Career
Manicurists and pedicurists
Care for nails, hands and feet.
$35,760
Median pay
+9.2%
Job growth, 2025–35
21,900
Openings a year
Postsecondary nondegree award
Typical education
Under 2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Clean and sanitize tools and work environment.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Service Orientation.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
Under 2 years of education after high school (postsecondary nondegree award), for a median of $35,760 a year and 21,900 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, GeneralCIP 12.0401
- Nail Technician/Specialist and ManicuristCIP 12.0410
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists$35,790 · +7.7%
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers$41,600 · +1.3%
- Skincare Specialists$45,330 · +8.8%
- Barbers$38,210 · +3.3%
- Shampooers$32,600 · +5.6%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.