The Salary of a Cosmetic Representative
- Cosmetics representatives are both sales people and beauty advisors; a large part of marketing their products is demonstrating their use and assisting customers in selecting the cosmetics that compliment skin tones and nourish skin types. Representatives who are employed by a retail location are required to spend long hours on their feet and do the sometimes heavy physical work of stocking and displaying cosmetic products. Many cosmetic representatives are independent contractors who are required to cultivate their clientele individually, order, deliver and collect for their products as well as pay the supplying company and maintain a supply of catalogs and samples. Whether a store employee or independent, a cosmetic representatives' primary job is to provide a level of service that creates and maintains repeat clientele.
- The Department of Labor recommends that those seeking a career as a sales representative obtain a college education and suggests majors like business and marketing. The cosmetics industry provides entry opportunities for aspiring representatives of all education levels; direct sales retailers like Mary Kay and Avon have no educational requirements. There are also no experience requirements to become a cosmetic representative with the direct retailers; aspirants pay between 10 and 100 dollars to obtain their sales kits and representative identification. Brick and mortar retailers conversely often require two to five years retail, cosmetic or customer service experience. Many cosmetic representatives began as temporary employees in department store settings who did well and were recommended to cosmetic companies for full time employment.
- Cosmetic representatives enjoy a variety of employment options. In addition to cosmetic specialty stores and independent sales, there are opportunities with the cosmetic companies, in the movie and theater industries and upscale salons and event planners. Some industry positions are in research and development, but the majority of cosmetic representatives focus on ensuring their customers look their best.
- Cosmetic representatives who are retail employees have career paths that may lead first to counter manager, then account manager, trainer and eventually buyer or account executive. According to Page Rank Studios "After five years with a 5 percent raise annually, the average salary is $30,000 to $35,000 a year," while an account manager can earn $150,000. Independent representatives become team managers almost upon enrollment; they are required to recruit and train their personal team members from the onset, though their manager or upline will help with the process in the beginning. "For independent sales representatives, the earnings depend completely on commissions. If they sell nothing, they make nothing. Many independents make only about $100 a month," states Page Rank. The career track of an independent is closely related to that of a retail employee, and executive earnings exceed 100,000 dollars. The primary difference is that promotions for independents are earned solely through sales numbers where employees likely have other qualifications like cooperation, company loyalty and relationships with co-workers into consideration.