Bill Clinton won his first term for president with the internal slogan, “It’s the economy, stupid!” In other words, people vote with their pocketbooks. When it comes to choosing a career, it doesn’t hurt to check a few economic statistics before casting your vote on which industry you want to invest yourself in. According the the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there is good economic news on the horizon for folks involved in the cosmetology industry.
The BLS projects the growth in new jobs for cosmetologists to grow by 10 percent between 2014 and 2024. That’s significantly better than the 7 percent projected growth rate for the overall job market. The Bureau points to an increased demand for hair coloring, hair straightening, and other advanced hair treatments in recent years, as the primary reason for growth in job opportunities for the occupation, and expects that trend that to continue for the next decade.
A significant number of new jobs in the cosmetology field will likely result due to industry workers who retire or leave the occupation to pursue other jobs or personal opportunities. While the government sees plenty of job opportunities, there will also be stiff competition for those jobs, particularly at posh salons that offer the highest pay rates. As in many industries, when it comes to making the big bucks, experience pays.