Cosmetologist Salaries
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment and wage statistics last compiled in May, 2009, cosmetologists in the United States earn an hourly wage falling somewhere between $7.47 and $20.41.
Cosmetologists who work in department stores as makeup artists and sales representatives earn about $9.73 per hour, or $20,240 per year. Cosmetologists who teach in beauty schools or technical colleges typically earn about $13.24 per hour, or $27,540 over the course of a year.
Not surprisingly, cosmetologists who work in the motion picture and video industry are the highest earners, with an average hourly wage of $29.50 and an annual salary of about $67,370. Those who work for performing arts companies make about $22.90 per hour, and average $47,710 per year.
Pennsylvania has the highest concentration of cosmetologists of any state, with an average earning capacity of $11.08 per hour, followed by Wisconsin, where cosmetologists make approximately $12.15 an hour, or $25,260 annually. Hawaii is the top paying state, where the average cosmetologist makes about $20 an hour, or $41,600 annually. Mansfield, Ohio has the highest concentration of cosmetologists of any metropolitan area in the United States, and cosmetologists there earn a respectable $11.61 per hour, just above the national average.
Cosmetologists are paid in several different ways: a set hourly wage; a commission based upon a percentage (usually 50%) of the services they perform; or a salary plus commission basis. They also are paid a commission (usually 10-15%) on the retail products they sell, and customarily receive tips from their customers, usually somewhere in the range of 10-20% of the cost of the service. Tips vary according to the type of salon, city, and geographic region of the United States. Cosmetologists who are independent contractors earn what is left over after expenses such as rent, supply costs, advertising, and other business expenses are paid.
