Manicurists and Pedicurists

More data on this career

Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round manicurists and pedicurists ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $30,500 with a high school diploma or GED, $38,600 with some college or an associate's degree and $37,600 with a bachelor's degree (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.

Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of manicurists and pedicurists work in Other Services (except Public Administration) (99%) and Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (0%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).

Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most manicurists and pedicurists are Personal Care Services (99% of the jobs counted, median pay $35,750), Traveler Accommodation (1% of the jobs counted, median pay $39,190), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (0% of the jobs counted, median pay $38,520), Offices of Other Health Practitioners (0% of the jobs counted, median pay $47,150) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Personal Care Services ($35,750). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.

What workers studied. Among manicurists and pedicurists with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Accounting (9%), Business Management and Administration (9%), General Business (7%) and Finance (5%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).

Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Personal appearance workers", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 6.5 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 21 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.

Union membership. In the broad group "Personal care and service", which includes this career, 4.0% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $907 for union members and $750 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to manicurists and pedicurists.

Employer benefits. In the broad group "Service", which includes this career, 52% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 51% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 70% had paid sick leave, 60% paid vacation and 59% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to manicurists and pedicurists, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $27.17 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Service" in June 2026 ($19.59 in wages and salaries and $7.58 in benefits, 27.9% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).

Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for manicurists and pedicurists are: physical proximity (97%), spend time making repetitive motions (97%), exposed to contaminants (91%), spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls (69%), health and safety of other workers (68%), importance of being exact or accurate (59%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (31% of 20 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (31% of 20 respondents) was "anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to manicurists and pedicurists in the work done and the skills used: Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists, Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers, Skincare Specialists, Barbers, Shampooers, Furniture Finishers, Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance, Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Pay by state. See what manicurists and pedicurists earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Manicurists and Pedicurists salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).

Compare manicurists and pedicurists with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →