Ambitious students looking to break into the exciting world of the beauty industry love sunny Arizona because of the state’s abundance of stellar beauty school options and the solid earnings that await them.
Right now, the Arizona Board of Cosmetology endorses over seventy licensed beauty schools statewide. These recognized beauty schools have helped generate the following number of occupational licenses in Arizona:
- 59,491 cosmetology licenses
- 24,307 nail technician licenses
- 8,258 esthetician licenses
A large majority of beauty industry professionals work in salons. In Arizona, salon environments may hire employees or simply rent out space in the form of booths or chairs to independent contract workers.
More experienced workers may become salon managers or leave to open their own salons. In 2012, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics found that nearly half of cosmetology workers were self-employed.
While researching salaries for beauty professionals in Arizona, it is important to remember that most of them receive customer tips in addition to their base pay amounts. Gratuity percentages tend to range from 10% to 25% depending upon the quality of customer service.
Cosmetologist Salaries in Arizona
A cosmetologist is a wearer of many hats in the beauty business. They often take on roles of hairdressers, hairstylists, barbers, estheticians, makeup artists, and nail technicians. In Arizona, beauty workers that wish to be recognized as cosmetologists must first acquire a cosmetology license from the Arizona Board of Cosmetology.
Most novice cosmetologists enroll in Arizona beauty schools to accumulate enough training to become eligible for cosmetology licensure in the state. According to the Arizona Board of Cosmetology, beauty students must complete a cosmetology course that includes at least 1,600 training hours from a state licensed school.
In 2013, the Arizona Department of Administration found approximately 6,300 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists employed in the state.
In 2013, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Arizona earned an average annual salary of $25,860. City-specific average salaries were as follows:
- Flagstaff: $29,930/yr.
- Tucson: $29,870/yr.
- Yuma: $25,050/yr.
- Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale: $24,890/yr.
- Prescott: $21,700/yr.
Esthetician Salaries in Arizona
Estheticians are beauty professionals that specialize in skincare. In Arizona, the state regulates estheticians by mandating that they possess an occupational license from the Arizona Board of Cosmetology prior to practice.
In order to qualify for state licensure, amateur estheticians must first complete an esthetician course that includes at least 1,600 training hours from a licensed school that has approved by the Arizona Board of Cosmetology.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Arizona employed approximately 1,220 estheticians in 2012. In 2013, these skincare specialists reportedly earned the following salary and wage averages:
- Mid-Career: $32,600/yr. or $15.66/hr.
- Experienced: $59,900/yr. or $28.80/hr.
City-specific salary and wage averages were as follows:
- Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale: $34,060/yr. or $16.38/hr.
- Tucson: $38,840/yr. or $18.67/hr.
Nail Technician Salaries in Arizona
Manicurists and pedicurists are often referred to as nail technicians. In the state of Arizona, all nail technicians are required to obtain an occupational license from the Arizona Board of Cosmetology before the can begin to legally practice.
Many nail technicians decide to enroll in Arizona beauty schools because they offer the necessary training hours needed to become eligible for licensure. Right now, the Arizona Board of Cosmetology nail technicians to complete an approved nail technician course that includes at least 600 training hours.
In 2013, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that roughly 1,460 nail technicians were working throughout Arizona. In that year, manicurists and pedicurists earned the following salary and wage averages:
- Mid-Career: $26,270/yr. or $12.63/hr.
- Experienced: $55,280/yr. or $26.58/hr.
City-specific salary and wage averages were as follows:
- Lake Havasu City-Kingman: $20,290/yr. or $9.76/hr.
- Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale: $25,610/yr. or $12.31/hr.
Makeup Artist Salaries in Arizona
Makeup artists in Arizona are not required to obtain an occupational license to practice. Yet many of these cosmetics workers attend beauty schools anyways in order to establish professionalism in the field.
Current salary aggregator sites report that makeup artists in Arizona earn an average annual salary of $33,000. According to the Arizona Department of Administration, personal care and service workers like makeup artists are earning the following wage averages in 2013:
- Entry-Level: $8.12/hr.
- Mid-Career: $10.57/hr.
- Experienced: $14.81/hr.
Barber Salaries in Arizona
The state government regulates the barber profession in Arizona. Presently, the Arizona State Board of Barbers stipulates that all barbers graduate from barber course provided by an approved school before they are granted eligibility to apply for occupational licensure.
In 2013, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics determined that barbers in Arizona were earning the following salary and wage averages:
- Entry-Level: $17,310/yr. or $8.32/hr.
- Mid-Career: $27,400/yr. or $13.18/hr.
- Experienced: $36,910/yr. or $17.75/hr.
Barbers employed in the Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale area in that same year earned the following salary and wage averages:
- Entry-Level: $17,320/yr. or $8.33/hr.
- Mid-Career: $27,570/yr. or $13.26/hr.
- Experienced: $36,970/yr. or $17.77/hr.