Washington Cosmetologist Salary

Washington State was the fourth top paying state in the country for cosmetologists in 2013 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Four of Washington’s metropolitan areas had the highest cosmetology salaries of any cities in the country:

  • Seattle – Number two
  • Bremerton – Number four
  • Yakima – Number six
  • Tacoma – Number eight
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The Washington State Employment Security Department provides 2014 cosmetology salary levels for the state. These figures are likely to underestimate the actual take home pay for hairdressers, hairstylists and manicurists, because they do not factor in tips.

The average cosmetologist salary in Washington was $35,671. Cosmetologists earning in the 75th percentile earned $43,618 while those in the 25th percentile earned $22,818 on average.

Washington Metropolitan Hair Professional Salaries

The highest paid hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists were in the Seattle area:

Washington City
Average
75th Percentile
Seattle
$39480
$50918
Bremerton
$36991
$44845
Yakima
$36517
$44762
Tacoma
$36926
$44637
Longview
$35318
$43430
Bellingham
$30693
$33800
Portland
$30653
$36525
Vernon
$29635
$33904
Olympia
$27005
$30202
Spokane
$26491
$29016
Kennewick
$26471
$28829
Wenatchee
$24919
$26125
Lewiston
$23468
$27581

The BLS provides a detailed breakdown of 2013 cosmetology salary percentiles throughout Washington:

Area name
Employment
Annual mean wage
Bellingham WA
210
30460
Bremerton-Silverdale WA
280
36710
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland WA
270
26270
Lewiston ID-WA
100
23290
Longview WA
200
35050
Mount Vernon-Anacortes WA
160
29410
Olympia WA
360
26800
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro OR-WA
2600
30420
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett WA Metropolitan Division
4820
39180
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA
5750
38670
Spokane WA
320
26290
Tacoma WA Metropolitan Division
930
36020
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee WA
80
24730
Yakima WA
270
36240
Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area
100
27720
Southwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area
160
26120
Central Washington nonmetropolitan area
Estimate not released
27020
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area
170
32170

Nail Technician Salaries in Washington State

Washington’s manicurists made an average of 71.2% of what cosmetologists earned. Their average salary was $25,393. Experienced nail technicians in Washington earned $27,456, while $21,299 was normal for those with just a few years in the field.

The BLS also provides 2013 salary data for manicurists and pedicurists:

Area name
Employment
Annual mean wage
Olympia WA
Estimate not released
37150
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro OR-WA
750
23940
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett WA Metropolitan Division
1780
24390
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA
2030
24730
Spokane WA
310
28190
Tacoma WA Metropolitan Division
Estimate not released
27240

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