How Much Do Manicurists Get Paid?
Choosing the perfect lacquer and performing a no-chip design on a small canvas isn't all that's required to work as a manicurist. Nail technicians --- as members of the profession are more formally known --- train for their careers through regimented programs and must meet licensing requirements. Manicurists' salaries are affected by far more than just knowledge of the latest in tip wrap technologies; in fact, working outside the doors of the salon might increase their pay dramatically.
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Summary
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Waiting to buff, trim, shape and polish nails across the country were approximately 51,990 trained and licensed manicurists as of May 2010. In its Occupational Employment and Wages report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics cited $19,650 as the median salary for manicurists. Many manicurists' salaries are augmented by tips, which the BLS doesn't track. The BLS noted $30,600 as the 90th percentile salary for manicurists, and at the opposite end, $16,330 in the 10th percentile.
In and Out of the Salon
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Almost all manicurists work in the personal care services industry, leaving just a fraction of the field to other categories. Although the personal care service industry's annual mean wages for manicurists beat the national median at $21,810, it didn't make the BLS list of top-paying categories. Physicians' offices paid the highest salaries to their manicurists, with wages of $30,150. The amusement and recreation industry, which was the second-largest employer in the field, also paid the second-highest salaries, at $28,320. Manicurists employed by the traveler accommodation field received the third-highest salaries at $27,410. The traveler accommodation field was also the third-largest employer of manicurists.
State by State
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Iowa's manicurists earned the highest salaries in the country, taking in an annual mean wage of $32,770. Vermont employers paid the second-highest rates, at $31,670, followed by those in Tennessee, with wages of $30,740. North Dakota's manicurists had the fourth-highest salaries, taking in $28,830, with Oregon closing out the top five at $28,620.
Employment Levels
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The BLS survey revealed no correlation between states paying the highest salaries and states with the highest manicurist employment levels, but all five states with the highest employment levels paid above the nationwide median. California, with the highest level of employment for nail technicians, paid just more than the median at $20,070, followed by second-place New York, which paid $20,940. New Jersey had the third-highest level of employment, and paid an above-average $24,190. Florida's fourth-highest group earned $22,190, while manicurists in Illinois, with the fifth-highest level of employment, earned $25,110.
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References
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