Esthetician
Licensed local services
Skin care treatments require physical touch, client relationships, and licensed technique that cannot be replicated remotely.
- BLS median pay
- $41,010 (May 2024)
- Job outlook
- 15% growth, 2024-34
- Training path
- State program, 3-12 months
- Entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- None
- Physical demand
- Medium
- Category
- Licensed local services
- AI resilience
- Moderate
Why This Role Is More Resilient
This career has meaningful AI resilience. Hands-on work, physical presence, and specialized training provide a degree of protection, though some tasks may be affected by automation over time.
Best For
People who enjoy beauty, wellness, and client relationships and want a licensed practice with a realistic path to self-employment.
Avoid If
Standing all day, irregular income as a booth renter, and licensing hours that vary wildly by state sound difficult.
First Step to Research
Check your state's required training hours — they range from 260 to 1,500 hours — and find an accredited esthetics school.
How to Start: First Jobs, Common Mistakes, and Fit
Distilled from how working people and job postings describe the entry path. Use it for direction, then verify licensing, pay, and program details locally.
First job titles to search
Entry roles often aren't posted under "Esthetician." Search and apply under these titles too:
- Esthetician
- Licensed esthetician
- Spa esthetician
- Wax specialist
- Lash artist
- Medspa esthetician
- Skincare specialist
Common beginner mistakes to avoid
- Searching only "Esthetician" and missing the real beginner titles: Esthetician, Licensed esthetician, Spa esthetician, Wax specialist.
- Paying for training before verifying local employer demand and official eligibility.
- Assuming national wage data equals local first-year pay.
- Buying tools, products, equipment, or supplies before receiving a real list.
- Ignoring schedule, commute, physical strain, and first-setting realities.
Signs this could be a good fit
- You enjoy close client service.
- You can market yourself and retain clients.
- You can tolerate variable income while building a book.
- You care about sanitation, boundaries, and body mechanics.
Warning signs it may not be
- You need stable income immediately.
- You dislike self-promotion and client retention.
- Rent/booth/suite costs would create pressure before clients exist.
- You are uncomfortable with close personal service.
What This Pays in Your State
Esthetician salary & licensing by state
Real state and metro wages, license steps, and where to train as an esthetician in every state we cover:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources and Verification
Pay, education, training, and outlook data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Skincare specialists. Verified 2026-06-13. Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 39-5094 / Occupational Information Network (O*NET) 39-5094.00.
View BLS Occupational Outlook · View O*NET Profile
National median pay is a starting point only. State licensing, local wages, training costs, clinical placement rates, and local employer demand vary. Always verify with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, state licensing boards, and local training providers before making a decision.