Degree to Occupation Map
Occupations related to a cosmetology degree
NCES and BLS publish a crosswalk relating instructional programs to occupations. This page lists every occupation that crosswalk relates to cosmetology, with the BLS typical entry education, 2025 median wage and projected growth for each, and links to the RoleSprint page covering the role where one exists.
What occupations does the official crosswalk relate to a cosmetology degree?
The CIP 2020-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk published by NCES and BLS relates 13 CIP 2020 programs in cosmetology to 8 occupations. That maps a field of study to lines of work; it is not a statement that a cosmetology degree qualifies someone for any of them, and the crosswalk carries no figure for how many graduates enter each. Across the 8 with a published 2025 BLS wage the median is $41,770, ranging from $32,600 for Shampooers to $97,150 for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance. BLS typical entry-level education splits 1 at no formal educational credential, 2 at high school diploma or equivalent, 5 at postsecondary nondegree award: 8 at or below a bachelor's degree and 0 above it. Manicurists and Pedicurists is projected to grow fastest at +9.2% over 2025-35. The highest-paid are Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance ($97,150), Fitness and Wellness Coordinators ($69,770) and First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers ($48,590).
- Related occupations
- 8, from 13 CIP 2020 programs in cosmetology
- What the mapping means
- NCES states only that it "crosswalks 2020 CIP Codes to 2018 SOC Codes". It relates a program to an occupation. It does not establish qualification, hiring, or how many graduates take that path.
- BLS typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential: 1; High school diploma or equivalent: 2; Postsecondary nondegree award: 5
- Median wage across these occupations
- $41,770 (2025); 8 of 8 have a published BLS wage
- Next step
- 2 of the 8 occupations have a dedicated RoleSprint page covering what the role requires and how the work is performed.
Source and method
2020 CIP / 2018 SOC Crosswalk, National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Labor Statistics, and BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2. Verified 2026-09-06. Program-to-occupation relationships are reproduced from the NCES/BLS crosswalk exactly as published; RoleSprint groups CIP programs into the field of study a person would search for and lists the union of their related occupations, showing every member CIP code. Wage, typical entry education and outlook are reproduced from BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 for the matching SOC code. Working-condition figures are O*NET 30.3 means. No relationship strength, employment share or qualification judgement is published, because no source supplies one.
What this list is, and what it is not
The crosswalk's own description of itself is one sentence: “This file crosswalks 2020 CIP Codes to 2018 SOC Codes in ascending order by CIP Code.” It relates a field of study to lines of work.
It does not say a cosmetology degree qualifies anyone for these occupations, that graduates usually enter them, or what share do: the crosswalk publishes no such figure. The wage and education columns come from a separate source, BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, and describe the occupation rather than the degree. Typical entry education is what BLS observes most often among people already doing the work; it is not a rule about who may be hired.
The 8 related occupations
Ordered by BLS median wage, highest first. 8 of 8 have a published wage.
| Occupation | BLS typical entry-level education | Median wage | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance SOC 39-5091 Contact with others 4.6 · Time pressure 4.5 · Sitting 2.3 · Outdoors, all weather 3.7 of 5 | Postsecondary nondegree award At or below bachelor's | $97,150 2025 median | +6.1% 2025-35 · 0.6 openings/yr |
Fitness and Wellness Coordinators SOC 11-9179 Contact with others 4.6 · Time pressure 3.1 · Sitting 3.0 · Outdoors, all weather 2.0 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $69,770 2025 median | +6.2% 2025-35 · 2 openings/yr |
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers SOC 39-1022 Contact with others 5.0 · Time pressure 4.4 · Sitting 3.1 · Outdoors, all weather 2.8 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $48,590 2025 median | +6.3% 2025-35 · 12 openings/yr |
Skincare Specialists SOC 39-5094 Contact with others 5.0 · Time pressure 2.6 · Sitting 2.8 · Outdoors, all weather 1.0 of 5 | Postsecondary nondegree award At or below bachelor's | $45,330 2025 median | +8.8% 2025-35 · 14.2 openings/yr |
Barbers SOC 39-5011 Contact with others 4.8 · Time pressure 2.4 · Sitting 1.9 · Outdoors, all weather 1.0 of 5 | Postsecondary nondegree award At or below bachelor's | $38,210 2025 median | +3.3% 2025-35 · 6.9 openings/yr |
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists SOC 39-5012 Contact with others 4.8 · Time pressure 3.4 · Sitting 1.8 · Outdoors, all weather 1.0 of 5 | Postsecondary nondegree award At or below bachelor's | $35,790 2025 median | +7.7% 2025-35 · 73.4 openings/yr |
Manicurists and Pedicurists SOC 39-5092 Contact with others 4.5 · Time pressure 2.2 · Sitting 4.0 · Outdoors, all weather 1.0 of 5 | Postsecondary nondegree award At or below bachelor's | $35,760 2025 median | +9.2% 2025-35 · 21.9 openings/yr |
Shampooers SOC 39-5093 Contact with others 4.9 · Time pressure 3.3 · Sitting 1.5 · Outdoors, all weather 1.3 of 5 | No formal educational credential At or below bachelor's | $32,600 2025 median | +5.6% 2025-35 · 2.2 openings/yr |
BLS typical entry-level education for these occupations
8 of the 8 have a BLS typical entry-level education at or below a bachelor's degree; 0 are above it. "Typical" is BLS's word: it describes the workers already in the occupation.
- No formal educational credential
- 1
- High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- 5
This is BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2's description of the education most workers in each occupation typically hold when they enter it. It is not a list of requirements, and it says nothing about licences, certifications or experience, which BLS records separately and this page does not show.
Which programs this covers
“Cosmetology” groups 13 CIP 2020 instructional programs. The occupation list above is the union of everything the crosswalk relates to them.
- 12.0401 Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
- 12.0402 Barbering/Barber
- 12.0404 Electrolysis/Electrology and Electrolysis Technician
- 12.0406 Make-Up Artist/Specialist
- 12.0407 Hair Styling/Stylist and Hair Design
- 12.0408 Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist
- 12.0409 Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist
- 12.0410 Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist
- 12.0411 Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup and Tattooing
- 12.0412 Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager
- 12.0413 Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor
- 12.0414 Master Aesthetician/Esthetician
- 12.0499 Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts, Other
Grouping is RoleSprint's, and it is printed here so it can be checked. CIP's own grain is finer than the phrase anyone searches; the alternative is one page per code, which would put near-identical lists in front of the same question. How this map is built.
Working out which of these is realistic
A related occupation is a starting point, not a verdict. Three different questions decide whether one is worth pursuing, and each has its own page.
Program-to-occupation relationships from the 2020 CIP / 2018 SOC Crosswalk, National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wage, typical entry education and outlook from BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2. Working-condition figures from the O*NET 30.3 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 and RoleSprint has modified some of this information.
What to do next
A crosswalk relates a field of study to lines of work. Whether one specific opening is worth your time depends on what you can actually show, which is a different question and the one RoleSprint answers.