Where is it easiest to open: Beauty Salons
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 39-5012” (soc) for Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 8,718 | 3.9 | $32,261 | licence | Apprentice; Barber |
| FL | 7,524 | 3.7 | $30,823 | exam | Barber Assistant; Barbers |
| NY | 7,111 | 3.9 | $30,392 | licence | Barber; Cosmetologist, Natural Hairstylist, Es |
| TX | 5,672 | 5.2 | $33,653 | exam | BARBER; COSMETOLOGIST |
| PA | 4,841 | 5.3 | $28,481 | exam | Barber; Barber Manager |
| NJ | 3,726 | 5.7 | $28,156 | exam | COSMETOLOGIST-HAIRSTYLIST; ELECTROLOGIST |
| IL | 3,317 | 5.0 | $32,465 | exam | BARBER; COSMETOLOGIST |
| OH | 2,704 | 6.2 | $28,491 | exam | Advanced Cosmetologist; Barber |
| MA | 2,568 | 5.2 | $34,444 | exam | BARBER; COSMETOLOGIST (HAIRDRESSER) LICENSE |
| VA | 2,554 | 4.7 | $35,292 | exam | Barber Individual; Barber School License |
| GA | 2,519 | 4.2 | $32,687 | exam | Barber Apprentice; Barber Instructor |
| NC | 2,198 | 4.4 | $34,348 | exam | Apprentice Barber; Apprentice (Cosmetology) |
| WA | 2,163 | 4.2 | $40,154 | exam | Cosmetologist; Instructor (Cosmetology) |
| MI | 2,153 | 5.1 | $28,718 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| CO | 2,015 | 4.0 | $36,298 | exam | Barber; Cosmetologist |
| AZ | 1,706 | 4.9 | $32,103 | licence | Cosmetologist; Cosmetology Instructor |
| WI | 1,584 | 5.3 | $30,382 | exam | BARBERING & COSMETOLOGY APPRENTICE; BARBERING & COSMETOLOGY PRACTITIONER |
| MN | 1,488 | 5.6 | $33,046 | licence | Barbers / Barbershops / Barber Schools; Cosmetology -Individual Licenses |
| MD | 1,479 | 5.8 | $33,022 | licence | APPRENTICE COSMETOLOGIST; APPRENTICE LIMITED STYLIST |
| IN | 1,407 | 5.2 | $29,874 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| MO | 1,198 | 5.4 | $31,018 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| CT | 1,049 | 5.3 | $32,933 | exam | Barber; Electrologist |
| SC | 1,038 | 4.1 | $34,797 | licence | Barber Assitant Manicurists; Barber Colleges |
| TN | 1,025 | 6.5 | $34,397 | exam | BARBER TECHNICIAN; COSMETOLOGIST |
| UT | 950 | 4.5 | $24,953 | licence | COSMETOLOGIST HAIR STYLIST; ELECTROLOGIST |
| OR | 794 | 4.1 | $31,884 | licence | Cosmetology: Barbering; Cosmetology (Barbering, Esthetics, Hai |
| IA | 749 | 4.2 | $33,290 | exam | Cosmetologist License |
| AL | 714 | 4.9 | $32,000 | exam | Certified Cosmetologist Apprentice; Certified Hairstylist Apprentice |
| LA | 678 | 4.1 | $31,040 | exam | Barber; Cosmetologist or Beauctician or Beauty |
| NV | 652 | 4.4 | $29,393 | exam | Cosmetic Demonstrator; Cosmetologist |
| OK | 644 | 4.3 | $28,773 | exam | Barber / Barber Instructor; Cosmetician |
| KY | 634 | 4.8 | $30,751 | exam | Apprentice Barber; Apprentice Cosmetologist |
| KS | 616 | 5.4 | $31,224 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| NE | 556 | 4.1 | $31,812 | licence | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| AR | 429 | 4.0 | $28,611 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| NH | 402 | 5.3 | $35,426 | exam | Barber; Barber, Master |
| ID | 393 | 4.6 | $30,720 | exam | Barber; Barber - Instructor |
| RI | 386 | 3.4 | $30,952 | exam | Electrologist; Hairdresser, Cosmetologist, Estheticia |
| NM | 355 | 3.6 | $29,802 | exam | Barber/Cosmetologist Instructor; Barber Instructor |
| HI | 335 | 4.4 | $33,256 | exam | Barber; Beauty Apprentice |
| ME | 289 | 4.1 | $38,988 | exam | Barber; Barber, Apprentice |
| DE | 276 | 6.6 | $32,410 | exam | Apprentice Cosmetologist/Barber/Master; Barber |
| MS | 265 | 4.3 | $30,450 | exam | Barber; Cosmetologist |
| WV | 258 | 5.1 | $27,024 | not matched | — |
| ND | 222 | 4.5 | $33,006 | exam | Barber Instructor; Cosmetologists |
| MT | 212 | 3.5 | $31,901 | exam | Barbers and Cosmetologists - Barber; Barbers and Cosmetologists - Barber No |
| DC | 154 | 6.8 | $46,914 | exam | BARBER; COSMETOLOGY |
| VT | 143 | 4.1 | $36,372 | exam | Cosmetologist; Electrologist |
| SD | 140 | 5.3 | $33,948 | licence | Barber; Cosmetologist |
| AK | 140 | 3.9 | $34,087 | licence | Barber; Body Piercing, Tattooing and Permanent |
| WY | 121 | 2.8 | $29,677 | exam | BARBER; COSMETOLOGIST |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.