Now is the perfect time to begin your beauty professional career in Montana, with the number of cosmetologist and manicurist jobs growing over 15% between 2012 and 2022, according to the Montana Department of Labor & Industry.
More than this, Montana is home to one of the best salons in the country. Elle Magazine named the Living Room in Great Falls one of the “Top 100 Salons in the US”, and it’s easy to see why. The Living Room is a comfortable and cozy salon and spa retreat tucked in downtown Great Falls. This salon only offers the highest quality products, including Davines of Italy, Dermalogica skin care, Butter London natural nail care, Young Blood mineral makeup, and more.
Color, design, extensions, and therapeutic treatments are all specialties of the cosmetologists in The Living Room, while the manicurists offer a range of basic to couture manicures and pedicures. Finally, the estheticians in The Living Room know how to make your skin glow, offering multivitamin power facials, essential facials (including lymphatic and pressure point massages!), and even lunch hour facials for when you need “a glow on the go.”
Tallman Dermatology and Medical Spa in Billings is known for employing high-end estheticians and electrologists who offer a wide array of skin care services, including laser hair removal treatments, Botox, rejuvapen treatments, sclerotherapy, facials, and body wraps. The electrologists are trained under the direct supervision of a licensed dermatologist, and they are trained in the latest laser hair removal treatment—GentleLASE, which is one of the most gentle hair removal technologies, offering the safest, most effective, and most painless permanent hair reduction.
The Barber Shop and Shaving Parlor, located in Bozeman, has been mentioned for its classic gentlemanly appeal in both the Montana Bride and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. This shop truly brings back the classic art of men’s grooming. The proprietor, Bryan, has barbering in his blood, following his grandfather and great grandfather in a line of barbering that begun in 1921. With that attachment to traditional barbering, The Barber Shop offers only walk-in services, hot lather shaves, and full straight edge razor shaves.
Whether you’re looking to become a cosmetologist, manicurist, esthetician, electrologist, or barber, Montana is the place for you. To begin your beauty professional career, start by becoming licensed with the Montana Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists. This is the Board that is responsible for regulating the education and exam requirements for beauty professional licenses throughout the state.
How to Become a Cosmetologist in Montana
Cosmetologists get to immerse themselves in the world of fashion and beauty, providing top-notch hairstyling, haircutting, manicuring, and facial services for their clients.
Education Requirements for Montana Cosmetologists
To become a cosmetologist, you will start by enrolling in a 2000-hour Montana cosmetology training program. Throughout your beauty college experience, you will be able to take the following courses that will teach you the theory and practices behind beauty:
- Manicuring and Pedicuring – 125 hours
- Esthetics, Skin Care, Exfoliation, Electricity and Light Therapy – 150 hours
- Shampooing and Hair Styling – 260 hours
- Chemical Services, Relaxing, Hair Coloring, etc. – 530 hours
- Hair Cutting – 205 hours
- Salon Management and Business Methods – 150 hours
- Chemistry, Bacteriology, Sanitation, and Sterilization – 80 hours
- Misc. – 500 hours
Examination Requirements for License as a Montana Cosmetologist
After graduating from your cosmetology training program, you will then pass the Montana cosmetology licensing exams, which are listed as follows:
- Montana Board Approved Cosmetology Written Exam provided by NIC Testing
- Montana Board Approved Cosmetology Practical Exam provided by NIC Testing
Once passing these exams, you will be able to get a Montana cosmetology license.
Job Opportunities for Cosmetologists
As a cosmetologist in Montana, you will find part-time or full-time hairstyling jobs that offer either an hourly or commission-based pay. As a beginner stylist, you will want to opt for an hourly rate. Once you start honing your sales and personal marketing skills, building a strong clientele, you will be able to work off of commission, or even work as an independent contractor, renting a booth from within a salon.
You will be able to join one of the many phenomenal Montana salons, such as Sanctuary, an AVEDA salon in Billings. Sanctuary offers generous job opportunities to aspiring cosmetologists, giving full-time benefits such as health insurance, dental insurance, paid vacation, discounts, and continuing education to keep you on the cutting edge of hairstyling fashion, trends, and techniques. Along with offering massages, nail services, facials, body treatments and more, Sanctuary offers top-of-the-line haircutting, styling, and coloring treatments, using only the highest quality natural products.
Along with Sanctuary, other high-end hair salons throughout Montana include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Theory Hair Salon – Bozeman
- Shear Art Salon – Missoula
- Hair Hair Salon and Spa – Helena
Qualifications for Manicurists in Montana
Manicurists get to specialize their beauty knowledge by focusing solely on the beautification of nails, hands, and feet.
Manicurist Education Requirements
To begin your career as a manicurist in Montana, you will start by enrolling in a 350-hour manicurist training program. You are likely to find a manicuring program as a specialized track within a larger beauty school or beauty college. Throughout beauty school, you will learn the science and art behind beautifying nails by taking courses, such as the following:
- Salon Management, Business Methods, and Customer Service – 60 hours
- Bacteriology, Sanitation, Sterilization, Safety, Anatomy, Diseases, Manicure Chemistry, and Nail Care – 55 hours
- Manicures (water, oil, hand, and arm massage), Pedicures (foot, angle, and lower leg massage), Polish Application, Paraffin Wax Treatments, and Electric Nail File – 35 hours
- Application of Artificial Nails, Sculptured Nails, Nail Tops, Nail Wraps, Tip Overlays, Fills, and Repairs – 115 hours
- Misc. – 85 hours
Manicurist Examination Requirements for a Montana License
After graduating from your manicurist training program in a local beauty school, you will then pass the Montana manicurist licensing exams, which are listed as follows:
- Montana Board Approved Manicurist Written Exam provided by NIC Testing
- Montana Board Approved Manicurist Practical Exam provided by NIC Testing
Upon passing these exams, you will be able to get a Montana manicurist license.
Job Opportunities for Manicurists
As a manicurist, you will be able to look for nail service jobs in local salons, spas, or nail salons. In these locations, you can find jobs that will pay a base, hourly rate, a commission-scale pay, or you can even rent your own booth from within a salon. If working off of commission or owning your own booth, you will want to develop your personal marketing and sales skills, allowing you to quickly build a strong clientele.
Missoula, Montana’s self-proclaimed “Best Nail Salon,” Montana Nail Salon, offers a wide range of nail services, including acrylic, artificial, and gelish manicures, along with luxury spa mani/pedis, paraffin hand treatment, and top-notch nail art and nail designs. More than that, Montana Nail Salon focuses on the individual client, creating specialized nail art and designs just for you.
For other great nail salons throughout Montana, consider some of the following options:
- Luxury Nails & Spa – Helena
- Digits Nail & Spa Salon – Billings
- Sensation Nails & Spa – Billings
How to Become an Esthetician in Montana
Estheticians get to specialize their knowledge by focusing exclusively on skin care, allowing them to perform body wraps, makeup application, aroma therapy, facials, and more.
Esthetician Educational Requirements
To start your esthetician career, enroll in a 650-hour esthetician training program. These programs may be found as specialized tracks within larger beauty schools or at skin care centers. Throughout your education, you will get to take scientific and practical courses, including the following:
- Bacteriology and Sanitation, Electricity and Light Therapy – 70 hours
- Massage, Skin Care, Makeup, Cosmetics, Facials, Essential Oils, and Skin Exfoliation – 300 hours
- Waxing – 50 hours
- Salon Management, Professional Ethics, Business Methods, and State Laws – 70 hours
- Misc. – 160 hours
Esthetician Examination Requirements
After graduating from your esthetician training program, you will then pass the Montana esthetician licensing exams, which are listed as follows:
- Montana Board Approved Esthetician Written Exam provided by NIC Testing
- Montana Board Approved Esthetician Practical Exam provided by NIC Testing
After passing these exams, you will be able to get a Montana esthetician license.
Esthetician Job Opportunities
As an esthetician, you have a wide variety of potential job options. For instance, you could work as a skin care specialist, makeup artist, beauty advisor, or even a skin care product salesperson. More than that, you can perform your skin care services at local day spas, full-service salons, medical spas, dermatology offices, and more. As an esthetician, you will be able to find jobs that pay an hourly rate or that pay commission based on the services you provide.
Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa, located in Pray, offers unique esthetician services to their lodging clients, including detoxifying herbal wraps and citrus salt glows. The detoxifying herbal wrap boosts your lymphatic flow by swaddling you in herbal tea soaked sheets and following with a full-body moisturizer. Finally, this spa offers a Dead Sea Mud Wrap, bringing the richest minerals, salts, and nutrients in the world to you, and allowing your skin to soak up health.
For other high-end spas and medical spas throughout Montana, consider some of the following options:
- Whitefish Plastic Surgery and Medspa – Whitefish
- Flawless Nail Salon and Medical Spa – Butte
- Boulder Hot Springs – Boulder
How to Become a Certified Electrologist in Montana
Electrologists specialize in the chemical, electrical, and permanent removal of hair. As a more science-based beauty professional, electrologists generally find work at laser hair removal centers.
Education
To begin your electrolysis career, start by enrolling in a 600-hour electrolysis training program in an electrolysis or laser hair removal school. Your education will consist of the following Montana Board-approved courses:
- Electrolysis – 5 hours
- Thermolysis – 150 hours
- The Blend – 150 hours
- Bacteriology and Sterilization – 70 hours
- Waxing – 10 hours
- Salon Management – 65 hours
- Misc. – 150 hours
Examination
After graduating from electrolysis school, you will then pass the Montana electrology licensing exams, which are listed as follows:
- Montana Board Approved Electrology Written Exam provided by NIC Testing
- Montana Board Approved Electrology Practical Exam provided by NIC Testing
Once passing these exams, you will be able to get a Montana electrologist license.
Job Opportunities for Electrologists
As an electrologist, you will be able to look for jobs in local spas, full-service salons, day spas, electrolysis clinics or laser hair clinics, where you will either be paid an hourly, base pay or a commission-based pay.
Montana is home to great electrolysis clinics, such as Egzact Electrolysis in Bozeman, which was named the “Best Wax On/Wax Off” in Bozerman in 2011. Offering galvanic electrolysis treatments, thermolysis treatments, and the blend treatment, Egzact boasts that electrolysis has been the only FDA approved permanent hair removal method for over 130 years. As an Apilus Centre, Egzact uses only state-of-the-art electrolysis technology, so that hair removal is safe, quick, and easy, making it one of the best clinics around.
For other great electrolysis and hair removal clinics, consider some of the following options:
- Tallman Dermatology and Medical Spa – Billings
- Electrolysis by Kay – Livingston
- Advanced Clinical Electrolysis – Butte
How to Become a Barber in Montana
Barbers get to bring back classic, masculine sophistication by specializing in the art of men’s grooming and pampering.
Barber Education Requirements
To begin your barbering career, enroll in a 1500-hour barber training program at a local barber school. Throughout your education, you will get to learn all aspects of men’s grooming, including the following subject areas:
- Haircutting – 250 hours
- Shampooing, Scalp Treatments, and Hairstyling – 230 hours
- Skin Care, Facials, Facial Shaving, Massage, Essential Oils, and Facial Masks – 60 hours
- Chemical Services – 400 hours
- Chemistry, Bacteriology, Sanitation, and Sterilization – 85 hours
- Shop Management and Business Methods – 100 hours
- Misc. – 375 hours
Barber Examination Requirements
After graduating from barber school, you will then pass the Montana barber licensing exams, which are listed as follows:
- Montana Board Approved Barber Written Exam provided by NIC Testing
- Montana Board Approved Barber Practical Exam provided by NIC Testing
Once passing these exams, you will be able to get a Montana barber license.
Barber Job Options
As a barber in Montana, you will be able to look for jobs at barbershops or local salons that hire barbers. Many of these jobs will either pay a base, hourly wage or a commission-based pay, but some jobs will require you to bring your clientele to their shop by renting a booth within their shop. The more independent of a job you take, the more developed sales skills and a stable clientele you will want.
Yer Father’s Mustache is a truly traditional barbershop in Billings, dedicated to the classic art of men’s grooming. The master barber at Yer Father’s Mustache was educated in the oldest and best barber college in Fargo, North Dakota, and he has been educating himself continually ever since. An expert at blending cuts, Yer Father’s Mustache offers traditional beard trims, clipper work, razor styling, and shear styling. Finally, Yer Father’s is known for using only the best products, including American Crew, Bay Rum, Lilcac and Spicy, and Task Dandruff Control. With all of this combined, Yer Father’s Mustache provides a truly a timeless, classic barbershop experience.
- Jim & Austin’s Barber Shop – Billings
- Steve’s Barber Shop – Helena
- Montana Barber – Kalispell