Industry Is Steadily Growing

So much so, that the number of professional salon employees, 1.7 million, greatly outnumbers the number of lawyers across the United States.

Not only is the industry growing but so are the career possibilities. A cosmetologist can easily move into any number of jobs such as Esthetician, Movie Stylist, Product Sales Representative and many more.

Even better, cosmetologists can easily set up their own professional salon business out of their homes or elsewhere. And, according to The National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS) 2007 Job Demand in the Cosmetology Industry report, the cosmetology industry constantly needs highly trained cosmetology professionals due to the increased growth of salons.

To support this, the study cited:

• 1,682,641 professionals were employed in 370,215 salons, which included nail salons, barber shops, beauty salons, and unisex salons
• There has been an 18.3% growth in the number of salons during the past three years
• 65% of salons are employer-owned, an increase since 2003

The NACCAS report indicated 53% of salon owners have job openings, which suggests the overwhelming need for cosmetologists and the shortage of those professionals. The report also cited cosmetology as a sizeable profession, with the total number of professional employees increasing by 5% in the last three years, reflecting the 18% growth in new salons.