Cosmetologists in Hawaii had the second highest average salary in the country in 2013 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Estimates from the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) indicated that the median cosmetologist salary in the state was $29,520. This was more than 27% higher than the national median for this field. The average salary for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists was $36,080.
In particular, the BLS reported that the Honolulu area had the fifth highest average salary of any metropolitan area in the country. According to the DLIR, the average cosmetology salary in this area was $36,380 while the median salary was $29,640 – and this doesn’t include tips!
Job Growth of Hair and Nail Professionals in Hawaii’s Counties
Estimates for the ten-year period leading up to 2020 indicate that the number of jobs for hairstylists, hairdressers, and cosmetologists will increase at a rate of 1.5% in three of Hawaii’s counties. The highest level of growth is expected to be in Maui County at 2.3% a year. The number of jobs is expected to increase annually by 1.8% in Hawaii County and 1.5% in Honolulu County.
Honolulu County had the greatest number of hair and nail professionals of these three counties with 1,440 of these beauticians employed in 2010. Maui County had 24.3% as many professionals employed as Honolulu County.
General Cosmetologist and Nail Technician Salaries in Hawaii
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a detailed breakdown of 2013 Honolulu cosmetology salary levels by percentile:
Although cosmetologists are trained to beautify nails, salons typically hire dedicated manicurists and pedicurists to work as nail technicians. Since this is the case, the BLS provides a separate set of 2013 salary data for these professionals in two regions of Hawaii: