Mesa, Arizona
Cosmetology Schools in Mesa, AZ, Ranked (2026)
Published
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
The cosmetology schools in Mesa sit inside a much bigger training market than the city line suggests. Arizona's Barbering and Cosmetology Board licenses 13 schools with a Mesa address, and 11 of those never turn up in the federal completion data, which is ordinary for clock-hour schools. Two of them do, and they are the only Mesa addresses on the ranked list below.
The other eleven ranked schools spread across the East Valley and past it. Three are within seven miles, in Chandler and Tempe, and the rest reach Scottsdale, Phoenix and Avondale, which is 26 miles out. Four more nearby schools had cohorts too small to rank. Several of these names also appear on the Phoenix list, because the metro is one market.
Figures in this section: Barbering and Cosmetology Board; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
The 13 Cosmetology Schools in and Near Mesa, Ranked on Completion
17 cosmetology programs report to the US Department of Education from inside Mesa or within 30 miles of downtown. 13 of them had at least 40 students and a published completion figure, and they are ordered on the share of students who finish within half again the program's normal length. The other 4 had too few students to rank, so the list stops at 13.
Where a school's board record was matched, the card carries it. A school that appears here without one is not unlicensed; it means the board's file and the federal file did not agree on its name, and the Arizona page links the board's own lookup.
| # | School | Miles | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penrose Academy | 14 | 90% |
| 2 | Xtylo Beauty and Barber College | 11 | 88% |
| 3 | Avalon Institute-Mesa | 3 | 84% |
| 4 | Avalon Institute-Phoenix | 21 | 80% |
| 5 | Alturas Cosmetology of Arizona, LLC | 7 | 77% |
| 6 | Empire Beauty School-Chandler | 5 | 71% |
| 7 | East Valley Institute of Technology | 2 | 68% |
| 8 | Aveda Institute-Phoenix | 10 | 68% |
| 9 | Southwest Institute of Healing Arts | 5 | 67% |
| 10 | GateWay Community College-Central City | 13 | 55% |
| 11 | Empire Beauty School-Avondale | 26 | 53% |
| 12 | Paul Mitchell the School-Phoenix | 19 | 53% |
| 13 | International Barber College | 11 | 43% |
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#1
Penrose Academy
Scottsdale, AZ · Cosmetology School License
90%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $12,675 program cost
What the record shows
Penrose Academy operates in Scottsdale under license from the Barbering and Cosmetology Board. The school graduates 90 percent, on a fall headcount of 403. Tuition is reported at $12,675 for the full program. 344 graduates borrowed, at a median of $6,333 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. 22 points more of its students finish than the 68 percent median, and it charges 28 percent less than the $17,600 median to do it, which is the right direction on both counts. 380 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is roughly 11 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. Verify the school's standing with the Barbering and Cosmetology Board before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler runs from $31,340 at the tenth percentile to $56,890 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,810. Starting pay and typical pay are close together in this market, which cuts both ways: less of a lean first year, and less immediate reward for getting quicker. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler employs the trade at about 1.4 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
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#2
Xtylo Beauty and Barber College
Phoenix, AZ · Barber School License, Cosmetology School License
88%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- Cosmetology
- $14,250 program cost
What the record shows
Xtylo Beauty and Barber College trains in Phoenix, licensed by the Barbering and Cosmetology Board. Its license covers barbering and cosmetology. Phoenix has 32 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. Of the 57 students in its fall count, 88 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $14,250 for the full program. 20 points more of its students finish than the 68 percent median, and it charges 19 percent less than the $17,600 median to do it, which is the right direction on both counts. It awarded 27 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Barbering and Cosmetology Board before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler runs from $31,340 at the tenth percentile to $56,890 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,810. Wages start near the local middle, so the question here is not surviving the first year but whether you build a book in it. Concentration around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.4 times, or 6,440 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
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#3
Avalon Institute-Mesa
Mesa, AZ · Cosmetology School License
84%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $17,600 program cost
What the record shows
Avalon Institute-Mesa is licensed by the Barbering and Cosmetology Board and trains in Mesa. Mesa has 13 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. 84 percent of its students finish, out of 298 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $17,600 for the full program. The median graduate left with $7,426 in federal loans, across 860 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $79 a month. $17,600 is exactly at the $17,600 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 84 percent against 68. That is the better half of the trade. 323 credentials in the year from a fall count of 298: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Check its license with the Barbering and Cosmetology Board before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler runs from $31,340 at the tenth percentile to $56,890 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,810. Starting pay and typical pay are close together in this market, which cuts both ways: less of a lean first year, and less immediate reward for getting quicker. Concentration around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.4 times, or 6,440 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
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#4
Avalon Institute-Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ · Cosmetology School License
80%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $17,650 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Phoenix, Avalon Institute-Phoenix is on the Barbering and Cosmetology Board register. Phoenix has 32 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. Of 219 enrolled in the fall count, 80 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $17,650 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $7,426 in federal loans at the median, 860 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $79 a month. 12 points more of its students finish than the 68 percent median, priced within 1 percent of the $17,600 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. It awarded 409 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 219, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. The license from the Barbering and Cosmetology Board is the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, the range runs $31,340 to $56,890 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,810. Starting pay and typical pay are close together in this market, which cuts both ways: less of a lean first year, and less immediate reward for getting quicker. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler than nationally, at roughly 1.4 times the usual rate.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
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#5
Alturas Cosmetology of Arizona, LLC
Chandler, AZ
77%
Share of students who finish
- 77% finish
- 645 graduates a year
- $9,940 program cost
What the record shows
Alturas Cosmetology of Arizona, LLC runs its cosmetology program in Chandler and reports to the US Department of Education. The school graduates 77 percent, on a fall headcount of 570. It charges $9,940 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. The median graduate left with $6,227 in federal loans, across 763 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $66 a month. More finish here than at the typical school on this page, 77 percent against 68, and the price is 44 percent under the $17,600 median: the two numbers point the same way. 645 credentials in the year from a fall count of 570: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. The Barbering and Cosmetology Board holds the record that counts your hours; find this school on it by its legal name and check it is current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler earn under $36,810, with the tenth percentile at $31,340 and the ninetieth at $56,890. The bottom and the middle sit close together here, which means early pay is predictable and the upside has to be built rather than waited for. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler employs the trade at about 1.4 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
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#6
Empire Beauty School-Chandler
Chandler, AZ · Cosmetology School License
71%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $19,200 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Chandler, Empire Beauty School-Chandler is on the Barbering and Cosmetology Board register. Chandler has 6 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. The school graduates 71 percent, on a fall headcount of 104. Tuition is reported at $19,200 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Empire Beauty campuses in the federal file, 987 borrowers at a median of $12,090 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $128 a month. On completion and price it is close to the median school on this page, 71 percent against 68 and $19,200 against $17,600, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. It awarded 23 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 104 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. Ask the Barbering and Cosmetology Board directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler earn under $36,810, with the tenth percentile at $31,340 and the ninetieth at $56,890. Local pay is compressed near the bottom, so the first years look much like the middle and progression comes from clientele rather than from a job title. Concentration around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.4 times, or 6,440 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
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#7
East Valley Institute of Technology
Mesa, AZ · Cosmetology School License
68%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $5,500 program cost
What the record shows
East Valley Institute of Technology operates in Mesa under license from the Barbering and Cosmetology Board. Mesa has 13 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. Across all 377 students at the school, 68 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. Read that 68 percent as the school's rate, not the cosmetology floor's, so it neither ranks this program up nor down. The published tuition is $5,500. That price is 69 percent under the $17,600 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. It awarded 57 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Barbering and Cosmetology Board before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler earn under $36,810, with the tenth percentile at $31,340 and the ninetieth at $56,890. Starting pay and typical pay are close together in this market, which cuts both ways: less of a lean first year, and less immediate reward for getting quicker. Concentration around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.4 times, or 6,440 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
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#8
Aveda Institute-Phoenix
Tempe, AZ · Cosmetology School License
68%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $20,700 program cost
What the record shows
Aveda Institute-Phoenix trains in Tempe, licensed by the Barbering and Cosmetology Board. 68 percent of students see the course through, out of 218 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $20,700 for the full program. The median graduate left with $6,333 in federal loans, across 416 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. It charges 18 percent over the $17,600 median and finishes about as many of its students as the typical school here, so the extra price is not buying a better completion rate. 220 credentials in the year from a fall count of 218: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Ask the Barbering and Cosmetology Board directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
Around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, the median cosmetologist earns $36,810, the bottom tenth $31,340 and the top tenth $56,890. A narrow bottom-to-middle gap means the pay you start on is close to the pay most people stay on, unless they build a following. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler than nationally, at roughly 1.4 times the usual rate.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
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#9
Southwest Institute of Healing Arts
Tempe, AZ
67%
Share of students who finish
- 165 graduates a year
- $15,975 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Tempe, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 67 percent of the 534 students it enrolls finish. Tuition is reported at $15,975 for the full program. An ordinary school for this page on the two federal measures, 67 percent against 68 and $15,975 against $17,600, and ordinary is not a warning: it means the deciding facts are the ones you gather on a visit. It awarded 165 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Its hours count only under a current entry with the Barbering and Cosmetology Board, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler earn under $36,810, with the tenth percentile at $31,340 and the ninetieth at $56,890. The first rung and the middle of this market are close enough that the early years are less about pay than about who comes back. Concentration around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.4 times, or 6,440 people in the occupation.
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#10
GateWay Community College-Central City
Phoenix, AZ · Cosmetology School License
55%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $4,715 program cost
What the record shows
GateWay Community College-Central City trains in Phoenix, licensed by the Barbering and Cosmetology Board. Phoenix has 32 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. 55 percent of students across the college finish, out of 595 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 55 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Tuition is reported at $4,715. That price is 73 percent under the $17,600 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. 104 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Barbering and Cosmetology Board before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, the range runs $31,340 to $56,890 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,810. There is little distance between entry pay and the median locally, so the early climb is flatter than in most trades. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler employs the trade at about 1.4 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
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#11
Empire Beauty School-Avondale
Avondale, AZ · Cosmetology School License
53%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $19,200 program cost
What the record shows
Empire Beauty School-Avondale is licensed by the Barbering and Cosmetology Board and trains in Avondale. The school graduates 53 percent, on a fall headcount of 236. It charges $19,200 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. Empire Beauty campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $12,500 in federal loans at the median over 838 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $133 a month. The price is close to the $17,600 median and the completion is not: 53 percent against 68. In a clock-hour course that is the wrong half of the trade, and the reason to ask hard questions before a deposit. It awarded 72 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Check its license with the Barbering and Cosmetology Board before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler runs from $31,340 at the tenth percentile to $56,890 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,810. The first rung and the middle of this market are close enough that the early years are less about pay than about who comes back. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler employs the trade at about 1.4 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
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#12
Paul Mitchell the School-Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ · Barber School License, Cosmetology School License
53%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- Cosmetology
- $17,975 program cost
What the record shows
Paul Mitchell the School-Phoenix trains in Phoenix, licensed by the Barbering and Cosmetology Board. Its license covers barbering and cosmetology. Phoenix has 32 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. Of the 137 students in its fall count, 53 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $17,975 for the full program. The median graduate left with $17,559 in federal loans, across 123 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $186 a month. That is most of the $17,975 price arriving as debt, so the published cost and what a student actually finances are close to the same number here. The price is close to the $17,600 median and the completion is not: 53 percent against 68. In a clock-hour course that is the wrong half of the trade, and the reason to ask hard questions before a deposit. 77 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the Barbering and Cosmetology Board first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, the range runs $31,340 to $56,890 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,810. A narrow bottom-to-middle gap means the pay you start on is close to the pay most people stay on, unless they build a following. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler than nationally, at roughly 1.4 times the usual rate.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
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#13
International Barber College
Chandler, AZ · Barber School License
43%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- $18,400 program cost
What the record shows
International Barber College is licensed by the Barbering and Cosmetology Board and trains in Chandler. The license here is a barber license, which means men's cutting, shaving and beard work. It takes a similar hour count to cosmetology and is a narrower ticket, and for someone who already knows they want that end of the trade, the narrowness is the point. With 6 licensed schools in Chandler, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. 43 percent of its students finish, out of 45 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $18,400 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $16,500 in federal loans, measured over 33 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $175 a month. That is most of the $18,400 price arriving as debt, so the published cost and what a student actually finances are close to the same number here. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 43 percent, 25 points under the 68 percent median, is the first thing to ask about. $18,400 is within 5 percent of the $17,600 median for a similar hour count, which is the going rate. It awarded 23 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Check its license with the Barbering and Cosmetology Board before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler runs from $31,340 at the tenth percentile to $56,890 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,810. Cosmetologists are the nearest series BLS carries to barbers here. The bottom and the middle sit close together here, which means early pay is predictable and the upside has to be built rather than waited for. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler employs cosmetologists at about 1.4 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Barbering and Cosmetology Board, read 2026-08-31.
Other Licensed Cosmetology Schools in Mesa
Barbering and Cosmetology Board lists 13 currently licensed schools in Mesa. These 11 appear above, either because the school takes no federal aid and so reports no completion figure, or because its cohort was too small to rank. Being on this list means the board licenses the school, which is the thing that makes your hours count.
| School | License |
|---|---|
| American Leadership Academy Applied Technologies | Cosmetology School License |
| B5 Beauty School | Aesthetician School License, Nail Tech School License |
| B5 Beauty School | Nail Tech School License |
| East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) Cosmetic Arts & Barbering Program | Barber School License, Cosmetology School License |
| Empire Barber School LLC | Barber School License |
| Famous Cutz Academy | Barber School License |
| Flores Institute Of Nail Design | Nail Tech School License |
| JJ Beauty Institute | Cosmetology School License |
| Mesa Barber School - East Location | Barber School License |
| Mesa Barber School - West Location | Barber School License |
| Saigon Beauty Institute | Aesthetician School License, Nail Tech School License |
What Arizona Requires Before a Mesa School's Hours Count
Arizona asks for at least 1,500 hours of training in a school licensed by the Barbering and Cosmetology Board. That second half is the part students skip past. A school's license to operate and your license to practice are two different documents from the same agency, and only the first one makes your hours countable.
The barber schools and cosmetology schools on Mesa's roster answer to the same agency now. HB2029 merged the Board of Barbers and the Board of Cosmetology into a single Barbering and Cosmetology Board on January 1, 2022. It also licenses esthetics, nail technology and a 1,000-hour hairstylist credential that runs 500 hours short of cosmetology, so ask which one a program leads to.
There is no percentage in Arizona's online rule at all. Theory curriculum can be delivered online and every practical hour stays on site, which is a different shape from the flat 50 percent caps most states use. Our state-by-state guide to online hours lines the two kinds up.
Figures in this section: Barbering and Cosmetology Board; College Scorecard, June 2026.
Mesa's Own Two Ranked Schools and the East Valley Commute
East Valley Institute of Technology is the cheap option and it is two miles out. Public, $5,500 for the program, 68 percent completion, and 57 beauty credentials awarded in the year. That completion figure covers the whole institution rather than the cosmetology program, because EVIT teaches a lot besides beauty.
Avalon Institute-Mesa is the other Mesa address, three miles out. It is a beauty-only school, so its 84 percent completion on 298 enrolled is the cosmetology number. Tuition is $17,600 against EVIT's $5,500, and median debt comes out at $7,426. Graduates report $29,008 five years after entry.
Penrose Academy in Scottsdale tops the list at 90 percent completion on 403 enrolled, the biggest beauty-only enrollment here, at $12,675. It is 14 miles from Mesa. The cheapest ranked school of all, GateWay Community College-Central City at $4,715, is 13 miles the other way in Phoenix, so the two bargains pull in opposite directions. See the methodology for what the order measures.
The spread from Mesa runs from 2 miles to 26. Three of the other ranked schools are within seven miles, in Chandler and Tempe, and the list ends at Empire Beauty School-Avondale, 26 miles across the valley at $19,200. Tuition across the whole ranked list runs from $4,715 to $20,700, so the drive and the price do not move together.
Figures in this section: BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What the Beauty Trades Pay Across the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler Metro
Mesa does not get its own wage series. BLS reports the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro as one unit, so these numbers are the same ones the Phoenix page carries. The metro employs 6,440 hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists of the 7,840 working in Arizona, at a median of $36,810, which is the state median to the dollar.
The spread is narrow at the bottom and modest at the top: $31,340 at the 10th percentile and $56,890 at the 90th. Arizona statewide runs a shade wider at the top, $57,790. Either way, a stylist here who reaches the 90th percentile is earning about $20,000 above the median, not triple it.
Skincare pays more. Skincare specialists in the metro report a $51,180 median on 1,340 employed, about $14,370 above stylists, and their 90th percentile is $104,090. Manicurists report $35,520 on 1,790 employed. If a higher ceiling is what you are after, esthetician pay is worth a look before you commit to 1,500 hours.
Read all three medians as employee pay. The BLS survey covers wage and salary workers, which leaves out booth renters and chair-rental stylists, and a lot of Arizona salon work runs that way. The Arizona ranking sets Mesa beside the rest of the state.
Figures in this section: Barbering and Cosmetology Board; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What Cosmetology Careers Pay in Mesa
Median annual pay in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. A cosmetologist here earns a median of $36,810 against $36,810 across Arizona, with 6,440 employed in the metro. Booth renters and salon owners are self-employed and outside the survey, so these figures describe stylists on a payroll.
- Estheticians $51,180 $51,180
- Cosmetologists $36,810 $36,810
- Nail technicians $35,520 $35,520
| Occupation | Metro median | Arizona median |
|---|---|---|
| Estheticians | $51,180 | $50,470 |
| Cosmetologists | $36,810 | $36,810 |
| Nail technicians | $35,520 | $35,290 |
Each occupation has its own salary page with the range and every state, and a career page on the work and the license it needs.
Cosmetology Schools in Nearby Cities
Phoenix shares the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ wage series with Mesa, and many of the schools within 30 miles appear on that page too.
Common Questions About Cosmetology School in Mesa
Answers draw on Barbering and Cosmetology Board, the College Scorecard and the May 2025 BLS wage release.
How many hours of cosmetology school do you need in Mesa?
How many licensed beauty schools are there in Mesa?
Which cosmetology schools in Mesa itself are ranked?
Do Mesa and Phoenix share the same beauty school market?
Is barbering a separate license from cosmetology in Mesa?
How much do hairdressers make in the Mesa area?
Sources
- Barbering and Cosmetology Board, school license records, read 2026-08-31. Hour requirement for a cosmetologist license: 1,500 clock hours, cited to the rule.
- US Department of Education, College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Completion, enrollment, cost and location for every cosmetology program (CIP 12.04) within 30 miles of downtown Mesa. Each card links its institution's Scorecard page.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Metro-area wages and employment for the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area.