Occupation salary profile

Manicurists and Pedicurists

SOC 39-5092 BLS OEWS May 2025

Clean and shape customers’ fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails.

National median · BLS
$35,760
▲ +3.17% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$38,570
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
152,770
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Manicurists and Pedicurists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$28,920
25th$34,010
Median (50th)$35,760
75th$41,650
90th — top pay$50,140

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Manicurists and Pedicurists

BLS projects employment of manicurists and pedicurists to grow 9.2% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 21,900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
201,800 → 220,400
+18,600 jobs
Projected change
+9.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
21,900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
No related experience required
Self-employed
23.1% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a postsecondary certificate (nondegree award) →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Manicurists and Pedicurists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Service Orientation3.0
  • Social Perceptiveness3.0
  • Speaking3.0
  • Active Learning2.8
  • Coordination2.8
  • Reading Comprehension2.8
  • Time Management2.8
  • Monitoring2.6
  • Persuasion2.6
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service3.4
  • English Language2.6
  • Administration and Management2.6
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.5
  • Sales and Marketing2.4
  • Production and Processing2.4
  • Mathematics2.4
  • Psychology2.3
Software and technology used
FacebookMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareAknaf ADVANTAGE Salon Software and Spa SoftwareAppointment SearchAppointmentQuest Online Appointment SchedulerCustomer information databasesDaySmart Software Appointment-PlusDaySmart Software Salon Iris

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What manicurists and pedicurists do

  • Clean and sanitize tools and work environment.
  • Apply undercoat and clear or colored polish onto nails with brush.
  • Maintain supply inventories and records of client services.
  • Shape and smooth ends of nails, using scissors, files, or emery boards.
  • Prepare nail cuticles with water and oil, using cuticle knives to push back cuticles and scissors or nippers to trim cuticles.
  • Prepare customers' nails in soapy water, using swabs, files, and orange sticks.
  • Remove previously applied nail polish, using liquid remover and swabs.
  • Use rotary abrasive wheels to shape and smooth nails or artificial extensions.
Also called
ManicuristNail Technician (Nail Tech)Pedicurist
More job titles for this occupation (8)
Fingernail FormerFingernail SculptorFingernail SculpturerFingernail TechnicianLicensed Nail Technician (Licensed Nail Tech)Nail ArtistSalon Nail Technician (Salon Nail Tech)Spa Nail Technician (Spa Nail Tech)

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.