Approximately 225,000 people work in the beauty industry, of which 87% are female. On the other hand, the technology industry employs about 2.5 million people, but only 19% are female. Yet, when the average tech salary is double what young women can earn in the beauty industry, why are they choosing beauty over tech? This article looks at technology vs beauty careers and how young women can have the best of both worlds.

Instagram is the most popular social media platform for young women. A search here for #beauty reveals 512 million results, but there are only #1.7 million posts for #womenintech. When we are so easily influenced by what we see, it’s easy to see why young women choose careers in beauty over technology.

When we think of beauty jobs, the job titles that spring to mind are hairdresser, Beauty Therapist, Makeup Artist, or Image Consultant. However, you may never have heard of many lesser-known career paths in beauty tech. Many of these jobs pay at least twice the salary of the average beauty therapist and don’t require you to be standing on your feet full-time.

How is Technology Used in the Beauty Industry?

Technology is becoming more widely used within the beauty industry. Below are just a few examples.

Physical retail stores have long been the main focus of the beauty industry because that’s where consumers used to spend the most money. We enjoyed walking into a store and trying on the latest lipstick colours. However, the coronavirus crisis highlighted the need for change.

Nobody wanted to buy cosmetics online because they couldn’t see what suited them. Consumers needed a new way to sample beauty products, and beauty brands required a new way to share their creations with us. The race was on for the top brands to implement augmented reality on their websites. This technology allows us to try on the latest cosmetic products from the comfort of our own homes.

Having the technology to try new products at home also means that brands can analyse our responses. This functionality enables them to create more products they know we will love.

What Career Opportunities Are There in Beauty Tech?

Searching social media for beauty technology brings up images of nail technicians’ creations or the latest tech tools used by beauty experts. However, the beauty tech industry goes way beyond applying makeup and sculpting false nails.

According to Business Insider, only seven major organisations control 182 of the most popular beauty brands.

L’Oreal
Johnson & Johnson
Estée Lauder
Shisheido
Unilever
Procter & Gamble
Coty

There is stiff competition between these organisations to control how we think and feel about beauty, moreover, how we buy beauty products. It’s no surprise that they are all competing to become the number one beauty tech brand.

This rivalry creates many exciting global IT, digital, and marketing job opportunities in almost every major city. So if you’re contemplating technology vs beauty careers, you can have the best of both worlds. Below are just a few examples of technology and marketing jobs available in beauty tech.

Online Brand Manager
Product Manager
E-commerce Executive
Growth Manager
Data Scientist
BI Analyst
Visual Merchandising Manager
IT Solution Architect
Cybersecurity Manager (where women’s talent is much needed)
Influencer Marketing and Communications Manager

What is the Highest Paying Job in Beauty Tech?

In general, beauty tech salaries are much higher than the £20,000 average of a beauty therapist. Below are just a few examples of high-paying jobs in beauty tech and jobs in beauty e-commerce.

Brand Manager

As a Brand Manager for a beauty brand, it is your job to find new ways to connect with your audience, generate interest in new products and increase sales. The average Brand Manager in the UK earns between £30,000 and £60,000 per annum.

Global Marketing Manager

Imagine being responsible for the marketing budget of an entire beauty brand on a global scale. In this job, you are the one who decides on the best marketing strategy to grow the business. Of course, you wouldn’t do this alone, but have a team of marketers working for you. This job would also likely present opportunities to travel. On average, Global Marketing Managers earn between £35,000 and £75,000 per year.

Digital Project Manager

How exciting would it be to be in charge of digital projects that enable consumers to connect with beauty brands in new ways online? If you’re the type of person, who gets a kick out of coordinating workflows and seeing a plan through to fruition, being a Digital Project Manager could be the ideal job for you. Salaries for this job title range between £30,000 and £90,000 annually.

Software Engineer

Software Engineers play a big part in enabling consumers to try and buy beauty treatments and skin care online. They take the company’s big ideas for new ways of promoting and engineering the code that brings those ideas to life. On average, Software Engineer salaries can fall between £25,000 and £90,000.

Any of the above job roles will likely require a computer science or marketing university degree. However, it is possible to climb the digital career ladder by gaining experience in the industry through an apprenticeship scheme.

A Few Final Thoughts on Technology vs Beauty Careers

For high-paying jobs in the beauty industry, it’s time to look beyond the beauty counter. You can lead a glamorous life and earn a high salary in the beauty industry while working in tech. You might even get the opportunity to travel.

The beauty industry is fiercely competitive if you want to make big bucks. However, the beauty tech sector is suffering a major skills shortage, so it is possible to attain a high salary if you have the skills.

If you’re interested in any of the job roles mentioned above, why not check out our latest jobs page to find out what employers are currently looking for? And if you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media.