Licensed cosmetologist vs colorist

The differences between licensed cosmetologists and colorists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a licensed cosmetologist and a colorist. Additionally, a licensed cosmetologist has an average salary of $36,637, which is higher than the $34,792 average annual salary of a colorist.

The top three skills for a licensed cosmetologist include retail sales, customer service and product sales. The most important skills for a colorist are color correction, davinci resolve, and color theory.

Licensed cosmetologist vs colorist overview

	Licensed Cosmetologist	Colorist
Yearly salary	$36,637	$34,792
Hourly rate	$17.61	$16.73
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	52,740	42,160
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Licensed cosmetologist vs colorist salary

Licensed cosmetologists and colorists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Licensed Cosmetologist	Colorist
Average salary	$36,637	$34,792
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $53,000	Between $22,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Montclair, NJ	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	New Jersey
Best paying company	The Lash Lounge	Adobe
Best paying industry	Education	Media

Differences between licensed cosmetologist and colorist education

There are a few differences between a licensed cosmetologist and a colorist in terms of educational background:

	Licensed Cosmetologist	Colorist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Cosmetology	Cosmetology
Most common college	-	-

Licensed cosmetologist vs colorist demographics

Here are the differences between licensed cosmetologists' and colorists' demographics:

	Licensed Cosmetologist	Colorist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 7.9% Female, 92.1%	Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 7.9% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 8.2% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between licensed cosmetologist and colorist duties and responsibilities

Licensed cosmetologist example responsibilities.

Manage beautiful hairstyles with the use of flat irons, curling irons, blow dryers, and other hair products.
Provide pedicure/manicure, skin care services, and dress wigs.
Provide all services - hair stylist, nails, make-up, coloring services, blow-outs, and up-do's.
Conduct DYI seminars on make-up application.
Maintain hair tools and salon instruments for salon cleanliness and compliance with cosmetology regulations.
Assist others hairstylist team members.

Colorist example responsibilities.

Manage cleaning up activities after hair care appointments by ensuring appropriate cleanliness and sterilization of cutting and trimming equipment.
Screened/Evaluat and HD DI color correct feature films, utilizing Autodesk Lustre for restoration.
Remastered archival feature footage to HD.
Perform DI on major feature films, commercial and special projects.
Navigate project through continually changing workflows VFX revisions and delivery specs.
Provide hairstylist services/professional makeup/manicures/pedicures and modeling.

Licensed cosmetologist vs colorist skills

Common licensed cosmetologist skills

Retail Sales, 32%
Customer Service, 15%
Product Sales, 11%
Appointment Scheduling, 5%
Make-Up, 4%
Cosmetic Services, 3%

Common colorist skills

Color Correction, 13%
Davinci Resolve, 11%
Color Theory, 9%
Front Desk, 9%
Color Standards, 7%
Adobe Photoshop, 5%