What Do Manicurist or Pedicurist Do?
Position Description Clean and shape customers’ fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails.
Daily Life Of a Manicurist or Pedicurist
- Schedule client appointments and accept payments.
- Decorate clients’ nails by piercing or attaching ornaments or designs.
- Maintain supply inventories and records of client services.
- Advise clients on nail care and use of products and colors.
- Whiten underside of nails with white paste or pencils.
- Use rotary abrasive wheels to shape and smooth nails or artificial extensions.
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Manicurist or Pedicurist Required Skills
These are the skills Manicurists and Pedicurists say are the most useful in their careers:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Types of Manicurist or Pedicurist
- Manicurist
- Salon Manager
- Nail Technician
- Pedicurist
- Fingernail Former
Is There Going to be Demand for Manicurists and Pedicurists?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 126,300 jobs in the United States for Manicurist or Pedicurist. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 13.2% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 16,700 new jobs for Manicurist or Pedicurist by 2026. There will be an estimated 16,600 positions for Manicurist or Pedicurist per year.

The states with the most job growth for Manicurist or Pedicurist are Washington, New Jersey, and Tennessee. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Maine, or Kentucky. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Manicurists and Pedicurists Salary
The typical yearly salary for Manicurists and Pedicurists is somewhere between $19,700 and $33,490.

Manicurists and Pedicurists who work in New Hampshire, Montana, or Wisconsin, make the highest salaries.
How much do Manicurists and Pedicurists make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $24,500 |
Alaska | $24,670 |
Arizona | $26,640 |
Arkansas | $29,970 |
California | $26,260 |
Colorado | $30,180 |
Connecticut | $24,910 |
Delaware | $24,900 |
District of Columbia | $32,400 |
Florida | $27,170 |
Georgia | $30,430 |
Hawaii | $28,360 |
Idaho | $32,870 |
Illinois | $23,740 |
Indiana | $27,000 |
Iowa | $34,010 |
Kansas | $25,190 |
Kentucky | $26,660 |
Louisiana | $22,040 |
Maine | $23,540 |
Maryland | $24,670 |
Massachusetts | $27,570 |
Michigan | $27,350 |
Minnesota | $37,170 |
Mississippi | $24,140 |
Missouri | $25,150 |
Montana | $29,880 |
Nebraska | $24,480 |
Nevada | $22,900 |
New Hampshire | $34,160 |
New Jersey | $24,520 |
New York | $24,970 |
North Carolina | $23,680 |
North Dakota | $29,910 |
Ohio | $26,290 |
Oklahoma | $24,360 |
Oregon | $27,440 |
Pennsylvania | $21,230 |
Rhode Island | $25,420 |
South Carolina | $32,490 |
Tennessee | $24,350 |
Texas | $24,190 |
Utah | $27,550 |
Virginia | $24,050 |
Washington | $31,460 |
West Virginia | $22,120 |
Wisconsin | $29,670 |
Wyoming | $22,100 |
What Tools do Manicurists and Pedicurists Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Manicurists and Pedicurists may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Customer information databases
- Appointment-Plus
- DaySmart Software Salon Iris
Becoming a Manicurist or Pedicurist
What kind of Manicurist or Pedicurist requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Manicurists and Pedicurists Work

Below are examples of industries where Manicurists and Pedicurists work:

References:
Image Credit: Tiffany Bumgardner via Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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