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Esthetician Salary

Esthetician Salaries By Percentile
Percentile 10% 25% 50% 75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.39 $9.50 $13.77 $18.53 $24.95
Annual Wage $17,460 $19,770 $28,640 $38,550 $51,900

How much does an esthetician make? According to bls.gov, estheticians can expect to make a median annual salary of $28,920.

There are several things that can affect an esthetician’s salary. If an esthetician works privately, he or she will be paid more than those estheticians working for a spa.

Medical estheticians are also paid more than spa estheticians. Medical estheticians are specialists who work in a medical facility. The salary of an esthetician can also be affected by location. Since there are more people in a city who require the personal services that estheticians provide, estheticians working in a metropolitan area will generally earn more than those working in a rural location.

Furthermore, the cost of living is higher in highly populated areas which also explains the increase in pay. Experience in the industry will further impact salary. More skilled esthetician who have been practicing in the field for several years will command a higher salary than those estheticians who are fresh out of a cosmetology program.

Estheticians often work a varied schedule consisting of long hours depending on their place of employment. If employed at a doctor’s office, estheticians are likely to work regular business hours, Monday through Friday. However, if employed at a spa, estheticians could work evening and weekend hours. Similarly, estheticians who are self -employed can potentially work long hours involving nights and weekends. Estheticians can be employed full or part-time. A breakdown of the full process of becoming an esthetician can be found here.

There are several facets to look into when one is considering any career, and the same holds true in the case of the esthetician. One such aspect that can have a big impact on whether one takes this career and how it is shaped, is what to expect in terms of pay. Since pay is dependent upon a large variety of factors, we will outline and discuss the most important ones below, in order to help potential newcomers to the field make an informed choice.

Is a Career as an Esthetician a Good Investment?

There are many branches of skincare today, and each one contains a variety of jobs for those who have a career in some form of cosmetology in mind. In fact, steady growth in the broad field of cosmetology, including both medical and non-medical skincare fields, is expected to continue until at least 2024.
With this in mind, it may seem like a good idea to begin your studies after locating an accredited school featuring a dedicated teaching staff with the right coursework available.

However, a strong positive trend in the field is only a part of the equation when asking the question of whether a job is right for you. It’s also a good idea to look at how pay and income are trending, both on average and in specialty cases. This can help you get a clearer idea of what an investment in school and clinical hours might look like, in relation to what you’ll be earning.

We know it’s helpful to find as much information on the subject as possible. We’ve centralized some of the most important aspects of the field of an esthetician as they relate to pay.

Some of the most important factors we will cover are:

  • Median Income
  • Income for Medical Estheticians
  • Income for Private Estheticians
  • Location-Related Income
  • Experience-Related Income

Salary

How much does an esthetician make? According to bls.gov, estheticians can expect to make a median annual salary of $28,920.

There are several things that can affect an esthetician’s salary. If an esthetician works privately, he or she will be paid more than those estheticians working for a spa.

Medical estheticians are also paid more than spa estheticians. Medical estheticians are specialists who work in a medical facility. The salary of an esthetician can also be affected by location. Since there are more people in a city who require the personal services that estheticians provide, estheticians working in a metropolitan area will generally earn more than those working in a rural location.

Furthermore, the cost of living is higher in highly populated areas which also explains the increase in pay. Experience in the industry will further impact salary. More skilled esthetician who have been practicing in the field for several years will command a higher salary than those estheticians who are fresh out of a cosmetology program.

Estheticians often work a varied schedule consisting of long hours depending on their place of employment. If employed at a doctor’s office, estheticians are likely to work regular business hours, Monday through Friday. However, if employed at a spa, estheticians could work evening and weekend hours. Similarly, estheticians who are self -employed can potentially work long hours involving nights and weekends. Estheticians can be employed full or part-time.

Annual Income

Although the median income for estheticians can still vary by location, there is a reasonable number that new estheticians can expect. We will also discuss the best locations for highest yearly pay.

Non-Medical Esthetician

A non-medical esthetician–that is, one who has chosen to work in a spa or massage parlor chain such as Massage Envy for example–can expect to make a starting salary of around $35,000. This can change based on location, as estheticians are in higher demand in metropolitan as opposed to rural areas. As well, certain non-medical industries in higher demand generally pay slightly above the regular rate. For example, many department stores are actively looking for estheticians to join as part of their beauty departments, and therefore often offer slightly above the norm salaries, around $37,000.

Medical Esthetician

A medical esthetician–one who may work as a nurse or otherwise alongside a medical practice such as dermatology–tends to make somewhat higher income due to their training and background. Starting licensed medical estheticians can expect to make around $41,000.
Certain in-demand industries in the medical field also pay slightly higher. Although it is a very small percentage of the field, outpatient care currently tends to provide the highest income, at around $42,000.

Top Paying Industries

Industry Employment % of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean salary
Outpatient Care 320 0.05 $20.52 $42,680
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 90 <.005 $19.47 $40,500
Physician’s Offices 3,600 0.15 $18.95 $39,420
Department Stores 330 0.02 $17.87 $37,180
Pharmacy Wholesalers $16.58 $34,500

Income by State

As stated, a more populated, centralized location is more likely to receive a higher volume of clients interested in the types of services offered by an esthetician. Although rural areas will still see some traffic as individuals are in need of skincare services regardless.

Within the more metro areas, there is some differentiation in terms of job outlook and availability, as certain cities are “on the rise” in terms of the demand for cosmetology services.

The top 5 states in terms of pay for estheticians are currently:

  • Alaska
  • Oregon
  • D.C.
  • New Hampshire
  • Arkansas

There are a variety of factors that an affect this, and if you currently live in one of these states and are considering a career as an esthetician, it’s a good idea to look intowhich cities are increasing the number of cosmetology-related workers, and why. Although these are some of the highest paying areas, there are still other states with high demand for estheticians. Some of these include California, Florida, Hawaii, Texas and Los Angeles. While reasons for this are myriad, these states often see more sun, and thus more residents seek skincare treatment options year round.
 
Other population centers such as NTC, Michigan, NJ, and Colorado are also becoming increasingly popular choices. Even Canada is looking to hire competent, up and coming estheticians who have studied at credentialed US schools.

Top Paying States

State Hourly mean Wage Annual mean salary # Employed Employment/1000 jobs
Alaska $22.68 $47,170
Oregon $20.28 $42,180 310 0.19
District of Columbia $19.79 $41,160 140 0.22
New Hampshire $19.43 $40,410 120 0.19
Arkansas $19.02 $39,560 120 0.11

Salary By State

State 10% 25% Median 75% 90% Jobs (2010) Jobs (2020) Outlook
Alabama 480 620 +29%
Alaska $20,400 $31,500 $50,900 $65,900 $72,700 40 40 +19%
Arizona $17,400 $20,500 $33,400 $40,900 $48,100 890 1,150 +29%
Arkansas $25,200 $31,800 $36,500 $51,300 $57,700 180 220 +22%
California $18,600 $24,900 $30,300 $43,400 $56,500 6,500 8,100 +25%
Colorado $18,000 $22,000 $32,700 $50,400 $59,500 1,360 1,730 +27%
Connecticut $17,800 $18,400 $19,300 $36,900 $61,600 1,040 1,230 +18%
Delaware
District of Columbia $19,400 $24,100 $35,700 $52,200 $71,500
Florida $17,300 $19,300 $28,700 $35,500 $44,100 4,020 4,840 +20%
Georgia $16,000 $17,000 $18,600 $25,700 $35,800 1,560 2,050 +32%
Hawaii $17,900 $24,900 $27,700 $30,500 $50,500 400 490 +23%
Idaho $16,700 $18,800 $23,600 $37,100 $55,500 230 300 +30%
Illinois $18,300 $20,300 $27,200 $37,000 $51,000 1,890 2,490 +32%
Iowa $16,500 $18,300 $24,500 $29,300 $37,000 110 130 +20%
Kansas 320 400 +23%
Kentucky $15,700 $16,600 $18,100 $20,900 $35,700 90 120 +33%
Louisiana $16,100 $17,100 $18,800 $26,800 $34,600 510 590 +16%
Maine $17,300 $22,100 $36,300 $43,000 $46,600 150 170 +18%
Maryland $19,000 $24,900 $30,100 $38,100 $49,400 760 910 +21%
Massachusetts $22,900 $28,500 $34,500 $41,500 $54,100 2,110 2,680 +27%
Michigan $16,300 $17,500 $19,500 $30,300 $42,400 1,310 1,580 +21%
Minnesota $17,000 $19,200 $28,200 $40,900 $64,000 750 920 +22%
Mississippi $16,100 $17,300 $19,600 $22,700 $25,400
Missouri $17,200 $20,700 $32,600 $36,600 $44,500 670 770 +15%
Montana $17,600 $24,100 $31,000 $36,500 $50,000
Nebraska $18,400 $26,100 $34,400 $41,900 $45,700 280 330 +18%
Nevada $16,000 $17,000 $18,700 $22,900 $50,600 610 710 +17%
New Hampshire $22,000 $27,700 $41,900 $51,400 $57,800 270 330 +24%
New Jersey $20,400 $24,400 $27,900 $32,100 $41,500 750 910 +21%
New Mexico $17,100 $19,200 $49,000 $55,200 $58,900
New York $18,900 $22,900 $32,200 $42,700 $48,500 2,820 3,650 +30%
North Carolina $19,200 $24,100 $29,700 $37,100 $56,000 410 530 +28%
North Dakota 60 60 +11%
Ohio $16,800 $18,000 $21,700 $30,800 $43,300 1,580 1,950 +23%
Oklahoma $16,100 $17,400 $20,600 $28,900 $38,500
Oregon $22,400 $27,100 $36,900 $48,200 $81,900 250 300 0%
Pennsylvania $17,000 $19,600 $22,700 $28,500 $37,700 2,400 2,850 +18%
Rhode Island $18,500 $22,100 $32,800 $41,200 $46,900 280 340 +20%
South Carolina $16,200 $17,600 $20,900 $28,400 $41,900 240 260 +6%
South Dakota
Tennessee $16,500 $18,100 $24,200 $33,700 $44,700 600 780 +30%
Texas $17,400 $21,000 $28,800 $42,100 $48,200 3,640 4,700 +29%
Utah $21,300 $25,200 $29,400 $37,600 $44,500 970 1,300 +33%
Vermont $19,700 $24,600 $27,300 $30,000 $47,700 140 150 +13%
Virginia $16,100 $17,300 $19,300 $43,100 $56,700 1,500 1,860 +24%
Washington $19,000 $19,400 $34,100 $44,900 $58,300 1,420 1,600 +12%
West Virginia
Wisconsin $17,200 $20,000 $30,500 $37,100 $47,100 970 1,160 +19%
Wyoming $19,200 $22,400 $33,300 $41,300 $45,900 20 20 +10%

Income by Experience

As one might expect, income tends to increase as one puts in more work in the field, gaining experience, trust, and a base clientele. Experienced estheticians can statistically make over 30% more than novices, once they’ve put in a requisite number of years in the field. An experienced esthetician at the top of their career could expect to earn a minimum of $60,000.

The majority of estheticians working today have between 1 and 4 years of experience, with only 16% having more than 10 years of experience under them. These stats may be an added consideration when it comes to investing in the field.

Summing Up the Factors

In conclusion, you can see that the pay scale for estheticians relies on a variety of different facets of the business. Certainly, it will take some time, patience and dedication to the craft in order to build up a solid client base and reputation for success. But once done, you’ll have every opportunity to become a highly sought after, master esthetician at the top of the field.

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