The hairdressing industry in Kentucky currently employs about 6,650 people and is expected to grow approximately 13% by the year 2016. This growth rate is slower than in other parts of the country, and the average income for hairdressers in Kentucky is also lower than the national average. Kentucky hairdressers make around $9 per hour compared to an average of $11 per hour nationally.
To become a hairdresser in Kentucky, you’ll need to attend a hairdressing school in KY for at least 1800 hours and have at least a 10th grade education. Once you have completed the required training and education, you must pass the apprentice cosmetologist exam given by the Kentucky Board of Hairdressers and Cosmetologists. After passing the exam, you will receive an apprentice cosmetologist license. As an apprentice, you must work an average of at least twenty hours per week for a licensed cosmetologist for at least six months before applying to take the exam to become a licensed cosmetologist.
Out-of-state licensees must provide a certification of license showing that they have a license in the other state. They also must provide state certification showing the number of hours of education received in that state. If the state does not provide certification of hours, the certification can come from the cosmetology school that the applicant attended. For states that require less education than Kentucky, credit will only be given for the amount of education required in that state. For example, if the old state required 1500 hours and the applicant completed 1600 hours, credit will only be given for 1500 hours. The applicant will have to complete additional training in Kentucky to meet the requirement of 1800 hours.
For more information on licensure in Kentucky:
Kentucky Board of Hairdressers & Cosmetologists
111 St. James Court, Suite A
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
502-564-4262 (Phone)
http://www.kbhc.ky.gov/