Strength - Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Multilimb Coordination - Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Dynamic Strength - Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Manual Dexterity - Holding or moving items with your hands.
Speed of Limb Movement - Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Perceptual Speed - Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Control Precision - Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Category Flexibility - Grouping things in different ways.
Wrist-Finger Speed - Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.
Time Sharing - Doing two or more things at the same time.
Peripheral Vision - Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Depth Perception - Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.