Cut, color, and style hair, and provide grooming and beauty services for clients.
You may also see this posted as: Cosmetologist, Hair Stylist, Hairdresser, Hairstylist, Beautician, Hair Dresser.
Salons and barbershops; on your feet, close hands-on work.
Full-time and part-time; evenings and weekends are busiest.
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
Social
helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people
O*NET job zone 3 of 5
Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 47.6% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Certificate program
Training path: State license program.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: None.
Requires a state license, earned by training hours and an exam.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Chair rental is small-business ownership with tiny startup costs.
Run the Reality Check — build the life you want and see the salary it takes, then compare it to this one.
Browse verified internships, fellowships, and programs — many paid — that lead into fields like this.
Free resume templates, interview practice, and getting-hired guides in the Careers kit.
Standard Occupational Classification 39-5012. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.