Cosmetologist salary: how much does a cosmetologist make and how to be part of this field

Want to discover what an average cosmetologist salary looks like? Through this article, we’ll try to provide an answer to this question, as well as giving you some additional relevant insights about the profession.

Although most of the time this profession is not very well known, cosmetology is a fascinating discipline, which acts as a link between beauty, health and well-being.

Anyway, before having a look at an average cosmetologist salary, let’s first try to provide a definition for this discipline and its role as a scientific field today.

What is cosmetology?

Cosmetology is the discipline responsible for taking care of and improving the aesthetics of healthy skin, through the application or prescription of cosmetic products.

Thus, a cosmetologist is charged with studying cosmetic products and treatments that benefit skin health, including both facial and body aesthetics. As such, it focuses on skin, nails, hair and scalp through different techniques and treatments.

Without a doubt, this industry has experienced a period of growth during the last decade, both among male and female consumers.

As people are increasingly aware of the benefits of skin care and simultaneously looking after their health, cosmetics help them improve their self-esteem and improve their image.

All this translates into a significant demand for professional cosmetologists within one of the most powerful industries in the market today.

While some countries offer a formal structure to become a cosmetologist, others still lack an official training framework regarding cosmetology.

In such cases, there is no university degree targeting cosmetology as such, so that aspiring cosmetologists (who are usually undertaking degrees related to health sciences) must then enroll in specialization courses for them to become experts in this field.

What are the main job opportunities for cosmetologists?

After an initial look at the definition of cosmetology, we are going to delve a little more into this scientific discipline to find out about an average cosmetologist salary and the implications of this career option in the job market.

A professional cosmetologist can carry out his work at different job positions and industries. Let’s have a look at some of the most common:

• Pharmacy
• Dermopharmacy
• Aesthetic medicine centers
• Beauty salons or clinics
• Health and wellness expert in spa centers
• Sales for cosmetic products
• Product manager in the cosmetics industry 
• Beauty and health counselor 

How much does a cosmetologist earn: an average cosmetologist salary

Of course, the question of how much a cosmetologist makes or the average cosmetologist salary doesn’t have an easy and direct answer.

As we have just seen above, this professional activity can be carried out throughout various industries and job positions. As such, and similarly to what happens in other career paths, a cosmetologist salary will depend on the specific job position and his or her particular work experience.

To illustrate this, let’s go through different examples that might give you a clearer idea of ​​how a cosmetologist salary may vary according to different factors:

• The lowest pay corresponds to a cosmetology specialist that works at a hair or beauty salon. In this case, the average salary can be similar to the minimum interprofessional salary or slightly better, although this will depend on the type of company he or she joins.
• A cosmetologist or cosmetician working as part of a hotel or spa typically earns an average of 1,200 euros per month. Of course, as in the previous case, this will also depend on the type of spa or hotel the cosmetologists has as an employer, as salaries tend to be higher in the luxury sector.
• Cosmetologists that are part of the pharmaceutical sector, have solid training and are backed by prestigious master’s degrees or postgraduate courses are able to get a job in a pharmacy or parapharmacy, or in other positions related to the pharmaceutical industry. In these cases, the average cosmetologist salary is around 2,000 euros per month.
• Depending on each person’s skills, experience and specialization, a cosmetologist salary can be above 3,000 euros per month. For example, this salary range is available for cosmetologists who are hired for laboratory work at a major pharmaceutical company.

As you can see, working conditions are highly variable and, therefore, a cosmetologist salary can considerably fluctuate depending on different circumstances.

Below, we explain some of the most relevant among them.

What other factors influence a cosmetologist salary?

As we’ve seen above, the particular industries or employers for whom a cosmetologist works are, without a doubt, the two decisive factors influencing a cosmetologist salary.

However, there are many other conditions that can have an impact on a cosmetologist salary. Let’s have a look at three of the most important:

• Training and education. Without a doubt, having quality training as a background is essential to achieve a high salary in cosmetology. As such, enrolling in a master’s degree or postgraduate course at a prestigious center that involves expert professors and professional internships will have a significant impact when it comes to getting a well-paid contract.
• Professional experience. As it happens in almost all jobs and sectors, previous professional experience can be decisive. As such, a candidate with extensive experience, where his education has been consolidated by his daily work, presents many more possibilities of getting a good salary than a candidate who has just graduated.
• Languages. Without a doubt, the current health and beauty industries are significantly internationalized. As you may know, many multinational companies operating in different countries are involved in this field. Therefore, being proficient in several languages ​​can become a decisive factor in achieving better working conditions and a higher salary.

What skills can influence a cosmetologist salary?

As we’ve seen above, in order to determine how much a cosmetologist earns, we have to pay attention to many external circumstances.

Personal skills may also determine someone’s professional capacities and, by extension, influence a cosmetologist salary.

Let’s look at some of the most important skills for a cosmetologist:

• Professionalism and responsibility: this is a job that requires great involvement and professional commitment, demanding rigor and precision in its many different activities. Likewise, the serious responsibility derived from working around people’s health and beauty requires a person to be particularly focused and thorough.
• Client-centric: in most cases, the work of a cosmetologist involves interacting with the public, so good customer skills and a friendly demeanor are essential. Therefore, it is essential that an aspiring cosmetologist presents a vocation towards customer-oriented services, especially when it comes to working at pharmacies, beauty salons or aesthetic medicine centers.
• Proactive attitude: that is, having the capacity for showing initiative to solve problems and anticipate complications.
• Creativity: a professional in this field must be able to provide personalized solutions for each of their clients.
• Communication skills: whether you work in a beauty salon, a pharmacy or as a salesperson in the pharmaceutical industry, it’s essential to have people skills and good communication capabilities for interpersonal relationships.

What previous training do I need to be a cosmetologist?

As there is often no regulated education to become a cosmetologist, the training for becoming a cosmetology specialist is highly varied.

The most common pathway involves having a university degree related to health sciences (pharmacy, medicine, biology, etc.). It’s also possible to find cases where professional cosmetologists have completed a higher-level training cycle in aesthetics (such as BTEC certifications).

What specialized courses can prepare me to work as a cosmetologist?

To become a professional cosmetologist, it is advisable to enroll in a specialist training course, a master’s degree or postgraduate course, all of which present very variable durations.

Although there are some universities, both public and private, that offer courses or postgraduate options in dermocosmetics, mainly aimed at graduates in Pharmacy, the current offer is not particularly large today.

Among the master’s degrees focusing on this area, CEMP’s Master’s in Cosmetics and Dermopharmacy suggests a highly interesting approach due to its dual perspective targeting both cosmetic and pharmaceutical education through the dermopharmacy branch.

Thus, through this online training you’ll learn about the main skin disorders, the active ingredients used in cosmetics, nutricosmetics, etc. Therefore, your career profile will be reinforced, as you’ll be able to provide professional advice on cosmetic products, formulate personalized products, etc.

The teaching team at this master’s degree is composed of doctors in Physics, in Biochemistry, graduates in Pharmacy, Chemical Sciences and Medicine, etc. As you can see, these are prestigious and experienced professionals who can offer you quality training in this highly demanded job market.

This master’s degree lasts for 1,500 hours, equivalent to 60 ECTS credits. Additionally, it’s particularly appealing due to its dual approach, which can broaden your job prospects, as well as for including a carefully curated internship program and an effective employability plan.

In short, now that you know more about the average cosmetologist salary, the possibilities related to this profession and the specialized training it requires, we encourage you to learn more about this fascinating field.

All in all, keep in mind that top training and education and a customer-oriented attitude will be crucial to becoming a successful cosmetologist.