Certificate (under 1 year)+9% vs national median389 grads tracked
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services at Houston Community College
Ranked 9th of 48 certificate (under 1 year) programs in Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$25,742
middle 50%: $18,823 – $36,032
Median · 5 years out
$35,776
middle 50%: $24,417 – $45,724
Median · 10 years out
$41,131
middle 50%: $29,246 – $55,844
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services (certificate (under 1 year)) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
This certificate program in Cosmetology at Houston Community College yields a $26k median salary in the first year. Long-term median pay reaches $41k by year ten.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
12.6 yrs
≈ $15,375 total interest
Same major at other universities
Odessa College
$38,605 · 5 yrs out
College of the Mainland
$37,722 · 5 yrs out
Midland College
$37,592 · 5 yrs out
Pickens Technical College
$37,012 · 5 yrs out
San Jacinto Community College District
$36,683 · 5 yrs out
Lone Star College System
$36,097 · 5 yrs out
Mountainland Technical College
$35,233 · 5 yrs out
Wharton County Junior College
$34,978 · 5 yrs out
Clarendon College
$34,840 · 5 yrs out
Lee College
$34,840 · 5 yrs out
Davis Technical College
$34,399 · 5 yrs out
Ogden-Weber Technical College
$34,228 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Houston Community College
Fire Protection (Associate)
$124,854 · 5 yrs out
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services (Associate)
$99,334 · 5 yrs out
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$97,476 · 5 yrs out
Science Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$94,228 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate)
$93,807 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Associate)
$87,244 · 5 yrs out
Engineering Science (Associate)
$87,244 · 5 yrs out
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$85,242 · 5 yrs out
Computer Programming (Associate)
$84,025 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Certificate)
$82,991 · 5 yrs out
Fire Protection (Certificate)
$82,328 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Associate)
$80,200 · 5 yrs out