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Role hub · Skincare Specialists

Esthetician: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of estheticians earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$45,330
Hourly
$21.79
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Estheticians provide skincare treatments to face and body to enhance an individual's appearance. The median pay is $45,330 a year ($21.79 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (39% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$45,330
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
72,890
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 3 of 5
medium preparation
Most common education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
39% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Skincare Specialists (O*NET-SOC 39-5094.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Explore the role

Every page for Estheticians

SalaryEsthetician salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeEsthetician how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumeEsthetician resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Career changeEsthetician career change

Where these skills transfer, with skill match and pay change.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What estheticians do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Sterilize equipment and clean work areas.
  2. Cleanse clients' skin with water, creams, or lotions.
  3. Demonstrate how to clean and care for skin properly and recommend skin-care regimens.
  4. Determine which products or colors will improve clients' skin quality and appearance.
  5. Keep records of client needs and preferences and the services provided.
  6. Treat the facial skin to maintain and improve its appearance, using specialized techniques and products, such as peels and masks.
  7. Examine clients' skin, using magnifying lamps or visors when necessary, to evaluate skin condition and appearance.
  8. Perform simple extractions to remove blackheads.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

SpeakingcoreService OrientationcoreActive ListeningcoreMonitoringSocial PerceptivenessReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingCoordinationComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, Administration and Management, Education and Training, English Language, Administrative.

Tools and technology

Software estheticians use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft Office softwareOffice suite softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft PowerPointPresentation softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft WordWord processing softwareHot technology
  • Spa management softwareData base user interface and query software
  • Web browser softwareInternet browser software

Also called: Aesthetician, Clinical Esthetician, Electrologist, Facialist, Medical Esthetician.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).