Do you want to pursue a career in hair design, makeup, or give manicures and pedicures at a salon for a living? Earning your beauty license can help you qualify for work in several areas of the beauty industry in your state. Every state has their own licensing laws; so you’ll wan to check in with your local beauty schools to learn yours. We recommend looking into cosmetology, beautician, and esthetician licensing requirements, since there can be differences. This is one big reason to speak with cosmetology school options in your area to get the most up-to-date info. They help future cosmetologists map a plan for success in their beauty school education. Many cosmetology school advisors will also help students land their first interview and open doors for networking with local employers.
So, what makes a great beautician? First of all, if beauty, style, fashion, and looking your best inspire you, obtaining a beautician license may be the best fit for your career path. Whether you enjoy makeup application, giving pedicures, hair styling, or aesthetics, all of which are aspects of a career as a beautician, your own philosophy and understanding of beauty must shine through your work, giving it a personal touch. This understanding will develop over time and with experience in the field, however, before you can practice as a beautician, you must have a beautician license.
One of the first questions that cosmetologists typically ask is what kind of salary they can expect to earn throughout the course of their education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cosmetologists can expect to earn an average median salary of $24,300 per year (BLS, 2017). How much you will earn depends on where you live, the current cosmetology job climate, and several other factors. Your salary could be higher or lower, depending on your hours worked every week, services you offer, and how much experience you have. .
In most states, you will have to pass a written and hands on portion of a state examination to become licensed to perform cosmetology and beautician services. Many beautician programs gear their program curriculum towards the skills that states require. This should be another topic of conversation when you speak with schools. Ask if their program meets the minimum training hours and covers the safety and sanitation topics that are critical to qualifying for work in the beauty industry.
It is crucial for beauticians/cosmetologists to possess great interpersonal skills in addition to their style savvy. Many salons depend on revenues due to client retention (and new client recruitment) and retail sales, so a bit of salesperson savvy and general “people proficiency” are attractive skill-sets for these workers. If you wish to operate your own spa or salon in the future, taking a few courses in business would certainly enhance the learning experience.
The Perks of Obtaining a Beautician License
Projected job growth is a major reason students consider pursuing beauty school education programs. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, beauticians/cosmetologists careers are expected to grow at a 10% rate between 2016-2026. This is a few percentage points higher than the 7% anticipated growth for all other occupations combined. Many students consider cosmetology as a career field because these jobs can be more flexible than 9-5 careers. Beautician license programs are typically 12-24 months in length. This is appealing to students who are ready to work as quickly as possible, and don’t want to spend 4 years completing a traditional degree program.
There are many reasons why you may want to earn your beautician license. If you’re ready to learn more about your options for cosmetology school training, use our search tools to learn about programs near you. There are advisors who want to learn about your goals in the diverse, creative world of beauty!