I'm in the process of having my Cosmetology liscense reactivated after leaving to be a Dental Assistant for many years. I'm 38 and want to make a change now before I'm considered "too old" to switch careers.

FWIW, I make good money but dental is sucking the life out of me. I dread every single day I have to go there for the last 5 years and sometimes even shed a few tears on my way to work. I have tried to find another job for over a year with zero luck because I need specific hours (9-5) and EVERY dental office that calls me back either wants me there at 7am, or work until 7pm. No bueno due to other obligations. I put the hours I can work in the cover letter which obviously nobody reads but I digress. I just happened to get lucky with the job I'm at now that lets me work 9-5ish but I loathe the place and the Doc treats me like I'm scum. I could tell you things that go on there that would make anyone want to quit but I will spare you the gory details. Point is I'm not happy at all and I feel no amount of money is worth the BS I put up with. I had an epiphany one day and decided to send in the paperwork necessary to retake my state exam so I can plan my desperate escape.

So here's my question: I need to make between 26-29k a year (with tips) to survive...can I make this??? I've been out of hair so long I have no idea what people are making these days. I'm sure I will have to start out at a Great Clips or something and I'm fine with that. Am I insane for wanting to leave a medical career to be a stylist again?? I just want to be happy.

Any input will be greatly appreciated. I'm asking around as much as possible because this is a huge decision for me to make. I need to be fully aware/educated of what I'm getting back into. Thanks for reading..

Tips are a lot different in Canada then in the states. 30,000 a year at 50% commission is about $1100 a week. So that is totally doable.

You have to remember though that hair is hard work. No lunches, no breaks, no benefits are the norm. And it's hard on your body. I'm just leaving now because my shoulders are so painfull lots of days I can't put a coat on.

you also will likely be facing working on weekends and nights

no personal experience, but I'm wondering how realistic it is that you'd find 9-5 hours? Most salons I know are open nights and weekends.

ETA: never mind, some else just pointed that out!

No lunches or breaks? Doesn't Canada have a labor laws? That's illegal here. I always got lunches when I was a hair stylist, granted I had to scarf them down sometimes but I still got to eat. I also got health benefits and free continuing education depending where I worked.

I remember it is hard work but nothing like what I'm dealing with now.

Some salons are very flexible. I don't see how 5 days a week x 8 hours = 40 hours is unrealistic.

I'm not ruling out Saturdays either.

Certain times of the year I could work 9-6pm but I'm not doing 12 hours shifts. Those days are over, I'm not 21 anymore. I'll be a stripper before that.

well they couldn't stop you from taking them. But they don't have to force you when you are working on commission. I've never seen successful hairstylests who do

I am speaking just from my own thoughts but most of the salons around me are open from 10 or 11 to 9pm at night to accommodate the working crowd. I was shocked to see a salon open at 9am last month but most of their clients were older and it was a cheaper haircut place. If you work in an area with a lot of retirees, your hours may be doable but they also don't tend to tip well or pay much for hair cuts.

I think 9 to 5 is hard to do in this day and age. I'm in a totally different area but because I'm salaried, I'm expected to work over 40 hours. And a lunch break is mandatory but it isn't part of my 40+ hours/week. Meaning if I worked 8 hours, I'd be at work for 8.5 hours, the half hour to account for my unpaid lunch break.

I have never been a hair stylist but I have been a customer. I suggest that if you want to make a change, do it. The shop I go to now has stylist that come in at different hours or different days, depending on the shops needs or the stylists availabilities. Before I went to this shop I used to go to Fantastic Sam's, the stylists there all worked different hours.

Thanks Bargoo Yes, the salons are very flexible with hours here too.

Cherry, I'd be working on hourly wage plus tips. I only get comission once I exceed pulling in a certain amount of money but they give you whichever is the greater amount.

I never honestly knew how hair stylists got paid since I've seen ads in certain places that say 'chair rentals available' so I figured that somehow you paid to work in a shop and maybe took the rest home.

you can do that too. But you need a lot of clientele or you end up losing money

Some salons have a built in clientele where you get paid hourly plus tips but the company gets the money for services, others pay you on comission. You can also rent a chair once you have a large following and then you are your own boss. Set your own hours and collect all fees and tips. It takes a few years to really build up a following but once you do you can make a killing.

I used to work at an upscale hotel in Chicago and the hotel owner's wife and kids were my clients and they would tip me $100 cash. I made pretty good money there but the commute was too much. Then I got offered a chance to work in medical. I figure the more trades I have under my belt the better.

I'm just completely burned out in this field and remember being very happy as a stylist but I was young at the time so I didn't take it seriously enough. I partied too much and didn't focus on my career.

I guess there aren't too many stylists here. No worries I will figure this out, I have friends that are stylists but I was looking for opinions from unbiased people that I don't know. I just sent out another resume for a Dental Assistant position. I will keep trying and if all else fails; Cosmetology it is. I will make it work somehow.

I worked my way through college doing hair and LOVED it! I knew that there was no way I could go to school without having a pretty full time job so I did a vo-tech program in my high school.

I worked at a men's salon in a college town and made BANK! I think that depending on where you work and how much you are able to charge for your services you can absolutely make $30k/yr!

I don't know where you live but working in a men's place is SO fun!