General Cosmetology

Types of Degrees General Cosmetology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general cosmetology/cosmetologist graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	48,484
Basic Certificate	4,191
Associate Degree	953

What General Cosmetology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to general cosmetology were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for General Cosmetology Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in general cosmetology should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Skills for General Cosmetology Majors

A major in general cosmetology prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities for General Cosmetology Majors

General Cosmetology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

What Can You Do With a General Cosmetology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with general cosmetology:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	13.0%	$24,730
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance	12.5%	$64,250
Manicurists and Pedicurists	13.2%	$24,330
Skincare Specialists	13.7%	$31,290

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to General Cosmetology

Some careers associated with general cosmetology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for general cosmetology careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	11.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	17.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	59.2%
Some College Courses	6.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	3.3%

Online General Cosmetology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1,325	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	90	0
Associate’s Degree	138	2
Bachelor’s Degree	1	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to General Cosmetology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to general cosmetology.

Major	Number of Grads
Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist	43,005
Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist	13,887
Barbering/Barber	10,975
Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist	2,787
Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts	2,195
Master Aesthetician/Esthetician	1,861
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor	1,248
Hair Styling/Stylist & Hair Design	1,156
Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager	469
Make-Up Artist/Specialist	451
Electrolysis/Electrology & Electrolysis Technician	328
Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup & Tattooing	113

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Tiffany Bumgardner under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.