What Careers Can a Cosmetologist Have?
You may associate becoming a cosmetologist with being a hairstylist, and while this is the most well-known career option, it’s definitely not the only choice! American Institute of Beauty students often graduate from our cosmetology program with education in hairstyling, esthetics, barbering, manicuring, and even makeup. If you’re more passionate about makeup than hair, you could work as a makeup artist. If coloring hair for a living sounds like fun to you, that could be your main focus. The beauty industry is full of passionate people doing what they love. You could be next!
Here are some of the most popular career options that cosmetologists can choose to dive into.
Hair Styling
Cosmetology is most frequently associated with the cutting, styling, or coloring of hair, and that’s because most cosmetology programs focus more heavily on hair than any other topic. If hair is your passion, there are a number of hair specialist roles you could consider for your career:
- Hairstylist
- Color specialist
- Perm specialist
- Blowout stylist
- and more
If there’s something you love to do, embrace it! High-end salons frequently hire color, style, blowout, or perm specialists who spend most of their time perfecting their respective services. Hair colorists in particular are popular because of the way they can mix color and create stunning looks with a masterful touch. If there’s something you love most about styling hair, make a career out of it!
Skin Care
The world of esthetics is constantly growing and developing new services to help the skin look healthy and young. Esthetics also provides a similar diversity of services that estheticians can specialize in. Here are just a few of the most common ones:
- Skin care technician
- Medical esthetician
- Hair removal specialist
- Lash extension specialist
- and more
Cosmetologists can usually have the opportunity to learn basic esthetics during their beauty school program, so some of these services may require additional training or certification to perform in your state. Services like lash extensions are booming, so it’s not uncommon for licensed estheticians to spend most of their time performing lash extensions if that’s a service they choose to specialize in. Just choose which service you enjoy performing the most and perfect it!
Business Management
Cosmetology graduates can have many opportunities that extend beyond performing services behind the chair. Many people pursue an education in cosmetology because they want to get involved with the business world within cosmetology. Here are some common career goals that business-minded cosmetology graduates set for themselves:
- Manage a salon or spa
- Start a beauty product line
- Own a salon or beauty school
- and more
When it comes to the business side of cosmetology, the world is yours to take by storm! It’s not uncommon for beauty school graduates to manage or open their own businesses and help them succeed. If what you want is to control your business and create a legacy that people fall in love with, you can consider cosmetology as the foundation you need to get started.
Get Your Foundation With AIB
American Institute of Beauty is a place where you can embrace your creative, fun, and entrepreneurial side and get the cosmetology education you need to get started. We offer additional programs such as barbering, esthetics, nail technology, and makeup to meet your needs. Visit our Largo or St. Petersburg campus pages to learn more about our programs, or contact us to get started!
