What does a cosmetologist do?
A cosmetologist specializes in offering various services ranging from haircuts, makeup, skin and hair treatments, manicures, pedicures, and even shaving beards. They must have extensive knowledge and experience on the subject, plus keep up with current trends. Although most clients relay their preferred styling, a cosmetologist may also provide options and suggestions according to a client's hair condition or facial structure. Furthermore, a cosmetologist must have a strong client base, which is why one must build rapport and prioritize customer satisfaction.
Cosmetologist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real cosmetologist resumes:
- Manage beautiful hairstyles with the use of flat irons, curling irons, blow dryers, and other hair products.
- Provide basic nail care service, sculpture nail and tip applications, oil and water pedicures
- Apply sculptured nails, tip overlays, overlays, wraps, gel nails, manicures, and pedicures.
- Used POS systems and software to track clients personal profiles.
- Skil and master numerous techniques in the coloring field of cosmetology.
- Present new products and selling products to customers using a pos system
- Perform duties such as manicures, pedicures, waxing, massages, facials, and makeup application.
- Develop skill as hairstylist and cosmetologist.
- Provide one-on-one personal makeup artistry for clients.
- Style wigs according to corporate documentation issue by Disney.
- Self-Employ hairstylist ensuring quality service to enhance client's appearances
- Maintain hair tools and salon instruments for salon cleanliness and compliance with cosmetology regulations.
- Gel manicures such as CND shellac and OPI.
- Greet clients, ask for their concerns to give them the most pleasurable spa experience they wouldn t forget.
- Full knowledge of the Redken color system and specializing in many weave techniques.
Cosmetologist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 21% of Cosmetologists are proficient in TIP, Customer Service, and Retail Sales. They’re also known for soft skills such as Listening skills, Physical stamina, and Tidiness.
We break down the percentage of Cosmetologists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- TIP, 21%
Applied sculptured nails, tip overlays, overlays, wraps, gel nails, manicures, and pedicures.
- Customer Service, 14%
Book keeping, money managing and responsible for multitasking including answering phones while providing excellent customer service.
- Retail Sales, 11%
Maintained long-standing client base through provided services* Customer Consultations* Scheduled Appointments* Retail sales
- Spa Services, 6%
Provided pedicure and manicure spa services to guests/customers.
- Hair Color, 5%
Provide hair coloring/ bleaching/ conditioning services.
- Clips, 5%
Utilized Great Clips customer information software.
Most cosmetologists use their skills in "tip," "customer service," and "retail sales" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential cosmetologist responsibilities here:
Listening skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a cosmetologist to have is listening skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists must be attentive when clients describe what they want to ensure satisfaction with the result." Cosmetologists often use listening skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "build customer confidence by actively listening to their concerns and giving appropriate feedback concerning their hair care needs. "
Physical stamina. Many cosmetologist duties rely on physical stamina. "barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists must be able to stand for long periods.," so a cosmetologist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways cosmetologist responsibilities rely on physical stamina: "analyzed and evaluated clients hair and other physical attributes to determine and recommend beauty treatment or suggestions on hair styles. "
Tidiness. cosmetologists are also known for tidiness, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to cosmetologist responsibilities, because "workers must keep their work area clean and sanitary for the health and safety of their clients." A cosmetologist resume example shows how tidiness is used in the workplace: "cut, style, shampoo, and color clients hair salon cleanup and tidiness assist in paying bills"
Time-management skills. cosmetologist responsibilities often require "time-management skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists need to manage their time efficiently when scheduling appointments and providing services." This resume example shows what cosmetologists do with time-management skills on a typical day: "required time-management skills, great communication skills and customer service skills. "
Creativity. A commonly-found skill in cosmetologist job descriptions, "creativity" is essential to what cosmetologists do. Cosmetologist responsibilities rely on this skill because "barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists must keep up with the latest trends and be ready to try new hairstyles for their clients." You can also see how cosmetologist duties rely on creativity in this resume example: "performed business operations duties including transactions, inventory and appointment scheduling. "
Customer-service skills. Lastly, "customer-service skills" is an important element of what a cosmetologist does. Cosmetologist responsibilities require this skill because "workers must be friendly, pleasant, and able to interact with clients to build and retain clientele." This resume example highlights how cosmetologist duties rely on this skill: "provided cosmetology services to clients, independent bookkeeping/business finances, appointment scheduling, built strong clientele base through high customer satisfaction"
The three companies that hire the most cosmetologists are:
- WTS International
27 cosmetologists jobs
- ISM Spa13 cosmetologists jobs
- The Walt Disney Company8 cosmetologists jobs
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Compare different cosmetologists
Cosmetologist vs. Braider
Nail technicians are beauty specialists that provide grooming services to a client's fingernails and toenails. They are trained proficiently in filling, cleaning, and grooming as well as various nail treatments. They can either work in salons, nail studios, spas, or can be self-employed. Their duties include providing high-quality manicures and pedicures, applying artificial nails, and recommending different nail art and designs to the client. Also, they advise clients on proper nail care and provide quality hand and foot massages. Additionally, they ensure that the nail instruments and equipment are sanitized, and work stations are neat and orderly.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, cosmetologist responsibilities require skills like "tip," "retail sales," "hair color," and "clips." Meanwhile a typical braider has skills in areas such as "braiders," "ran," "scheduling appointments," and "appointment calendar." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
The education levels that braiders earn slightly differ from cosmetologists. In particular, braiders are 6.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a cosmetologist. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Cosmetologist vs. Hair and makeup designer
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that cosmetologist responsibilities requires skills like "tip," "customer service," "retail sales," and "spa services." But a hair and makeup designer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "stage production," "photo shoots," "stage makeup," and "annual video."
Hair and makeup designers earn similar levels of education than cosmetologists in general. They're 4.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for cosmetologists in the next 3-5 years?
Charley Sain
Cosmetology Instructor, Program Coordinator for Cosmetology, Esthetics, and Manicuring, Cleveland Community College
Cosmetologist vs. Nail technician
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a cosmetologist is likely to be skilled in "hair color," "clips," "make-up," and "appointment scheduling," while a typical nail technician is skilled in "work ethic," "cleanliness," "cosmetology," and "excellent guest."
Nail technicians make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $32,807. On the other hand, cosmetologists are paid the highest salary in the health care industry, with average annual pay of $36,317.When it comes to education, nail technicians tend to earn similar degree levels compared to cosmetologists. In fact, they're 3.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Cosmetologist vs. Hair designer
Types of cosmetologist
Updated January 8, 2025
