Hairdressers are licensed cosmetologists who have been trained in a spectrum of beauty styling techniques, such as giving manicures, pedicures and skin treatments, but they concentrate on hair services specifically, counseling clients on proper hair and skin care and learning to tiptoe around the Achilles’ heel we all share – vanity.

The best stylists adeptly juggle these tasks, and in the process, earn both our tips and our trust. Whether they’re forming beehives or braids, dreadlocks or ducktails, ponytails or pompadours, hairdressers are maestros of styling.

Although we usually associate them with the technical aspects of their job, "there’s so much more to what we do than cutting hair," says Scott J. Buchanan, president of Scott J. Aveda Salons New York City and former chairman of the Professional Beauty Association. "We also get to change people’s lives and make them feel good about themselves."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 7.7% employment growth for hairdressers between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 42,800 jobs should open up

Most states require hairdressers to have at least a high school diploma or its equivalent to obtain a cosmetology license. For the license, a hairdresser has to complete courses with a state-approved barber or cosmetology school before taking a licensing examination. Some states have reciprocity agreements where licensed stylists who move will not have to complete additional training to practice in new states. Many cosmetologists take advanced courses to stay up to date on the latest trends.