Hair stylists help others feel good about their appearance by giving them flattering haircuts, colors and styles. Because state licensure is necessary, certain school requirements must be met.
As a hair stylist, or cosmetologist, you will need to be trained in beauty areas such as coloring, cutting, and shampooing hair. You will also need to learn how to provide hair care advice to clients and to recommend specific products based on their unique hair type. Other training may include how to clean or style hairpieces and wigs.
Important Facts About This Field of Study
| Key Skills | Ambition to grow your business, hard work, dedication, friendly demeanor |
| Specializations | Coloring, weaves, braiding, singeing, washing, bleaching, working with wigs |
| Online Availability | Distance learning courses available |
| Possible Careers | Beautician, wedding stylist, nail technician, salon assistant |
| Median Salary [2019] | $26,090 [Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists] |
| Job Outlook [2019-2029] | -2% [Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists] |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]
School Entry Requirements
You usually must be a citizen or a legal alien to enter a cosmetology program. Many beauty schools require completion of high school or a GED program. There is often a minimum student age requirement that must be met to enroll into the school, although some schools may accept students who are under the age of 18.
Expect to have to pay a non-refundable application fee, some or all of your tuition costs, and to buy supplies or kits required for the program. Many schools will also require you to meet with an advisor, complete an entrance interview, and/or attend an orientation before formally enrolling in their program.
Education
Beginning hair stylists can choose to complete a cosmetology certificate or associate's degree program. The average certificate course is 9-15 months in length, which equals about 1600 hours. You'll take specialty classes that include hair coloring, hair styling, chemical services, and hair cutting.
You may also have science courses that are related to anatomy so you understand the nature of human hair. Sanitation classes help ensure that you know the proper way to keep yourself and your clients safe. Business courses are normally included in a program to give you a good sense of how to own, operate, and work in a salon.
Licensure
You'll need to be licensed in the state in which you work. The qualifications for this licensure vary in each state, but requirements generally include being at least 16 years old, completing a program from an approved cosmetology school, and possessing a GED or high school diploma.
With these requirements met, you can complete the necessary written and skills-evaluation tests. The written examination covers your knowledge of laws related to hair stylists, hair stylist techniques, and proper sanitation procedures. The skills test ensures that you're able to perform your job duties at a satisfactory level. An application fee is normally required for you to receive your license, and most states require license renewals.
[Intro Paragraph] Encourage hair stylists to apply by showing off why your salon is a great place to grow their careers. Discuss the company culture, team values, and your commitment to career advancement. Motivated hair stylists will want to be promoted to senior hair stylist positions or take on management roles.
Mention any professional development initiatives you offer like internal trainings, continuing education cosmetology class reimbursements, and opportunities to move into management roles. You may also want to share glowing client reviews, press mentions, and any awards your salon has received.
Hairstylist Job Responsibilities: Use this section of your hair stylist job description to share the job responsibilities at your salon. For example, you may be looking for someone who:
- Helps clients decide their ideal haircut and hairstyle.
- Completes haircutting techniques, including trims, layers, and texturizing.
- Performs haircoloring methods, such as highlights, ombre, and balayage.
- Styles hair, including blowouts, curls, braids, ponytails, and updos.
- Upsells clients on products and services.
- Develops ongoing relationships with clients.
- Keeps a clean station and sanitizes all tools.
- Follows all salon policies and procedures.
[Work Hours and Benefits] This is where you’ll specify whether you’re hiring a full-time or part-time hair stylist. Let candidates know whether they would need to work non-traditional hours and weekends. If your salon has a shift schedule, mention the various shift times and days so hair stylists know the time commitment.
Show that their hard work will pay off by sharing the benefits you offer for the role, such as health insurance, dental insurance, paid time off, overtime pay, retail commission, and a 401[k] in this section of your hair stylist job description [and salary information, if available].
Hair Stylist Job Qualifications and Skills: Share the necessary and preferred skills and experience in these sections of your hair stylist job description. Depending on your hiring needs, you might want to include:
- Knows haircutting, hairstyling, and haircoloring best practices.
- Communicates clearly and has strong active listening skills.
- Builds long-term relationships with clients and has excellent social skills.
- Collaborates with other hair stylists and managers and is a team-player.
- Works confidently in a fast-paced salon, has good time-management skills, is punctual, and is detail oriented.
Education and Experience Requirements:
- A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
- An active cosmetology license in [state] is required.
- An active natural hair stylist license in [state] is preferred.
- Must have at least [number] years of hair stylist experience.
[Call to Action] The most effective hair stylist job postings end with a strong call to action. For example, you could invite interested candidates to apply and say that your team looks forward to reading their resume and cover letter and reviewing their portfolio. Provide instructions for applying from the job board, your salon’s website, or by coming to the salon. If you know the next steps in the hiring process and the ideal hiring timeline, share them so candidates know what comes next.
Your brand-new hair stylist job description will attract hair stylists who have the technical and soft skills to impress your clients and help you build a loyal client base. You can use Monster to reach a large selection of qualified hair stylists quickly. Kick off an efficient and effective search today with a free job posting.
Hair stylists play an essential role in transforming clients and making them feel confident and unique. These hair design professionals must combine creative thinking with hands-on work and excellent customer service in order to meet all aspects of their clients’ needs. While some of these skills may come naturally, hair stylists must undergo specialized hair design training. After training, hairdressing students can test for their hair stylist license, a critical step in starting a successful career in hair design. Figuring out the hair stylist licensing process doesn’t have to be overwhelming; follow this guide to learn the ins and outs of earning your hair stylist license.
sponsored content, school availability varies by location
sponsored content, school availability varies by location
How to Become a Licensed Hair Stylist
All 50 states plus the District of Columbia require professional hair stylists to be licensed. The specific licensure requirements vary between states, but in general, hair stylists must attend a state-approved cosmetology training school or apprenticeship program, gain hands-on hours honing their hair design skills, and pass a competency exam.
While it’s common for prospective hair stylists to go to cosmetology school, where they gain skin care, nail tech, and makeup skills as well as hair design skills, some states offer programs and licenses specific to hairstyling. Nevada, for instance, has a hair design program separate from its cosmetology program. Nevada students can even get a license specifically in hair braiding, which does not require completion of a full cosmetology program. With so much variance between states and programs, students should check with their state cosmetology board to make sure they enroll in a program that aligns with their licensing needs. Learn more about specific licensing requirements by state.
Hair Design Training Hour Requirements
During their cosmetology or hair design training, students will likely watch demos, study hair styling theory and safety, and learn about the laws and regulations that guide the profession. They will also spend many hours doing hands-on training with mannequins, models, and real customers. These specialized training hours give students the practice they need in technical skills like cutting, coloring, and styling, and they also expose students to daily salon duties like customer service and station upkeep.
The number of hours needed to apply for a hair stylist license varies by state and whether students must attend a cosmetology training program versus a hair design training program. Required hours for cosmetology licensure averages between 1,400 and 1,600 hours. Iowa has the highest requirement, at 2,100 hours, while New York has the lowest, asking for 1,000 hours. However, states that offer training programs and licensing specific to hair styling may see lower training hour requirements. Students who opt to do an apprenticeship instead of a traditional training program may have to fulfill extra training hour requirements.
Required Exams
After completing their hair design training, students can apply to take their state’s hair stylist license exam. Generally, hair stylists must take both a written and a practical exam to gain licensure. In some instances, stylists need to take additional exams if they want to become licensed in multiple specialties.
Written exams are often taken via computer at an approved testing center. These exams can cover scientific concepts like infection control, physiology, and chemistry as well as hair service and care specifics, like coloring procedure, hair design principles, and trichology.
Practical exams may involve working on mannequins, models, or a combination of both. During these tests, students demonstrate their proficiency in areas like cutting, coloring, perms, shampooing, bleach touch-ups, and styling. How students are evaluated will depend on the state and the exam, but cut evenness, curl uniformity, proper safety procedure, hair and scalp analysis, and the final result of the style or technique are common assessment criteria.
Many states have their own state-specific exams, but some may use the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology [NIC] written and practical exams to assess licensure candidates. Some states, such as Connecticut, may also require a test evaluating basic adult education.
Maintaining Your Hair Stylist License
Hair stylists must renew their licenses periodically. Renewal usually takes place every one to two years, depending on state board regulations, and stylists must pay a renewal fee. Fees are usually between $50 and $100 but can range from $25 to $200, depending on the state.
State licensing boards also determine the date by which hair stylists must renew their licenses. Rather than having a rolling renewal process, most states have a set deadline to submit renewal applications for the following licensing period. The specific renewal dates can be found on each state board's licensing website.
Some states also require hair stylists to take continuing education [CE] credits before they can renew their licenses. The required number of credits and the area of study differs by state and specialty. Florida stylists, for instance, must take a two-credit HIV/AIDS course every renewal period at a minimum. Hair designers with full cosmetology licenses have to take 14 additional CE credits in subjects like workers’ compensation, sanitization and sterilization, laws, OSHA, and electives related to cosmetology.
Continuing education credits can be taken online or in a traditional classroom setting. State licensing boards often have a list of preferred CE providers that hair stylists can reference.
Experienced hair stylists who have earned a cosmetologist license can pursue the title of master cosmetologist by taking a certain number of CE credits determined by their state board and passing a master cosmetologist licensing exam. This credential validates hair stylists’ expertise and commitment to continued training and, as a result, can increase employability.