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Esthetician Salary by State (2026): BLS Data & Pay Calculator
BLS has no esthetician category. For skincare specialists, the BLS category that covers estheticians, the median salary in the United States is $45,330 a year, about $21.79 an hour, and the mean is $51,850 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $36,040 to $59,700. By mean, District of Columbia pays the most ($83,730) and South Dakota the least ($37,060). Sort every state below and compare your offer.
Prepared by Prospyr · Reviewed October 3, 2026 · Free, no sign-up, runs in your browser
BLS publishes this occupation for 50 of 51 areas (50 states and DC).
Optional. Pre-tax base pay.
Median annual wage, United States
$45,330a year
About $21.79 an hour. The middle 50% of estheticians earn $36,040 to $59,700.
Enter an offer to see which percentile band it falls in.
Employment
72,890
BLS estimate, excludes self-employed
Mean annual wage
$51,850
United States: Skincare Specialists pay, May 2025
- 10th percentile$29,580
- 25th percentile$36,040
- Median$45,330
- Mean (average)$51,850
- 75th percentile$59,700
- 90th percentile$82,050
Hatched bars are top-coded by BLS: the wage is $239,200 or more and the exact figure is not published. n/a means BLS has no estimate. Hourly figures use BLS's 2,080-hour year. Cost of living is not included.
esthetician salary by state
Tap a column heading to sort. Tap a state to load its figures above. Add an offer above to compare it with each state's median.
| $79,320 | $48,620 | $119,040 | $83,090 | 2,200 | |
| $77,480 | $57,660 | $120,730 | $83,730 | 200 | |
| $62,400 | $39,490 | $81,790 | $58,430 | 100 | |
| $58,500 | $35,130 | $96,780 | $64,470 | 280 | |
| $58,420 | $44,300 | $122,250 | $65,260 | 550 | |
| $58,160 | $35,710 | $89,270 | $55,450 | 190 | |
| $55,850 | $34,520 | $100,190 | $62,360 | 260 | |
| $54,500 | $31,940 | $99,720 | $64,440 | 1,510 | |
| $52,110 | $35,900 | $105,660 | $60,960 | 1,070 | |
| $50,820 | $31,200 | $96,650 | $54,620 | 130 | |
| $50,470 | $38,650 | $103,950 | $56,970 | 1,710 | |
| $49,250 | $27,390 | $84,180 | $55,720 | 6,160 | |
| $48,660 | $32,670 | $68,630 | $51,530 | 2,230 | |
| $47,310 | $36,610 | $60,320 | $48,890 | 1,360 | |
| $47,230 | $30,010 | $90,770 | $53,170 | 370 | |
| $46,890 | $27,560 | $83,200 | $49,930 | 430 | |
| $46,590 | $35,580 | $79,940 | $53,490 | 1,130 | |
| $46,220 | $22,830 | $65,590 | $46,010 | 1,190 | |
| $45,870 | $35,180 | $80,980 | $52,290 | 2,660 | |
| $45,760 | $28,880 | $65,180 | $45,560 | 420 | |
| $45,490 | $26,810 | $62,990 | $47,490 | 1,160 | |
| $45,330 | $31,200 | $63,920 | $48,500 | 2,960 | |
| $45,240 | $28,810 | $77,940 | $49,750 | 1,510 | |
| $45,200 | $29,790 | $81,710 | $52,800 | 1,390 | |
| $44,450 | $24,440 | $66,670 | $45,020 | 1,120 | |
| $44,430 | $23,990 | $79,520 | $48,480 | 920 | |
| $43,880 | $27,860 | $83,990 | $51,570 | 5,270 | |
| $43,880 | $33,710 | $62,400 | $47,310 | 120 | |
| $43,680 | $34,010 | $87,240 | $51,520 | 660 | |
| $43,620 | $22,870 | $69,820 | $46,270 | 2,560 | |
| $42,910 | $33,510 | $77,550 | $50,960 | 3,510 | |
| $41,240 | $33,600 | $47,980 | $40,720 | 120 | |
| $41,160 | $20,960 | $140,920 | $61,810 | 320 | |
| $39,670 | $22,530 | $80,430 | $47,750 | 1,210 | |
| $39,350 | $31,530 | $67,520 | $47,260 | 1,970 | |
| $39,260 | $26,540 | $73,180 | $44,740 | 590 | |
| $39,150 | $28,350 | $74,030 | $47,080 | 1,700 | |
| $39,120 | $25,570 | $96,660 | $50,870 | 2,680 | |
| $38,770 | $34,650 | $77,160 | $49,910 | 11,360 | |
| $38,660 | $28,070 | $73,110 | $47,260 | 1,540 | |
| $38,580 | $26,340 | $81,610 | $44,350 | 830 | |
| $38,230 | $24,450 | $52,350 | $37,060 | 150 | |
| $38,030 | $25,650 | $60,550 | $41,720 | 80 | |
| $37,340 | $22,140 | $77,020 | $43,470 | 680 | |
| $37,080 | $22,830 | $191,910 | $59,230 | 710 | |
| $36,890 | $20,340 | $64,650 | $39,570 | 600 | |
| $36,590 | $22,200 | $77,830 | $41,840 | 1,710 | |
| $36,520 | $23,580 | $57,770 | $38,830 | 340 | |
| $34,130 | $21,630 | $55,560 | $38,740 | 720 | |
| n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 140 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (cross-industry, all ownerships). 50 of 51 areas (50 states and DC) have a published estimate for this occupation. Territories are not shown.
Reference data, not a pay recommendation. BLS wages cover all employers and settings, not med spas or aesthetic practices specifically. They include incentive pay and tips but not overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses or benefits, and they are not adjusted for cost of living.
Esthetician salary by state: highest and lowest paying states
50 of 51 areas (50 states and DC) have a published esthetician estimate in the BLS May 2025 data. Ranked by mean annual wage (BLS top-codes many medians for this occupation, so the mean is the fair way to rank states), the top five are District of Columbia ($83,730), Washington ($83,090), Nebraska ($65,260), Montana ($64,470), Colorado ($64,440). The bottom five are South Dakota ($37,060), Idaho ($38,740), Arkansas ($38,830), Louisiana ($39,570), Alaska ($40,720). 1 states are left out of the ranking because BLS reports only a top-coded $239,200+ or no figure for them.
Highest paying states
| State | Mean annual wage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $83,730 | 200 |
| Washington | $83,090 | 2,200 |
| Nebraska | $65,260 | 550 |
| Montana | $64,470 | 280 |
| Colorado | $64,440 | 1,510 |
Lowest paying states
| State | Mean annual wage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | $37,060 | 150 |
| Idaho | $38,740 | 720 |
| Arkansas | $38,830 | 340 |
| Louisiana | $39,570 | 600 |
| Alaska | $40,720 | 120 |
The gap between the top and bottom state means is $46,670 a year. These figures are not adjusted for cost of living, which is why a high-paying state is not automatically a better offer. The full sortable table is in the tool above.
How to read esthetician salary percentiles and compare an offer
BLS publishes wages at five points. The 10th percentile is the wage that 10% of estheticians earn less than. The median is the middle wage: half earn less and half earn more. The 90th percentile is the wage that 90% earn less than. The mean is the average and is pulled up by high earners. Nationally for this occupation, those wages are $29,580 (10th), $36,040 (25th), $45,330 (median), $59,700 (75th) and $82,050 (90th).
Worked example. Say a practice offers $41,000 a year. At BLS's 2,080-hour work year, that is $19.71 an hour ($19.71 × 2,080 = $41,000). The offer is at least the 25th percentile wage of $36,040 and below the median (50th) wage of $45,330.
Enter your own number in the tool, as an annual salary or an hourly rate. It places the offer in a band and does not guess a single percentile, because BLS does not publish the wage at every point.
Esthetician pay data: what BLS counts as this occupation
BLS has no occupation titled esthetician. It reports estheticians as Skincare Specialists (SOC 39-5094). Its Occupational Outlook Handbook says skincare specialists provide cleansing and other face and body treatments to enhance a person's appearance.
The handbook lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education. Skincare specialists complete a state-approved cosmetology or esthetician program, then pass a written and practical exam for state licensure. Requirements vary by state.
BLS wages include tips and incentive pay such as commissions. They leave out self-employed workers, so an esthetician who rents a booth or runs a solo studio is outside these figures.
People also search for this as “skincare specialist salary”, “esthetician salary by state”. All of them point to the same BLS occupation data shown here.
What the BLS wage figures include and leave out
The figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 estimates, across all industries and employers. BLS publishes new estimates each spring, so check the BLS OEWS site for newer figures.
- Included: base rate, cost-of-living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and production bonuses) and tips.
- Left out: overtime, severance, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer-paid benefits and tuition reimbursement.
- Not covered: the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms.
- Hourly to annual: BLS converts an hourly wage to an annual one with a 2,080-hour year.
- Top-coded: where BLS marks a wage of $115.00 an hour or $239,200 a year or more with a “#”, it publishes no exact figure. That mostly affects state-level physician estimates. This site shows those as $239,200+.
BLS does not report med spa or aesthetic practice wages as a separate group, and the data does not adjust for cost of living. When you compare an offer, weigh local living costs, benefits and the pay plan, not only the base wage.
Budgeting for the hire
Salary is not the full cost of an employee. Payroll taxes, benefits and workers' compensation add to it; the employee cost calculator turns a wage into a total cost to the practice.
Once a hire is on the team, Prospyr analytics shows revenue per provider so you can see whether the pay plan fits what the schedule produces. For practices still building the team, see Prospyr for med spas.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average esthetician salary?
BLS has no esthetician category, so this uses skincare specialists, the BLS category that covers estheticians. The median salary in the United States is $45,330 a year and the mean is $51,850, per BLS OEWS May 2025. BLS estimates 72,890 people work in this occupation. The middle half earn $36,040 to $59,700.
What is the esthetician salary by state?
It ranges from $37,060 in South Dakota to $83,730 in District of Columbia by mean annual wage, per BLS OEWS May 2025. 50 of 51 areas (50 states and DC) have a published estimate. The sortable table in the tool lists the median, 10th and 90th percentiles, mean and employment for each.
Which state pays estheticians the most?
District of Columbia has the highest mean annual wage for this occupation at $83,730, followed by Washington ($83,090). These wages are not adjusted for cost of living, so compare them with local expenses before treating a high-paying state as a better offer. States where BLS reports only a top-coded $239,200+ or no figure are not ranked.
What is the hourly pay for a esthetician?
The national median hourly wage is $21.79, per BLS OEWS May 2025. BLS converts hourly pay to annual pay with a 2,080-hour year, so $45,330 a year is about $21.79 an hour. Enter an hourly offer in the tool and it does the conversion.
How much do the top-paid estheticians make?
The 90th percentile wage is $82,050, meaning 10% of estheticians earn that much or more, per BLS OEWS May 2025. The 75th percentile is $59,700. These cover employees only and leave out owners and the self-employed.
Does the BLS esthetician salary include bonuses, tips or benefits?
It includes incentive pay such as commissions and production bonuses, and tips. It leaves out overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and employer-paid benefits. It also does not cover the self-employed, so owners and contractors are outside the figures.
Do esthetician wages in the BLS data include tips and commission?
Yes. BLS counts incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses, and tips as part of wages. It leaves out overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and employer-paid benefits, and it does not cover self-employed estheticians.
Sources and scope
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025: national and state data tables
Source of every wage and employment figure for Skincare Specialists (SOC 39-5094) in the tool and tables. The “#” top-code note is in the data file.
- BLS OEWS May 2025 technical notes
What OEWS wages include and exclude, who the survey covers, and the 2,080-hour annual conversion.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Skincare Specialists
Entry-level education (postsecondary nondegree award), state licensing and job summary.
Reference data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, not a pay recommendation. Figures cover all employers and settings, not med spas specifically, and are not adjusted for cost of living.