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Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 39-5012.00 · Cosmetology Schools
Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for COSMETOLOGIST (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| COSMETOLOGIST | 0096 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 2,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists earn, by state
Washington has the highest state median for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists ($59,510) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($22,090), across the 52 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $59,510 | $28.61 | 6,930 |
| Oregon | $57,580 | $27.68 | 1,860 |
| District of Columbia | $54,570 | $26.23 | 870 |
| South Dakota | $49,800 | $23.94 | 690 |
| Vermont | $48,650 | $23.39 | 440 |
| Connecticut | $44,620 | $21.45 | 4,090 |
| Maine | $44,000 | $21.16 | 970 |
| Minnesota | $39,170 | $18.83 | 5,320 |
| California | $38,660 | $18.59 | 27,080 |
| North Carolina | $38,410 | $18.47 | 8,490 |
| Montana | $38,000 | $18.27 | 690 |
| New Mexico | $37,750 | $18.15 | 1,230 |
| Colorado | $37,690 | $18.12 | 6,820 |
| Massachusetts | $37,290 | $17.93 | 9,600 |
| Arizona | $36,810 | $17.70 | 7,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,790 | $17.69 | 19,350 |
| Maryland | $36,420 | $17.51 | 5,860 |
| Ohio | $36,260 | $17.43 | 12,890 |
| Wisconsin | $36,230 | $17.42 | 6,260 |
| New Jersey | $36,150 | $17.38 | 15,500 |
| New York | $35,760 | $17.19 | 20,740 |
| Iowa | $35,700 | $17.17 | 2,930 |
| Idaho | $35,480 | $17.06 | 2,250 |
| Utah | $35,140 | $16.89 | 2,810 |
| Hawaii | $35,040 | $16.85 | 930 |
| North Dakota | $34,850 | $16.76 | 870 |
| Michigan | $34,820 | $16.74 | 8,970 |
| New Hampshire | $34,650 | $16.66 | 1,950 |
| Georgia | $34,560 | $16.62 | 7,910 |
| West Virginia | $34,480 | $16.58 | 1,020 |
| Delaware | $34,350 | $16.51 | 1,270 |
| Nebraska | $34,320 | $16.50 | 1,890 |
| Illinois | $34,040 | $16.37 | 13,190 |
| Nevada | $33,840 | $16.27 | 1,940 |
| South Carolina | $33,700 | $16.20 | 3,570 |
| Indiana | $32,830 | $15.78 | 5,920 |
| Alaska | $32,150 | $15.46 | 330 |
| Tennessee | $31,310 | $15.05 | 6,080 |
| Rhode Island | $31,200 | $15.00 | 1,470 |
| Missouri | $30,750 | $14.78 | 5,430 |
| Texas | $30,680 | $14.75 | 22,440 |
| Kentucky | $29,840 | $14.35 | 2,350 |
| Kansas | $29,710 | $14.28 | 2,190 |
| Oklahoma | $29,650 | $14.26 | 1,920 |
| Florida | $29,530 | $14.20 | 23,530 |
| Guam | $29,500 | $14.18 | 170 |
| Wyoming | $29,170 | $14.03 | 360 |
| Alabama | $29,150 | $14.02 | 3,300 |
| Arkansas | $28,830 | $13.86 | 1,410 |
| Mississippi | $27,560 | $13.25 | 1,040 |
| Louisiana | $26,030 | $12.51 | 2,720 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,090 | $10.62 | 960 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations · Cosmetology Schools at schools and training centers
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).