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Comment by rwmj | Hacker News Reader

Speaking has someone who co-runs a hair salon, those numbers don't make sense. $30K should be a reasonable loan compared to how much a single stylist can make annually (easily $50K, up to six figures if they are any good). Just shopfitting a hair salon costs $10-20K. New or relocating salons do that routinely and will expect to recoup it comfortably in the first year.

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Maybe in some high end markets or very high end or speciality salons, but I'm having a very, very hard time seeing an average stylists making 50k, let alone six figures(!!) anywhere I've ever lived. The BLS says that the 2018 median pay is $24,830 per year.

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/mobile/bar...

FWIW all my peers that I went to high school with who got their cosmetology license 1) did so for free as our public education system offers cosmetology school for free and 2) no longer are practicing 20 years later

That average will be brought by junior stylists, but someone who goes to college shouldn't start as a junior (or only for a very short time). Juniors are usually the ones who start at 16 with no training at all. They're not allowed to do anything more complicated than making coffee for the customers and washing hair, and are paid accordingly.

Also not all stylists work full time because it's a relatively well-paid job. One of the colleagues at the salon I was talking about has worked a 3 day week for years, and another works 2 days a week (but she does have another job).

On your other point about older hairstylists, it's a very physical job where you stand in an awkward pose for long hours. Many retire (or semi-retire into salon ownership and doing occasional special customers) by their 50s.

Why do you need a degree for a "trade" should not the industry have apprentices for that.

They do. In my state you can do a 2 year apprenticeship in cosmetology, but they can be hard to come by. You need to find a stylist willing to not only train you in practical aspects but follow your bookwork and write/grade tests. It's a two-year unpaid commitment. My wife owns a salon and has taken on a couple apprentices. It is a considerable amount of work. Alternatively a beauty school program can be done in a year, then after a six month internship you can get your license. The apprenticeship is the better option but being able to complete your training in a shorter amount of time with a lower barrier to entry is probably appealing.

Unpaid!! I know hairdressing Is one of those industries that have medieval practices but realy.

In Japan you need to do a 2 year course before starting as a hair stylist. In the UK anyone can set up (although they may have difficulty getting insurance so will probably be operating without).

Regulatory capture. In many states the industry successfully lobbied for licensing requirements on the (questionable) basis of it being necessary for public health.

While the basis for regulation makes sense on paper anyone who's done anything with a low margin service industry knows that whether good practices are followed in a particular workplace has almost nothing to do with education (everyone knows how to keep things clean) and everything to do with management (does management actually want these things done or does it consider them a waste of time).

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