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Hair dresser vs cosmetician

The differences between hair dressers and cosmeticians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cosmetician has an average salary of $80,315, which is higher than the $36,852 average annual salary of a hair dresser.

The top three skills for a hair dresser include appointment scheduling, customer service and product sales. The most important skills for a cosmetician are customer service, merchandise displays, and skin care.

Hair dresser vs cosmetician overview

Hair DresserCosmetician
Yearly salary$36,852$80,315
Hourly rate$17.72$38.61
Growth rate11%1%
Number of jobs42,7779,011
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 46%High School Diploma, 42%
Average age4038
Years of experience2-

Hair dresser vs cosmetician salary

Hair dressers and cosmeticians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Hair DresserCosmetician
Average salary$36,852$80,315
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $54,000Between $51,000 And $125,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between hair dresser and cosmetician education

There are a few differences between a hair dresser and a cosmetician in terms of educational background:

Hair DresserCosmetician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 46%High School Diploma, 42%
Most common majorCosmetologyBusiness
Most common college--

Hair dresser vs cosmetician demographics

Here are the differences between hair dressers' and cosmeticians' demographics:

Hair DresserCosmetician
Average age4038
Gender ratioMale, 6.1% Female, 93.9%Male, 2.8% Female, 97.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 6.2% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage12%6%

Differences between hair dresser and cosmetician duties and responsibilities

Hair dresser example responsibilities.

  • Manage product inventory for cosmetology products, place product orders, maintain the inventory.
  • Shampoo, style and color hair as well as advise clients about wigs.
  • Bleach, dye, or tint hair.
  • Assist in hair and make-up.
  • Apply make-up and cosmetics on clients.
  • Shape eyebrows using tweezers, creams.
  • Show more

Cosmetician example responsibilities.

  • Administer make-up application to customers during cosmetic demonstrations
  • Administer make-up application to customers during cosmetic demonstrations

Hair dresser vs cosmetician skills

Common hair dresser skills
  • Appointment Scheduling, 28%
  • Customer Service, 22%
  • Product Sales, 8%
  • Curling Irons, 6%
  • Front Desk, 6%
  • Skin Care, 6%
Common cosmetician skills
  • Customer Service, 59%
  • Merchandise Displays, 16%
  • Skin Care, 7%
  • Cosmetic Products, 6%
  • Inventory Control, 5%
  • Product Knowledge, 4%

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