ARLINGTON, VA Under the direction of Mark Gross; CEO, NACCAS recently commissioned Dr. Lawrence Rudner of the University of Maryland to independently conduct a new 2003 study of cosmetology job demand within professional salons and salon chains.
Since 1990, this NACCAS Job Demand Survey research has provided the only qualitative research data available on cosmetology careers, earnings potential, employment options and the moving trends of our licensed salon and spa professionals. This new research has become the largest and most comprehensive salon industry survey to ever validate future salon industry trends by analyzing both the current and the future needs for cosmetologists as well as their excellent job opportunities here in the United States. The research involved 6,177 salons responding to a national random sample of all salons stratified to represent every state and region in the country. These surveys asked salon owners to report on the previous 2002 year as well as their plans for the future.
In January 2002, there were 1,604,502 professionals employed in the nation's 312,959 beauty salons, barbershops, skincare salons and nail salons. In January 2003, there were 36,568 professionals employed in Massachusetts's 7,430 beauty salons, day spas, skincare salons, nail salons and barbershops for our current population of 3,3649,097 Massachusetts residents. The typical salon in our state is a small full service salon with 5 or 6 workstations. Massachusetts salon owners report an average of 134 clients per week. The salon industry in Massachusetts is a job-seekers market today, with over 56% of the salon owners reporting at least one or two job openings available immediately. Even though 572,000 salon career positions were filled nationally in 2002, a majority of salon owners across America reported that they still had job openings.
59% of Massachusetts salon owners classify their businesses as a `full-service salon', 18% as a haircutting salon, 5% as a barbershop, and 4% as a nail salon. Nationally, 59.4% of salons are classified as `full service', while 17.9% are haircutting only salons, 4.5% are barbershops, 4.3% are nail salons and 4% are day spas. 48% of Massachusetts salon professionals work full-time, 38% are part-time (20 to 35 hours) and 14% are low-time with less than 20 hours worked per week. Nationally, 57% of salon employees now work full-time, 33% are part time and 10% are low-time or less than 20 hours per week. The average income for a salon professional in Massachusetts and in America today is $30,000 to $50,000 per year. By this latest 2003 research, the corresponding 2002 yearly full-time salaries were $53,150 for salon owners and $36,100 for all other salon professionals across the USA. The exciting news is that salon earning power keeps improving!
Today, the growing salon industry offers a dramatically unique `zero unemployment' factor - needing many more new salon professionals than we can supply. There has been notable national growth in the salon industry since 1999 as well as here in Massachusetts. The total number of salon professionals increased nationally by 24%, while the total number of salons also increased 5.6% since 1999. The number of salon professionals leaving their positions stabilized and this shrinkage has decreased by 12% since 1999. New hires are now up by 37%. The salon industry remains a job seekers market!
The future success of our professional salons, cosmetology schools and the entire beauty industry here in Massachusetts is now at stake. This new ‘NACCAS Job Demand Survey' statistically solidifies the positive aspects of careers in cosmetology! Our newest NACCAS national Job Demand Survey information proves once again the extreme shortage of professional hairstylists, nail technicians and estheticians here in Massachusetts.
Mark Gross of NACCAS notes, "We remain extremely pleased with the qualitative and quantitative consistency derived from the NACCAS Job Demand Surveys facilitated since 1990. The consistent results of this unique research have given our ongoing research findings a tremendous amount of long-term credibility. These Job Demand Surveys prove that there remains a dramatic shortage of salon and spa professionals for which our industry must collectively work to improve".
For a free cosmetology career counseling session, students, parents and career professionals are invited to personally contact ADMISSIONS at the Rob Roy Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts or call 800-877-2111 for more information. For further information and to find an accredited cosmetology school near you, visit the NACCAS website at www.naccas.org or contact The National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences at 4401 Ford Avenue ~ Suite 1300, Alexandria, VA 22302 USA - 703-600-7600. Exciting new careers in cosmetology are now more beautiful than ever before!