How To Become An Apprentice Stylist: What It Is and Career Path

What is an apprentice stylist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Lynsey Hemstreet

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an apprentice stylist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.65 an hour? That's $36,708 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 11% and produce 65,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an apprentice stylist?

Lynsey Hemstreet

Associate Professor, Skyline College

Trends change quickly in the cosmetology industry, so follow some industry pros on social media for inspiration and education. Clients will ask about new services like brow lamination or micro-extensions, and you can add new services to your menu just as soon as you can get trained. In the cosmetology industry, soft skills like communication, professionalism and customer service are always in demand. If those are your weak spots, consider taking some classes on public speaking and business. Also, don't be afraid to embrace technology. Convenience is a major selling point in this industry, and learning how to use appointment management apps can help your clients book easily and quickly.

ScoreApprentice StylistUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $36,708

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.6

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.67%

Asian 7.69%

Black or African American 11.53%

Hispanic or Latino 17.32%

Unknown 4.53%

White 58.25%

Gender

female 82.54%

male 17.46%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

5.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an apprentice stylist

Explore apprentice stylist education requirements

Most common apprentice stylist degrees

High School Diploma

28.8 %

License

16.9 %

Associate

15.3 %

Start to develop specific apprentice stylist skills

Skills	Percentages
Stylists	28.45%
Customer Service	26.58%
Hair Services	18.92%
Retail Products	11.43%
Front Desk	9.02%

Complete relevant apprentice stylist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New apprentices stylist learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an apprentice stylist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real apprentice stylist resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed apprentice stylist usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed apprentice stylist in most of states. 43 states require apprentices stylist to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	Specific course required	State exam required	Licensed Cosmetologist
Arkansas	Specific course required	Both state and third-party exams required	Cosmetologist
California	Specific course required	State exam required	Cosmetologist
Colorado	Specific course required	State exam required	Cosmetologist
Connecticut	Specific course required	State exam required	Hairdresser/Cosmetician

Research apprentice stylist duties and responsibilities

Manage cleaning up activities after hair care appointments by ensuring appropriate cleanliness and sterilization of cutting and trimming equipment.
Provide hairstylist services/professional makeup/manicures/pedicures and modeling.
Provide hairstylist services/professional makeup/manicures/pedicures and modeling.

Prepare your apprentice stylist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your apprentice stylist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an apprentice stylist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable apprentice stylist resume templates

Build a professional apprentice stylist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your apprentice stylist resume.

Apply for apprentice stylist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an apprentice stylist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do apprentices stylist rate their job?

-/5

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1 star

Apprentice stylist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

I like the satisfaction of doing someone’s hair and they love it.

Cons

Working all weekends, being in tons of social interactions a day, high stress situations, work comes home with you, getting criticism online, lots of disinfection and cleaning, lots of interaction with coworkers. Some days at work I want To go hide in the bathroom to avoid anymore social interaction and stress from dealing with the public all day.