
Welcome to the global, multibillion-dollar beauty industry! Except that the beauty industry analyzed and discussed by economists, investors, journalists and CEOs has almost nothing to do with our work as licensed beauty professionals. The primary focus of the beauty industry has always been on consumers, not on pros. Three of the largest brands dominate by manufacturing and distributing retail products, particularly in the categories of hair care, skin care and makeup. In contrast, “professional-only” products and service sales (revenue generated by performing services) represent a relatively small portion of the overall market, and the portion represented by nails even smaller.
When using terms like “nail tech,” “nail pro” or “manicurist,” most of us envision a person who provides services directly to clients for compensation.
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Welcome to the global, multibillion-dollar beauty industry! Except that the beauty industry analyzed and discussed by economists, investors, journalists and CEOs has almost nothing to do with our work as licensed beauty professionals. The primary focus of the beauty industry has always been on consumers, not on pros. Three of the largest brands dominate by manufacturing and distributing retail products, particularly in the categories of hair care, skin care and makeup. In contrast, “professional-only” products and service sales (revenue generated by performing services) represent a relatively small portion of the overall market, and the portion represented by nails even smaller.
When using terms like “nail tech,” “nail pro” or “manicurist,” most of us envision a person who provides services directly to clients for compensation.
Why does this matter? Because our career options in the beauty industry fall into two distinct categories: performing services directly on clients and everything else. That is no arbitrary distinction when state governments require occupational training and licensure to perform services for compensation and when they also regulate compliance with health and safety regulations.
Beginnings at Beauty School
We all start somewhere, and for many of us, that place was beauty school. State governments grant beauty schools, private and public, an exclusive role in their regulatory process: prepare students for the licensing exam. As a result, licensed professionals generally share the experience of completing a beauty school course as prerequisite. (Assuming a certificate of completion was earned through attendance and participation and not fraudulently obtained through mere payment.)
Nonetheless, a shared experience is not equal experience. Even within a particular state, the quality of beauty school education varies considerably. Despite completing their educational hours, not every student learns the basic knowledge and skills necessary to meet the minimal standards for licensure. (We know this because many struggle to pass the licensing examination.)
Regardless of the quality of education, every licensee within a state obtains the same license and is limited by the same scope of practice that defines what licensees are allowed to do. If a licensee chooses to limit themselves to specific services within a license type, that is their choice, but they still need a valid individual license. That is, an unlicensed person cannot legally provide“just pedicures.”
Continued Professional Growth
Ultimately, it is up to individuals to seek additional education, training and experiences to continue in their professional growth. Be warned that advanced education does not expand the licensed professional scope of practice, no matter who provides the training/certification, how much time it takes or how much it costs. Self-descriptions that venture beyond the title on a government-issued license can embellish qualifications and training (certified, master, expert, etc.) and often disguise a lack of licensure (self-taught, influencer, enthusiast, etc.). Although you may come across the term “licensed podiatric nail technician,” there is no such thing in my state of California or anywhere.
Investing in your nail career can be as simple and inexpensive as only renewing your license. Unless states require continuing education (CE), licensees never have to attend a class, study a textbook, demonstrate any skills or pass another examination as long as they pay renewal fees on time and do not lose their license through disciplinary action taken by the state’s regulatory agency.
Even with shared designation as licensees, we diverge in the use of our licensure according to employment classification, workplace environment (salon suite, full-service salon, spa, mobile, session, etc.), services offered, client demographics (gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc.) and other factors, many of which we cannot qualify or quantify for lack of data.
Speaking of data, the government tracks how many licenses have been issued and renewed but not necessarily whether those licensees actively work in the industry or how much income they generate. At the federal level, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) documents different occupations, earnings and projected openings based on workers (employees only). The BLS defines our profession as “Manicurists and Pedicurists” who “clean and shape customers’ fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails.” While the BLS projects “much faster than average” job growth for manicurists and pedicurists (bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/manicurists-and-pedicurists.htm), the wage data does not look promising, impacting how much self-employed pros can earn on their own.
Your Journey
Assuming you are still interested in the nail industry and have skills/talents/abilities worthy of compensation, how do you find your niche? Who can you trust to advise you? What are your goals, and how much are you willing to compromise to reach them? What experiences will benefit you most?
Our industry encompasses so many different occupations: licensed service providers (manicurists, estheticians, cosmetologists, etc.), salon owners, chemists, manufacturers, distributors, educators, consultants, marketers, event organizers, publishers, writers, web designers and more. Determining which situation suits you can be a challenge, but rather than be discouraged, it is best to view the process as a journey of personal and professional growth.
Multiple career options can be pursued simultaneously within the industry, resulting in multihyphenate bios. For example, licensees can operate their own businesses as an independent contractor or salon owner, provide education, private label products, etc.
Working in the same industry, even when our work meets the definitions for different occupations, we tend to combine all those occupations together and label them our “career.” Strangely, it is only when we change industries that we talk about “career change.”
Many beauty professionals aspire to operate their own salons. Understandably, it is very appealing to envision a career in which we make our own decisions, control our work environment, do what we love (performing nails services!) and support ourselves. Immediately after beauty school, new licensees feeling prepared not only for the realities of salon work but also for the responsibilities of salon ownership defies reason when beauty schools do not teach about the legalities of owning a business.
As a licensee and salon owner, I never worked as a salon employee and always planned to work for myself. However, I can also attest to the unlikelihood of success. Even with resources (primarily money), inexperienced salon owners and manicurists struggle to provide quality services, build a loyal clientele and maintain adequate cash flow. That is the reason why I encourage new licensees to seek salon employment as their first position after beauty school, even if being an employee is not their ultimate goal. Why repeat the same mistakes made by others when you could be learning and earning without significant financial risk?
Beauty Opportunities and Beyond
If you are feeling less than excited about your current career path, the industry offers many different opportunities, and the potential to create your own. Some of our most notable colleagues have become famous for what they do beyond having their license: participating in nail competitions, hosting events, launching products, developing techniques, educating other professionals, etc. The more you learn about the industry and yourself, the more your interests and career goals may change over time.
Want a more stable, conventional career? Explore options beyond your license.
Consider the numerous occupations within the beauty industry that fall into the category of “everything else,” from entry-level positions to those requiring advanced degrees. We have options, to name just a few:
- Accountant
- Account Executive
- Account Manager
- Administrative Assistant
- Advertising Manager
- Art Director
- Attorney
- Beauty School Owner
- Beauty School Instructor
- Benefits Manager
- Business Analyst
- Category Manager
- Consultant
- Content Creator
- Copywriter
- Cosmetic Chemist
- Creative Director
- Customer Development Manager
- Customer Service Representative
- Data Scientist
- Digital Content Manager
- Distributor
- E-Commerce Manager
- Editor
- Educator
- Electrical Engineer
- Equipment Operator
- Event Planner
- Finance Manager
- Financial Analyst
- Fulfillment Manager
- Graphic Designer
- Human Resources Manager
- Importer/Exporter
- Industrial Engineer
- Industrial Quality Manager
- Information Technology Officer
- Inspector
- Lobbyist
- Logistics Manager
- Machine Operator
- Maintenance Mechanic
- Manufacturer
- Manufacturing Supervisor
- Market Research Analyst
- Marketing Manager
- Materials Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Operations Manager
- Operations Mechanic
- Packaging Designer
- Payroll Specialist
- Photographer
- Process Engineer
- Product Formulator
- Product Representative
- Product Safety Manager
- Product Tester
- Project Engineer
- Project Manager
- Public Relations Specialist
- Publisher
- Purchasing Manager
- Quality Control Manager
- Recruiter
- Researcher
- Safety/Compliance Manager
- Sales Associate
- Sales Manager
- Sales Support
- Salon Manager
- Salon Owner
- Salon Receptionist
- Social Media Manager
- Software/App Developer
- Sourcing Analyst
- Store Manager
- Supplier
- Supply Chain Analyst
- Supply Manager
- Supply Planner
- Technical Operator
- Territory Development Manager
- Textbook Publisher
- Test Developer
- Test Publisher
- Trainer
- Transportation Planner
- Video Editor
- Videographer
- Website Designer
- Writer
About the Author
Licensed since 1992, Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D., works as manicurist and owner of Precision Nails (@precisionnails), an employee-based salon in Carmel, California. Beyond her salon, Jaime advocates for compliance, co-hosts “Outgrowth: A Slice of Pro Beauty” podcast and advises California’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology as an expert witness.
This article was originally published in the July/August 2022 Nailpro issue.