Spa, medspa & solo suite
Esthetician
Skincare is the service; retail and rebooking are the business.
Typical pay
$34k-$75k
How you get in
600-750 hour program plus state license
Outlook
Growing fast, especially in medical aesthetics
Estheticians perform facials, waxing, chemical peels and other skin treatments. Medical spa work pays substantially more than day spa work, and renting a suite pays more than either if you can fill it.
A day in the life
- 9:30aSet the room, review client charts and contraindications
- 10:00aNinety-minute facial with extractions
- 12:00pWaxing appointments, back to back
- 1:30pLunch and restock
- 2:30pChemical peel and a consultation
- 6:00pSanitize, laundry, post to social and confirm tomorrow
How to get in
Esthetics school and licensure
Duration
6-12 months
Cost
$5,000-$18,000
Credential
State esthetician license
- Complete your state's required hours at a licensed school
- Pass the written and practical state board exams
- Start at a spa or franchise for volume and repetitions
- Build a book, then consider a suite or medspa role
Medical esthetics
Duration
6-12 months plus advanced training
Cost
$8,000-$30,000
Credential
License plus laser and advanced modality certifications
- Get your base esthetician license
- Add laser, microneedling and advanced peel certifications
- Work under a physician or nurse injector in a medspa
- Substantially higher pay than the day spa track
Solo suite
Duration
1-2 years after licensure
Cost
$3,000-$15,000 for equipment, rent and insurance
Credential
License plus business registration and insurance
- Build a loyal client book while employed
- Rent a suite rather than taking a commission split
- Handle your own booking, retail and marketing
- Keep the full service price instead of a spa split
What people love
- · Licensed in under a year
- · Medspa and laser work pays well
- · Suite rental means keeping the full rate
- · Product retail adds real income
What wears people down
- · Day spa pay is low without retail commission
- · Building a client book takes a year or more
- · Hands, wrists and shoulders take a beating
- · Chemical exposure and strict sanitation rules