Cosmetology Schools in Missouri

Searching through the many cosmetology schools in Missouri can be a huge task—not because there are so few options, but because there are so many. Cosmetology schools in Missouri provide training in such areas as shampooing, hair styling, pedicuring, manicuring and hair cutting. You’ll have courses in perming, hair design, scalp treatment and skin care. State-approved beauty schools in Missouri teach material to help students prepare for the state’s licensing exam upon graduation.

Additionally, the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners requires that state-approved schools train students for a minimum number of hours, depending on the chosen field. For example, cosmetologists are required to undergo 1,500 hours of training, estheticians are required to take 750 hours, and manicurists must complete 400 hours.

After successful completion of these hours, you are eligible to take the licensing exam if you are at least 17 years old and have completed the 10th grade (or equivalent). Once you’ve passed the licensing exam, you are able to enter the field you have chosen. And there is good news for recent graduates. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS), cosmetologists, hairdressers and hairstylists in Missouri earn, on average, $11.49 per hour—much more than the state’s minimum wage of $7.25. Annually, these professionals earn, on average, almost $24,000, while those in the 90th percentile earn $34,660. And the BLS projects the industry will keep pace with the population, adding 200,000 new positions by 2020.