Top 5 Beauty Industry Careers in 2014

If you thought working in a salon was your only option after beauty school, you couldn’t be more wrong! Nowadays, the beauty industry has lots of fun and exciting career paths to choose from. Once you finish beauty school and earn your license, you’ll be free to pursue whichever career appeals to you the most!

Now is the perfect time to start working in the beauty industry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts more than 128,000 new jobs will be added to the beauty industry by 2020. This is especially true in California, as the state ranks among the top 5 states for employment for several different beauty careers! You can find more valuable employment information in this State of Beauty Jobs in California Infographic.

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Check out our list of the top beauty careers in 2014 below for some more inspiration. Don’t forget to leave a comment and tell us which career you like the most and why!

1. Cosmetologist – As a licensed cosmetologist, you’ll spend every day working with your hands, expressing your creativity, making your clients look and feel beautiful. Most stylists will tell you that they love what they do and that it’s very rewarding! Working behind the chair in a salon is one of the most popular career paths out there, but it isn’t your only option. You can work in a hotel or resort, on a cruise ship, in a nursing home, or as a mobile stylist for weddings and photo shoots. To learn the potential salary for cosmetologists in your area, check out the Cosmetology Salary Guide Infographic.

1. Esthetician – Out of all the employment opportunities in the beauty industry, jobs for licensed estheticians are predicted to grow the most over the next decade. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics credits this phenomenon to the growing number of men and women who want to reduce the effects that aging has on their skin, coupled with recent advancements in skin care technology. Once you earn your esthetics license, you’ll have the freedom to work in a day spa, medical spa, or plastic surgeon’s office, along with many other places! To learn the potential salary for estheticians in your area, check out the Esthetician Salary Guide Infographic.

1. Makeup Artist – If you really love doing makeup, you could make a full-time career out of it! Makeup artists are some of the highest paid beauty professionals in the industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a theatrical and performance makeup artist in May 2013 was $66,330. The average salary was even higher in California! The Golden State also happens to be the state with the highest employment rate for makeup artists, which should come as no surprise considering the amount of TV and film crews in the State.

1. Independent Contractor – It doesn’t matter if you go to school for cosmetology or esthetics, you’ll always have the option of working for yourself as an independent contractor. Your license will give you the freedom to work for yourself, without the costly overhead of opening a full-scale salon or spa. Suite rentals are one of the biggest employment trends in the beauty industry right now in California! A study by Professional Consultants & Resources found that 37% of all salons in the U.S. now define themselves as salon suites or booth rentals and predicted that number to grow to 50% by 2015. Read more about the Suite Rental Trend in California.

1.  Salon or Spa Owner – If you really love doing things your way, you can always take things a step further and own your own salon or spa. Opening your own space gives you the freedom to style the space just the way you want it, set your own hours and your own prices, and hire a dependable staff to help you get the job done. Opening your own salon or spa will give you total independence and the opportunity to make a real mark on the beauty industry!

If you’re interested in pursuing any one of these career paths, it all starts with going to beauty school and earning your professional license. Check out these tips on what to look for when selecting a beauty school.

Salon Success Academy is a beauty school with five convenient locations throughout the Inland Empire of California. The beauty school offers in-depth, hands-on training in cosmetology and esthetics, as well as extensive preparation for the State Board exam, and financial aid to those who qualify. Call 877-987-4247 or fill out the form to get start today!