Esthetician Job Description & Information

Jump to Your Question:

• Where can I find esthetician schools?
• What is an esthetician?
• How do I become an esthetician?
• How long is the esthetics program?
• What are esthetics licensing requirements?
• What are esthetician career opportunities?
• How much money does an esthetician make?
• What qualities should an esthetician have?
• VIDEO: How to Become a Licensed Esthetician

Where can I locate, compare, and contact esthetician schools?

If you're considering becoming an esthetician, the first step is to talk to esthetician schools about their programs, cost of tuition, curriculum and any other questions you have.

What is an esthetician?

If you love the field of cosmetology, but would like to specialize in the study of skin care, then an esthetician career or medical esthetician school may be right for you. When you've received your esthetician license, your job at a salon or spa is to make the customer feel pampered and relaxed by providing facials, pore cleansing and exfoliation treatments, body wraps and polishes, foot reflexology, aromatherapy and spa treatments as well as hair removal and waxing treatments.

Students who train to become estheticians learn about beautifying the skin through a variety of services, including facials, skin analysis, makeup artistry, pore cleansing, microdermabrasion techniques, European facial treatments, spa treatments using body polishes and wraps, aromatherapy and skin care regimens, foot reflexology, depilation and waxing, and eyebrow shaping and lash tinting.

Estheticians and medical esthetician schools also train you to recognize skin problems that require a dermatologist or a medical professional, and refer your clients for medical treatment if the skin problem is beyond the scope of the esthetician's job. Many skin care professionals also have the opportunity to become medical estheticians or paramedical estheticians and move into the medical field in places like dermatology offices or plastic surgery offices. To help you get your medical esthetician license, some advanced medical esthetician training may offer courses covering anatomy, physiology, chemistry and pathology of the skin, including bacteriology, disinfection, decontamination and infection control, first aid, and hygiene. However, some states do not recognize a medical esthetician license any differently than a standard esthetics license, so if you are considering a medical esthetician career, be sure to check your state cosmetology license requirements to make sure you know what training you need to complete.

What do I need to know about becoming an esthetician?

Becoming an esthetician will require specialized training at a cosmetology school or esthetician school. You will complete skin care training with experienced instructors by studying theory and practicing techniques in a classroom, as well as student salon or spa setting. There is also a lot of safety and sanitation training involved. Once you've completed your esthetician training at the school, you will then need to take the state licensing exam and you'll need to pass it to earn your esthetician license and begin your new career.

How long does it take to become a esthetician?

How long it takes to become a esthetician depends on whether you are completing your training as a full- or part-time student, as well as how many training hours your state requires. Full-time esthetician school can take as little as 4 to 6 months to complete the program, whereas part-time students could take up to 9 to 12 months. You should discuss the length of the esthetician program and class schedules directly with the esthetician schools or medical esthetician schools you are considering attending to help determine what is reasonable for you.

What are the esthetician license requirements?

Training and becoming an esthetician takes an average of 600 hours in most states, but this does vary from state to state. Some states require as many as 1,000 hours and some require as few as 250 hours. Look at our state license requirements page to find out how many hours your state requires. We try to keep our esthetics licensing information as accurate and up-to-date as possible, but we always recommend you contact the licensing department for your state to verify if there have been any changes in programs or required hours recently.

Students must also pass a state license exam at the completion of their esthetician course. If you are looking to move into the medical esthetics field, additional advanced courses may be required in your state, and in some of those states a paramedical esthetician license exam must be passed as well.

What are some of the esthetician career opportunities?

Becoming an esthetician can lead to many different career paths, including salon, spa and resort employment, manicurist, pedicurist or manager. Individuals who become estheticians could also find rewarding careers in cosmetics marketing, purchasing, or beauty consulting, while others move into the medical community as paramedical estheticians or esthetician training instructors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said in 2010 that they anticipate a 25% growth in esthetics jobs through the year 2020, faster than the average for all careers. Also, a study was recently released stating that spa industry revenue grew 4.5%, faster than the U.S. economy overall, so we anticipate continued growth for skin care professions.

What are the average esthetician salaries?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, esthetician salaries average $28,920 per year, but esthetician salary depends on a number of factors. Many estheticians choose to work part-time instead of full time, and salary has the potential to grow with experience, growing clientele, and increasing hours worked. Another thing the BLS data often does not account for accurately is the tips an esthetician may receive for their skin care services. For more information about beauty wages, compare the average esthetician salaries with the average cosmetology salaries.

What qualities does a esthetician need?

A good esthetician should be able to work well with their hands, and have a kind and approachable manner. They must be comfortable working with clients one-on-one, and should also be able to make the customer feel relaxed and be knowledgeable about their skin care needs, as well as the products used by various skin types. Be prepared to put a customers' mind at ease by staying on top of product interactions and the latest products and techniques for all skin types.

VIDEO: How to Become a Licensed Esthetician