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The differences between hair stylists and cosmetologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a hair stylist and a cosmetologist. Additionally, a hair stylist has an average salary of $38,221, which is higher than the $37,122 average annual salary of a cosmetologist.
The top three skills for a hair stylist include cosmetology, clips and kids. The most important skills for a cosmetologist are TIP, customer service, and retail sales.
| Hair Stylist | Cosmetologist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,221 | $37,122 |
| Hourly rate | $18.38 | $17.85 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 49,578 | 45,889 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 31% | Associate Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Hair Stylist's role is to provide services such as haircuts, treatments, coloring, styling, and even maintenance. Most of the time, the clients choose which style or treatment they would prefer, which is why a Hair Stylist must have extensive knowledge and keep up the current trends in Hair Styling. Moreover, a Hair Stylist can also recommend styling and treatments that would suit the client, even sell Hair Care products. Aside from providing quality service, it is also essential for a Hair Stylist to build rapport with clients to ensure customer satisfaction and have a robust client base.
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.
Hair stylists and cosmetologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hair Stylist | Cosmetologist | |
| Average salary | $38,221 | $37,122 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $53,000 | Between $25,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Scottsdale, AZ | Duluth, MN |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Anthony |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a hair stylist and a cosmetologist in terms of educational background:
| Hair Stylist | Cosmetologist | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 31% | Associate Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Cosmetology | Cosmetology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between hair stylists' and cosmetologists' demographics:
| Hair Stylist | Cosmetologist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 9.2% Female, 90.8% | Male, 7.4% Female, 92.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |