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Quick answer: Cosmetologists in California earn a median of $38,660 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited cosmetologist schools near Sonora, California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.
This guide rounds up cosmetologist schools serving Sonora, California and the local job-market figures worth checking first. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $38,660 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State median annual wage | $38,660 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| California pay range (10th to 90th percentile) | $35,360 to $68,640 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Top-paying California metro for this field | Los Angeles, CA, $43,500 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| National job outlook (2024 to 2034) | +5.6% growth, about 75,800 openings per year | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034 |
| State employment | 27,080 workers | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Tuolumne County unemployment rate | 5.2% | BLS LAUS, 2024 |
| California location quotient | 0.76 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Sonora. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Tuolumne County and California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Cosmetologist certificate programs near Sonora typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.
According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), cosmetologists in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $38,660. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $35,360 to $68,640 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The schools listed above are within about 250 miles of Sonora. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.
| Data | Provider | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | May 2025 |
| Employment Projections | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2024-2034 |
| Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System | National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) | 2024 |
| College Scorecard (school-level outcomes) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release |
| College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release (updated 2026-06-12) |
| Occupational licensing requirements | CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2026-02-22) |
| Registered apprenticeship programs | CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2025-10-25) |
