Esthetician vs Cosmetologist: pay, outlook, education and work, side by side.
Every row comes from one named source and says which career leads on that one dimension. There is no overall score.
Esthetician vs Cosmetologist: BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 39-5094 and 39-5012). The national median annual wage is $45,330 for estheticians and $35,790 for cosmetologists (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects national employment to change +8.8% for estheticians and +7.7% for cosmetologists from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award vs Postsecondary nondegree award. Which fits better depends on what you value; the table shows who leads on each dimension, with no overall winner.
Side by side
Data Differences smaller than a stated threshold read “About the same” (pay 5%, growth 2 points, openings 10%, one education level, ORS 10 points, O*NET 0.2).
Pick what matters to you; the matching rows are highlighted. Nothing is combined into a score.
| Dimension · source | EstheticianSOC 39-5094 | CosmetologistSOC 39-5012 | Leads on this dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wageBLS OEWS, May 2025 (national) | $45,330 | $35,790 | Esthetician |
| EmploymentBLS OEWS, May 2025 | 72,890 | 305,710 | Not ranked |
| Projected employment change, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) | +8.8% | +7.7% | About the same |
| Projected numeric change in jobs, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) · A count, not a rate: it scales with the size of the occupation. | +9,100 jobs | +45,900 jobs | Not ranked |
| Projected openings (annual average)BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35 | 14,200 a year | 73,400 a year | Cosmetologist |
| Typical entry-level educationBLS Employment Projections · typical, not a legal requirement | Postsecondary nondegree award | Postsecondary nondegree award | About the same |
| Typical work experience in a related occupationBLS Employment Projections | None | None | About the same |
| Typical on-the-job trainingBLS Employment Projections | None | None | Not ranked |
| Pressure level (O*NET, 1–5; lower = less)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 2.49 | 2.77 | Esthetician |
| Social-contact level (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context · not ranked: neither direction is better | 4.63 | 4.65 | Not ranked |
| Freedom to make decisions (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 4.34 | 4.89 | Cosmetologist |
| Work styles O*NET rates most importantO*NET® 31.0 work styles (occupation ratings, not a personality test) | Attention to Detail, Social Orientation, Dependability | Social Orientation, Dependability, Cooperation | Not ranked |
Choose based on what matters to you
Data Each line restates a measured difference from the table; nothing here predicts how you will feel about a job.
- higher median pay matters most ($45,330 vs $35,790)
- a lower-pressure work environment matters (2.49 vs 2.77)
- more decision-making freedom matters (4.89 vs 4.34)
Which skills each one leans on
Data O*NET 31.0 skill ratings: level (0–7) and importance.
Skill-profile match: 91% (similarity of the two O*NET skill profiles, importance × level; 100% = identical).
- Operation and Control (+0.8 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Judgment and Decision Making (+0.4 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Quality Control Analysis (+0.4 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Service Orientation (+0.2 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Mathematics (+0.9 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Science (+0.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Technology Design (+0.5 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Critical Thinking (+0.5 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
What each career involves
Data Core tasks from O*NET 31.0.
Esthetician
- Sterilize equipment and clean work areas.
- Cleanse clients' skin with water, creams, or lotions.
- Demonstrate how to clean and care for skin properly and recommend skin-care regimens.
- Determine which products or colors will improve clients' skin quality and appearance.
Cosmetologist
- Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs.
- Schedule client appointments.
- Bleach, dye, or tint hair, using applicator or brush.
- Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type, and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors.
Largest employing industries
Data Share of all jobs in each occupation, BLS Employment Matrix 2025.
Esthetician
- Personal and laundry services (52.8% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Ambulatory healthcare services (10.4% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Health and personal care retailers (3.3% of all jobs in this occupation)
Cosmetologist
- Personal and laundry services (45.4% of all jobs in this occupation)
- General merchandise retailers (2.9% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Health and personal care retailers (2.2% of all jobs in this occupation)
Moving between these careers
Data The comparison shows which; the career-change guides show how.
- Esthetician → Cosmetologist: skills to build: Mathematics, Science, Technology Design. Careers after Esthetician
- Cosmetologist → Esthetician: skills to build: Operation and Control. Careers after Cosmetologist
Go deeper
Esthetician career hub · Esthetician salary · Esthetician how to become · Esthetician career change · Cosmetologist career hub · Cosmetologist salary · Cosmetologist career change
Common questions
Which pays more, Esthetician or Cosmetologist?
Which is growing faster?
Which is better?
How this page is built
BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 39-5094 and 39-5012). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for each occupation's SOC code. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (growth, numeric change and annual openings are separate metrics). Requirements rows: 2025 preliminary BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, shown only when both roles have detailed-occupation estimates. Work environment: O*NET 31.0 work context. This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. TryHired has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Searches this page answers include “esthetician vs cosmetologist salary”, “cosmetologist vs esthetician salary”, “esthetician vs. cosmetologist salary” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
- Any one employer's pay, schedule or culture.
- Job security, ease of hiring or work-life balance: these are not measured here.
- Which career you will prefer: the rows describe the occupations, not you.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 national projections (growth, openings, typical entry-level education and experience).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey, 2025 estimates (preliminary: two of the third wave's samples, collected August 2023 to July 2025; released January 16, 2026), public domain.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (all jobs, including self-employed).