Best Beauty Schools in South Lake Tahoe, California (2026)

Quick answer: Cosmetologists in California earn a median of $38,660 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited cosmetologist schools near South Lake Tahoe, California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Looking for cosmetologist schools in South Lake Tahoe, California? The programs below combine classroom instruction with hands-on practice. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $38,660 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

South Lake Tahoe Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$38,660BLS OEWS, May 2025
California pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$35,360 to $68,640BLS OEWS, May 2025
Sacramento, CA metro median wage$36,780BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+5.6% growth, about 75,800 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment27,080 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
El Dorado County establishments30BLS QCEW, 2024
El Dorado County industry employment250BLS QCEW, 2024
El Dorado County unemployment rate4.7%BLS LAUS, 2024
California location quotient0.76BLS OEWS, May 2025

Nearby Cities

Explore the Cosmetologist Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to South Lake Tahoe. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the El Dorado County and California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.


Beauty & Cosmetology Schools near South Lake Tahoe

How We Rank Schools

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.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%

Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

International Academy of Style

Reno, NV 41.3 miles away BOC Score 61.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 92.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 173
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $33,517 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Paul Mitchell the School-Reno

Reno, NV 40.5 miles away BOC Score 45.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 76.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 216
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $30,863 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Milan Institute of Cosmetology-Reno

Reno, NV 39.2 miles away BOC Score 37.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 67.4%
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 234
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $24,629 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Cosmetologist Pay and Job Outlook

Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists annual wage by percentile: $27,040 at the 10th percentile, $35,790 median, $71,190 at the 90th. Source: U.S. BLS OEWS, May 2025 release.
What hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists earn across the pay scale
Projected job growth for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists: 575,200 jobs in 2024 to 607,400 in 2034, +5.6% change. Source: U.S. BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034.
Projected job growth for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
Top-paying states for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists - Washington leads at $59,510. Source: U.S. BLS OEWS, May 2025 release.
Top-paying states for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists

Next Steps

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does cosmetologist training take near South Lake Tahoe?

Cosmetologist certificate programs near South Lake Tahoe 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.

How much do cosmetologists earn in California?

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).

How many cosmetologist schools are near South Lake Tahoe?

El Dorado County reports approximately 30 cosmetologist related establishments employing about 250 workers (BLS QCEW, 2024). Compare the schools listed above for tuition, duration, and credential alignment with the local employer base.


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/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)