Cosmetology Instructor Training Schools by State

Many aspiring cosmetologists go into school with a positive attitude and high hopes for the future. It’s up to cosmetology instructors to sustain that hope and help students build the skills they need to become successful cosmetologists. With the right information about cosmetology instructor programs in your area, you can choose the best path for your transition from cosmetologist to student mentor. We make it simple for you to find your options and request information from several beauty schools without searching all over the web. So go ahead and find out how you can become a cosmetology instructor in your state!

To thrive as a cosmetology instructor, you must first work as a cosmetologist. Once you’ve met the cosmetology experience requirements in your state, you can attend a course in beauty instruction. Just like you must maintain a cosmetology license, you must maintain a cosmetology instructor license.

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“I now wake up in the morning and think to myself ‘Whom can I serve? To whom can I add value?’ What I love most about this new perspective is that it is letting me enjoy this journey.” –Christine Zilinski, Salon Today

You can often earn a cosmetology instructor license at the same schools that educate cosmetologists. Though requirements vary in each state, you can generally plan on spending about three to nine months in school to become a license cosmetology instructor.

In your training, you’ll focus on how to effectively teach and assess students’ performance. Part of your curriculum may focus on what is required of cosmetology students, as this helps you meet the training requirements laid out by your state. You may also learn about a range of teaching tools and techniques, since you must be able to adjust your teaching style to your students’ needs. Later in your program, you can study different ways of offering feedback and suggesting improvements. To meet your school’s practical education requirements, you’ll likely spend quite a bit of time practice teaching in cosmetology courses.

Become a Mentor and Inspire Budding Cosmetologists!

Day-to-Day Responsibilities of Cosmetology Instructors…

Before deciding to become a cosmetology instructor, it’s important to ensure that you’re ready for the day-to-day tasks of this career path! Depending on how your place of employment runs, you may be responsible for any or all of these job duties:

• Meeting new students, assessing their personality and job skills, and helping them decide if cosmetology school is a good choice for them
• Running introductory classes that build up students’ confidence and give them an overview of the beauty industry
• Teaching hands-on courses on hair design, nail care, or skin care
• Administering and grading written tests
• Watching students perform a range of cosmetology skills and providing feedback or evaluating skills as needed
• Overseeing students as they work with clients, evaluating their work, and giving suggestions for improvement
• Preparing students for graduation and cosmetology board exams

Develop the Skills and Abilities to Inspire Success!

Teaching can be a demanding profession, and you may wish to improve on certain traits and skills while you work towards a cosmetology instructor license. These are some of the main traits and abilities required for cosmetology instructors:

• Ability to adapt: It’s crucial to know how to change your teaching style for different classroom needs
• Evaluation of self and others: Not only must you evaluate your students’ progress and growth, you must be able to evaluate your abilities as a teacher.
• Communication: Clearly and concisely communicating information, feedback, and advice may be a big part of this career.
• Persistence: Some of your time may be spent teaching students that have difficulty understanding; you must be willing and able to persist until the task is done.
• Ability to stay on your feet: Whether teaching in the classroom or on the salon floor, you may have to spend long days standing or walking around.
• Critical thinking: This skill can help you find solutions to unique classroom problems.

Pursue Your Next Career Opportunties!

After you complete your cosmetology instructor training, you can look into a number of career opportunities that may use your training to its fullest. Some instructors decide to work for cosmetology schools, where they can work with a large team of instructors and work in different aspects of cosmetology. However, technical colleges and community colleges may also have cosmetology programs for which they need instructors. If you are considering business ownership, you may decide to open your own cosmetology school and revolutionize the beauty industry in your area.

No matter what environment you decide to teach in, you have the opportunity to touch students’ lives. Nails Magazine interviewed Kathy Emery, the most recent winner of the N.F. Cimaglia Educator of the Year Award. She notes the importance of improving student involvement and teaching from the heart. Emery has clear goals for her students and works hard to achieve them. For her, the most rewarding part of being an instructor is “watching the growth in confidence, intelligence, and skill as a student makes progress.”

Salary and Employment Outlook for Cosmetology Instructors

Many sources note that an increasing amount of students are choosing two-year colleges or trade schools over four-year schools, including the New York Times. As a result, these institutions have a growing need for instructors and teachers. Between 2012 and 2022, O*Net expects the nationwide demand for vocational instructors to increase by 8% to 14%. Their estimates show that the average salary for a vocational instructor is $48,300 per year (O*Net, 2013).

If you’re ready to shape the beauty industry and work hard to inspire students, contact the schools in your area today to request information about their programs!