Esthetician Schools in Texas
Texas could be the perfect place to start a career as an esthetician. The state was named the sixth-worst state for oily skin and the ninth most beauty-obsessed state—meaning its residents may really want your help.
Browse our directory of esthetician schools in Texas, or skip ahead to learn about the state's esthetician licensing requirements and job outlook.
Browse All Esthetician Schools in Texas
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6001 Middle Fiskville Road
Austin, TX 78752
19241 David Memorial Drive
Shenandoah, TX 77385
605 Southwest Military Drive
San Antonio, TX 78238
907 Highway 80
San Marcos, TX 78666
International Institute of Aesthetic Arts and Beauty
Allen, TX 75002
UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences – Accredited
San Antonio, TX 78201
UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences – Accredited
Harlingen, TX 78550
UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences – Accredited
San Antonio, TX 78214
You must attend school in the state you want to practice in. Most states require that you graduate from an accredited school. Learn more about the requirements in your state.
Related Beauty Careers
Not sure this is the right fit for you? Learn more about other career options in the beauty industry. Related specializations include:
Esthetician Schools Near Me
Check out the Esthetics/Skin Care schools these cities in Texas have to offer.
- Abilene / Sweetwater
- Amarillo
- Austin
- Beaumont / Port Arthur
- Corpus Christi
- Dallas
- El Paso / Las Cruces
- Harlingen / Weslaco / Brownsville / McAllen
- Houston
- Laredo
- Lubbock
- Odessa / Midland
- San Angelo
- San Antonio
- Tyler / Longview / Lufkin / Nacogdoches
- Victoria
- Waco / Temple / Bryan
- Wichita Falls / Lawton, OK
How to Become a Esthetician in Texas
- 750 education hours are required to become licensed.
- You must renew your license every 2 year.
- 4 continuing education hours are required to renew your license.
- The average salary for estheticians in Texas is $25,220 ($12.13/hour). This is higher than the national average of $34,090 ($16.39/hour).
- There is a predicted 20% job increase between 2016–2026 for estheticians. This is higher than the expected national growth of 11%.
Anyone who wants to work as an esthetician in the state of Texas must first meet a list of requirements. Specifically, you should:
Texas Esthetician Careers
Average yearly salary for esthetician in Texas
On average, estheticians in Texas earn $25,220 per year ($12.13/hour). The number of esthetician jobs in the state is predicted to grow by 20% between 2016-2026.
The highest-paying metro areas for estheticians in Texas are:
What to Expect From a Esthetician Program in Texas
Required to earn a esthetician license
To complete your program and earn your esthetician's license, you'll need to complete 750 hours of training in a state-licensed beauty school. During your studies, you'll cover a wide range of topics relevant to working as an esthetician, including anatomy and physiology, product chemistry, common treatments, and sanitation and safety. Schools are advised to split the 750 hours across the curriculum as follows:
It's important to verify your chosen school is licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Beauty schools are inspected regularly and are expected to meet a high standard of compliance–including providing separate areas for clinical work and instructional theory, monitoring student records, maintaining hygiene practices, and keeping their licenses renewed and up to date.
Estheticians in Texas aren't licensed to perform manicures. To do so, you must either complete 1,200 total hours of esthetician/manicure instruction or 600 hours of manicure instruction in addition to the hours for your esthetician license. If you already actively hold both licenses, you may upgrade to an esthetician/manicurist specialty license by submitting a completed application form and paying the non-refundable application fee of $50.
Can I Apprentice as an Esthetician in Texas?
Currently, it's not possible to train as an esthetician in Texas via apprenticeship.
Texas Esthetician Licensing Requirements
Once you've completed 750 hours of training at a state-licensed beauty school, you need to pass both written and practical exams to gain your esthetician's license. You must pass the written examination before you can sit for the practical examination. This eligibility lasts for five years, and you may re-take the test as many times as needed during this period–though you need to pay for each examination attempt separately. Written exams are $50 per attempt, and practical exams are $72.
Upon confirming your eligibility, the TDLR will contact you with instructions for scheduling an appointment to take the examinations, which are conducted by a third-party vendor (PSI) at many locations throughout the state. You can track your eligibility, progress, and exam results online at any time via the TDLR website.
Both exams are in English by default. However, you may be able to take them in Spanish of Vietnamese without extra fees. You may request to have the exam translated into other languages by contacting PSI and paying an additional cost. Additionally, all examination centers are equipped to provide access per the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and accommodations can be made to meet a candidate's needs.
On the day of your exam, you should arrive at the examination site 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time with a valid photo ID and all necessary supplies and equipment, as specified in the exam bulletin.
The written examination covers 75 scored items in total and takes one hour and 45 minutes to complete. Candidates must achieve a 70% to pass. Points are divided across the following areas:
The practical examination covers 87 scored items in total and takes 1 hour and 55 minutes to complete. Candidates must achieve a 70% to pass. The exam covers a range of different practical tasks, in the following order:
- Pre-examination set up and disinfection: 10 minutes
- Eyelash strip application: 14 minutes
- Cleansing: 14 minutes
- Steaming: seven minutes
- Massage: 17 minutes
- Mask and moisturizing: 17 minutes
- Waxing with soft wax: 14 minutes
- Blood exposure incident: 12 minutes
- End of examination disinfection: 10 minutes
Once you've finished the exam, your grade will be handed to you at the testing center, along with a score report showing your strengths and weaknesses as demonstrated in the exam.
Texas Esthetician Licensure Reciprocity
If you’re an esthetician in another state, you may be eligible for reciprocity in Texas, meaning you can use your currently active license in the state after meeting eligibility requirements.
Eligibility requirements vary according to the state you originally trained in. Once you've confirmed your license can be reciprocated, you'll need to do the following to gain licensure in Texas:
Special considerations are made for active-duty military, veterans, and military spouses.
Esthetician Specialties in Texas
Once you're trained and licensed as an esthetician, you may choose to specialize in specific areas of practice. This can also extend to non-cosmetology services, such as tanning, massage, and "medspa" services. For some medspa treatments, you need additional training.
For example, estheticians may specialize in exfoliation (removing dead cells from the surface of a client's skin) via microdermabrasion, which is commonly performed with a purpose-built device. Similarly, estheticians may specialize in removing excess accumulations of dead skin cells using "light" or "superficial" chemical peels, which are non-invasive and non-aggressive.
However, treatments going deeper to penetrate living tissue must be performed by licensed physicians only, and a standard esthetician's license would not cover this.
Esthetician License Renewal in Texas
License renewal period
Continuing education required
In the state of Texas, all estheticians need to renew their licenses every two years. To renew, you must complete four hours of department-approved continuing education courses and pay a $50 renewal fee.
You can begin your renewal 60 days before your license expires, and your continuing education can be completed at any time in the two years before your license expires.
If you're 65 years old or more and have held an esthetician's license for at least 15 years, you only need to complete one hour of continuing education on the topic of sanitation.
If your license has been expired for more than 90 days but less than 18 months, it may be renewed by paying a $100 fee. The same applies if your license has been expired for at least 18 months but less than three years, though you may also need additional approval from the licensure board's executive director. If your license has been expired for three years or more, you must apply for a new license and take your exams again.
License renewal may take several weeks to complete, so don't wait to begin the process–you cannot work as an esthetician in Texas once your license has expired.
Contact the Texas State Board of Esthetics
- PO Box 12157, Austin, TX 78711
- Website: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations
- Call: 512-463-6599
- Fax: 512-463-9468
Resources for Estheticians in Texas
Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation
This is the official state department for all matters relating to Texas licensure and career regulation.
PSI
This is the board that oversees all beauty school examinations within the state of Texas, including esthetician licenses and cosmetology.