Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between licensed cosmetologists and hair specialists 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 hair specialist. Additionally, a hair specialist has an average salary of $36,659, which is higher than the $36,637 average annual salary of a licensed cosmetologist.
The top three skills for a licensed cosmetologist include retail sales, customer service and product sales. The most important skills for a hair specialist are customer service, product knowledge, and wigs.
| Licensed Cosmetologist | Hair Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $36,637 | $36,659 |
| Hourly rate | $17.61 | $17.62 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 52,740 | 33,950 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | High School Diploma, 28% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Licensed cosmetologists and hair specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Cosmetologist | Hair Specialist | |
| Average salary | $36,637 | $36,659 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $53,000 | Between $23,000 And $56,000 |
| Highest paying City | Montclair, NJ | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | The Lash Lounge | - |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a licensed cosmetologist and a hair specialist in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Cosmetologist | Hair Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | High School Diploma, 28% |
| Most common major | Cosmetology | Cosmetology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between licensed cosmetologists' and hair specialists' demographics:
| Licensed Cosmetologist | Hair Specialist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 7.9% Female, 92.1% | Male, 11.3% Female, 88.7% |
| 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, 14.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 8.2% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |