Salary information for beauty consultant roles is frustrating to find. Job listings show ranges so wide they're almost meaningless. Glassdoor numbers are all over the map. And nobody talks about the difference between base pay, commissions, and the actual hours you can expect.
Let's fix that. Here's what beauty consultant positions actually pay in 2026, broken down by retailer, role type, and region. These numbers come from current job listings, industry surveys, and conversations with people doing the work.
Understanding the Pay Structure
Before getting into specific numbers, you need to understand how beauty retail pay works. Most positions are hourly, not salaried. Most are part-time. And commission structures vary significantly between retailers and brands.
When calculating what you'll actually earn, three factors matter: hourly rate, average weekly hours, and whether commission or bonuses exist. A $16/hour job at 25 hours per week pays differently than a $14/hour job at 35 hours with commission potential.
Also worth noting: most entry-level beauty positions don't include benefits. Health insurance, 401k contributions, and paid time off typically come with full-time positions, which are less common at the entry level. Factor this into your calculations if you're comparing beauty retail to jobs that include benefits.
Ulta Beauty Pay Ranges
Ulta is the largest specialty beauty retailer in the US, and they hire more Beauty Advisors than anyone else. Here's what different roles pay:
Beauty Advisor
The entry-level position. You'll work across the store, help customers, restock shelves, and run the register. Current pay ranges from $12 to $16 per hour, depending on location and experience.
Smaller markets in the South and Midwest tend toward the lower end. Major metro areas (New York, LA, Chicago, Seattle) pay closer to the top. Brand new hires typically start at the lower end of the local range and can expect small raises after six months to a year.
Most Beauty Advisor positions are part-time, averaging 20-28 hours per week. Full-time (32+ hours) positions exist but usually go to more experienced staff.
At $14/hour and 24 hours per week, you're looking at about $336/week before taxes, or around $17,500 annually.
Prestige Beauty Advisor
The step up from regular Beauty Advisor, focused on higher-end brands. Pay runs $14 to $19 per hour, with the same geographic variations.
Prestige positions sometimes offer slightly more hours than entry-level roles, averaging 24-32 hours per week. The higher hourly rate plus more hours can mean a meaningful income bump.
At $17/hour and 28 hours per week, you're looking at about $476/week, or roughly $24,700 annually.
Ulta Commission and Bonuses
Ulta doesn't operate on a traditional commission model where you earn a percentage of each sale. However, there are performance incentives. Stores have sales goals, and hitting them can result in bonuses for staff. The structure and amounts vary by store and period.
Don't count on bonuses as a significant part of your income. They're nice when they happen, but they're not reliable enough to factor into your budget.
Sephora Pay Ranges
Sephora positions itself as prestige-only, and the pay reflects that. It's generally higher than Ulta across comparable roles.
Beauty Advisor
Sephora's Beauty Advisor role is comparable to Ulta's Prestige position in terms of focus and customer service expectations. Pay ranges from $15 to $19 per hour for most markets, with major metro areas sometimes hitting $20-21.
Like Ulta, most positions are part-time (20-30 hours), with full-time roles available for more experienced staff.
At $17/hour and 25 hours per week, expect about $425/week or roughly $22,000 annually.
Operations and Lead Roles
Sephora has positions between Beauty Advisor and management: Operations Lead, Sales Lead, and similar titles. These typically pay $18-23 per hour and often come with more consistent hours, sometimes full-time.
Sephora Commission
Sephora does not pay commission. It's straight hourly. Some people prefer this because there's no pressure to upsell aggressively. Others wish there was a way to earn more based on personal performance.
Department Store Counter Pay
Department store beauty counters (Macy's, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, etc.) operate differently. You're usually employed by the brand rather than the store, and commission is more common.
Counter Staff
Base pay for beauty counter positions at department stores typically runs $12-16 per hour. However, many positions include commission on top of base pay, which can significantly increase earnings.
Commission structures vary by brand. Some pay 2-5% of sales. Others have tiered structures where commission kicks in after hitting a threshold. The exact terms depend on the brand you're representing.
A counter rep making $14/hour base with a 3% commission who works busy shifts could realistically add $100-200 per week in commission. During slow periods, commission might be minimal.
Counter Manager
Counter managers oversee a specific brand's counter and typically have more experience. Base pay ranges from $16-22 per hour, plus commission. Some counter managers at high-volume locations earn $40,000-50,000+ annually when combining base pay and commission.
Hours at Department Stores
Department stores often offer more consistent hours than specialty retail, especially for counter positions. Full-time is more common, which also means potential access to benefits.
Mass Retail: CVS, Walgreens, Target
Beauty advisor roles at mass retailers exist but are less specialized. You're not just covering beauty; you might handle general merchandising too.
Pay typically ranges from $13-17 per hour, similar to general retail roles at these companies. There's usually no commission. The work is less beauty-focused than at specialty retailers, and training opportunities are more limited.
These positions can be a starting point if you can't land a specialty retail role, but they won't develop your beauty expertise the same way.
Freelance Pay Rates
Freelance beauty work (representing brands at retail locations without being a store employee) has its own pay structure.
Entry-level freelance rates typically run $18-22 per hour. Experienced freelancers with brand-specific training can earn $22-28 per hour. Top freelancers with extensive credentials and reliability records can command $30+ for premium assignments.
The catch: hours are variable. You might work 30 hours one week and 10 the next. Busy seasons are lucrative; slow periods can be lean. Annual income depends heavily on how many shifts you can secure.
A freelancer averaging 20 hours per week at $24/hour would gross about $25,000 annually. Someone hustling for 35 hours per week at the same rate would hit around $43,500.
Regional Salary Differences
Location matters more for beauty retail pay than many people realize. The same role can pay very differently depending on where you work.
High-Cost Metro Areas
Cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, and Washington DC tend to pay at the top of any given range. An Ulta Beauty Advisor in Manhattan might start at $16-17, while the same role in rural Oklahoma might start at $12-13.
Higher pay in these areas often just tracks with higher living costs. A $17/hour job in San Francisco doesn't go as far as $14/hour in a smaller city.
State Minimum Wage Impact
States with higher minimum wages push beauty retail pay up. California, Washington, New York, and Massachusetts have minimums above the federal level, which raises the floor for all retail positions.
In states with lower minimums (Texas, Florida, most of the Southeast), entry-level pay tends to be lower.
Urban vs. Suburban vs. Rural
Even within the same state, pay varies by location. Urban stores generally pay more than suburban, which pay more than rural. The difference can be $1-3 per hour for the same role.
What This Means Annually
Let's translate hourly rates into annual numbers, assuming no commission:
$12/hour at 24 hours/week = roughly $15,000/year
$14/hour at 24 hours/week = roughly $17,500/year
$16/hour at 28 hours/week = roughly $23,300/year
$18/hour at 32 hours/week = roughly $30,000/year
$20/hour at 40 hours/week = roughly $41,600/year
Most entry-level beauty advisor positions fall in the $15,000-25,000 annual range because of part-time hours. Moving into full-time, management-track, or commission roles is how people push toward $30,000+ in beauty retail.
Increasing Your Earning Potential
If you want to earn more in beauty retail, here are the paths that actually work:
Move from entry-level to prestige or specialized roles. The pay bump from Beauty Advisor to Prestige Beauty Advisor is real, typically $2-4 more per hour.
Get more hours. Part-time is the norm at entry level, but proving yourself can lead to full-time. Full-time at $16/hour beats part-time at $18/hour.
Pursue commission-based counter positions. Department store counters with commission structures offer the highest earning potential for non-management roles.
Move into management. Lead roles, assistant management, and store management all pay more. A Sephora Assistant Manager might earn $45,000-55,000. A Store Director at Ulta can earn $60,000+.
Go brand-side. Brand educator, field sales, and account executive roles pay significantly more than retail positions. These jobs typically require retail experience as a foundation.
The Bottom Line
Entry-level beauty consultant positions pay modestly. If you're working part-time at Ulta or Sephora, expect to earn $15,000-25,000 annually. Commission-based department store positions can push that higher, and full-time roles approach $30,000.
The money improves as you advance: lead roles, management positions, and brand-side jobs offer much better compensation. But those take time to reach.
Be realistic about the starting point. Beauty retail at the entry level is not a high-paying career. It can be a rewarding job with genuine opportunities for growth, but the growth requires time, effort, and often a willingness to move between companies and roles.
Know the numbers before you commit. That way, you can make an informed choice about whether beauty retail fits your financial needs and goals.