Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between 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 stylist and a cosmetologist. Additionally, a stylist has an average salary of $37,985, which is higher than the $37,122 average annual salary of a cosmetologist.
The top three skills for a stylist include good time management, POS and data entry. The most important skills for a cosmetologist are TIP, customer service, and retail sales.
| Stylist | Cosmetologist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,985 | $37,122 |
| Hourly rate | $18.26 | $17.85 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 49,296 | 45,889 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A stylist is responsible for providing fashion advice, choosing the appropriate clothing for models, maintaining the fashion style, and supervising photoshoots. Stylists must always be updated with the latest fashion trends for recommendations. A stylist must have excellent communication skills to connect with various brand management and fashion stores for purchasing items or inquiring about clothing collections. In some cases, stylists are usually consulted by a team of the fashion brand to give inputs on the appropriate style, including color schemes and overall design.
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.
Stylists and cosmetologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Stylist | Cosmetologist | |
| Average salary | $37,985 | $37,122 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $53,000 | Between $25,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Denver, CO | Duluth, MN |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Columbia International University | Anthony |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a stylist and a cosmetologist in terms of educational background:
| Stylist | Cosmetologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Cosmetology | Cosmetology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between stylists' and cosmetologists' demographics:
| Stylist | Cosmetologist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4% | Male, 7.4% Female, 92.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.2% 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% |