West Virginia offers many innovative schools in various parts of the state. The advantage to studying in West Virginia is its close proximity to large cities without having to pay the cost of living in a large city. Cities such as Pittsburgh, PA, Washington PA, Morgantown WV, and Charleston WV are all larger cities with plenty of employment opportunities. The expected growth for hairdressers in West Virginia follows the national average for growth, and it’s projected to continue growing well in 2016.
To become a licensed cosmetologist, students are required to complete 2,000 hours. For esthetics, 600 hours are required, and nail technology requires 400 hours. More information is available by contacting the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists. Many accredited schools oversee the completion of these requirements as part of their curriculum, preparing students for the work field after graduation.
Reciprocity is granted for students that have training that equals or exceeds the state requirements. The West Virginia Board does accept licensed work experience in place of part of the required training. Work experience counts 25 hours per month or 300 hours per year toward the required hours. The amount of work experience cannot exceed 50% of the required training and must have occurred in the past five years.
The average hairdresser in West Virginia made about $20,000. Pay could be as high as $24,000 in Charleston, WV, or it was as low as $17,000 in Wheeling or Parkersburg. The amount of hairdressing schools is higher in Charleston and Morgantown, both of which are the highest paying cities.
For more information on licensure in West Virginia:
West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists
1201 Dunbar Avenue
Dunbar, WV 25064
304-558-3450 (Phone)
http://www.wvbbc.org/
West Virginia Hair Schools by City
Beckley
Beckley Beauty Academy
109 S. Fayette Street
Beckley, WV 25801
http://www.beckleybeautyacademy.edu/
Charleston
Carver Career and Technical Center
4799 Midland Drive
Charleston, WV 25306
http://www.carvercareercenter.net/
Charleston School of Beauty Culture
210 Capitol St.
Charleston, WV 25301
Clarksburg
Clarksburg Beauty Academy
120 South 3rd Street
Clarksburg, WV 26301
http://www.clarksburgbeautyacademy.com/
Huntington
Huntington School of Beauty Culture
5636 US Route 60 East, Suite 2
Huntington, WV 25705
http://www.huntingtonschoolofbeauty.com/
Morgantown
Morgantown Beauty College
276 Walnut Street
Morgantown, WV 26505
http://www.morgantownbeautycollege.com/
Parkersburg
Valley Beauty School
1047 Avery Street
Parkersburg, WV 26101
Princeton
Mercer County Technical Education Center
1397 Stafford Drive
Princeton, WV 24740
http://mctec.merc.tec.wv.us/
St. Albans
Mountaineer Beauty College
700 6th Avenue
St. Albans, WV 25177
http://www.webmbc.com/
Wheeling
Scott College of Cosmetology
1502 Market Street
Wheeling, WV 26003
http://www.scott-college.com/