Being part of Kentucky’s well-developed salon and spa industry lets you give full reign to your creativity while developing close relationships with your clients. Getting training to work in a salon will let you join the more than 6,300 salon professionals who worked in the Commonwealth in 2012 according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training.
You have a number of choices when you choose a career in a salon as a licensed cosmetologist, barber, manicurist, esthetician or makeup artist. You can work for commission, in a salaried or hourly position, or you can rent a chair or station and work for yourself. Once you have gained experience, you can even open up your own salon!
This guide will let you know what you can expect to earn in a variety of salon careers, but you can expect to make even more money than these figures suggest, since they do not include tips. Tipping adds at least 15% to the figures shown here.
Barber Salaries in Kentucky
Barbers and tonsorial artists have by far the highest average salary of salon professionals in Kentucky. It was $35,261 in 2013 according to the state’s Office of Employment and Training.
While the average entry-level barber in Kentucky earned $20,849, you can expect to make a great deal more once you have mastered the art of giving great shaves and haircuts. Experienced barbers in Kentucky earned an average of more than $33,000 over the salaries of entry-level barbers. These professionals averaged $53,884 a year.
Your take home pay should be even higher than the salaries shown here, because your satisfied clients will tip you 10 to 25%.
Kentucky Nail Technician Salaries
If your talents run towards giving clients attractive nail treatments, you will be joining a highly paid profession. Manicurists in Kentucky are exceptionally well paid compared to those in other states.
While the average national salary for a manicurist was $21,790 in 2013 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Kentucky’s Office of Employment and Training reported the average salary of a manicurist in the Commonwealth to be $24,735 that year.
As you gain experience, you will be better able to please your clients, and you will be more highly paid. Experienced manicurists in Kentucky made 2.65 times more on average than those just starting out. These average salaries were $43,388 and $16,345, respectively.
You will earn even more than indicated here, because these figures do not include tips. As you please your customers, they will tip you. This extra 10 to 25% will add significantly to your level of take home pay.
Esthetician Salaries in Kentucky
Obtaining a license to provide skin treatments to the residents of Kentucky lets you join a rapidly growing field. The number of estheticians in the Commonwealth is expected to increase by 3.7% a year through 2022 according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training (OET).
Lexington is a particularly good place to find a job as an esthetician. It had the tenth highest concentration of skin care specialty jobs in the country in 2013 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The average salary for an esthetician in Kentucky was $21,649 according to the OET, although experience plays a large role in how much you will get paid. Estheticians who have mastered the art of giving highly skillful skin treatments earned an average of $36,142 a year, while those just starting out averaged $15,880.
Your clients will tip you for making them look and feel better, and this will add significantly to your level of take home pay. You can expect tips of 10 to 25%, and these salary figures do not account for tips.
Kentucky Cosmetology Salaries
Learning to cut and style hair in Kentucky will let you join the largest number of beauticians in the state. Nearly 6,000 of these professionals were employed in the Commonwealth in 2012 according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training.
As you gain experience, you will be better able to please your clientele and will earn more. Experienced cosmetologists in Kentucky earned 2.3 times more than those just starting out and made an average of $37,204 a year in 2013. Entry-level hair stylists and hairdressers earned an average of $16,426, and the average overall salary was $23,936.
Cosmetologists in the Louisville region earned higher salaries and averaged 17% more a year. The average salary in this area was $28,093.
You can expect to take home more money than these figures suggest, because they do not take tipping into account. As you make your clients look more attractive, they will tip you 10 to 25%.
Salaries for Makeup Artists in Kentucky
Having talent and training in applying makeup in Kentucky will let you join a profession with an average salary of $22,175 a year according to the state’s Office of Employment and Training.
Your salary will vary a great deal depending on your specialty and level of experience.
For instance, makeup artists who create the looks of actors in movies typically make three times as much as those who work with individual clients.