Western Suffolk BOCES Cosmetology (Certificate): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Certificate in Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
- Public school
- Northport, NY
- About 42 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Western Suffolk BOCES cosmetology graduates earn about what cosmetology graduates earn nationally, $17,906 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $7,210 in federal loans, less than at 85% of cosmetology programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying cosmetology programs in New York.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The New York and national columns are the medians across all cosmetology certificate programs that report the figure.
Five years out, Western Suffolk BOCES graduates earn more than the national figure and about $6,101 more than the New York median.
Debt and first-year pay at every New York cosmetology program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the New York medians.
Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.
What graduates earn over time
Pay rises about 66% between the first and fifth year. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in New York earn a median of $35,760 across all experience levels, which shows how much room there is to grow after the first few years.
Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate. BLS figures cover hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists at every experience level.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $76 a month, or 5.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
93% of graduates (43 of 46) were working in New York one year after graduating. Prices in the New York area are about 13% above the national average, so a $17,906 salary here buys what about $15,908 buys in a typical US city.
The median New York cosmetologist earns $35,760, compared with a national median of $35,790. After adjusting for New York prices, that pay is worth about $33,135, which puts New York behind.
Careers this field leads to
These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to cosmetology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
$35,760Median pay in New York. 20,740 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 73,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.
Manicurists and Pedicurists
$34,660Median pay in New York. 19,710 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 21,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers
$58,900Median pay in New York. 8,580 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.
Skincare Specialists
$42,910Median pay in New York. 3,510 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.
About Western Suffolk BOCES
Cosmetology ranks 4th of 4 certificate programs at Western Suffolk BOCES by first-year earnings. The top three are Diagnostic and Treatment Professions ($69,774), Practical Nursing ($55,150), and Vehicle Maintenance and Repair ($43,952).
Other cosmetology certificate programs near Northport
Common questions
The median graduate earns $17,906 one year after graduating and $29,809 five years after. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in the New York metro area earn a median of $36,120 across all experience levels.
The median federal loan balance is $7,210, which ranks 14th lowest of 29 cosmetology certificate programs in New York. That works out to about $76 a month over 10 years.
On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 40% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 55%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several New York programs report higher pay.
Most do. 93% (43 of 46) were working in New York one year after graduating.
About this data
- Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
- Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
- Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
- Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of New York comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
- Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
- School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the cosmetology program.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024