Medical Esthetician Salary: What You Can Expect to Earn

The world of beauty, skincare and anti-aging is an exciting environment if you’re passionate about helping clients gain self-confidence in their appearance; and right now is the perfect time to get your foot in the door. Income and salary are the top concerns for anyone considering this field, and understandably so: you need to know whether attending medical esthetician school will genuinely be worth it. Let’s break it down.

How Much Do Estheticians Make? 

Numbers vary by source, but the pattern is consistent: medical estheticians and laser technicians out-earn traditional estheticians by a meaningful margin. ZipRecruiter.com reports the national average esthetician salary is $53,440 a year, while cosmetic laser technicians average salary is $50,757 (nearly $2,700 lower than a medical esthetician). Separately, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national average salary for all skincare specialists at $45,330 a year. Many variables affect where you land in that range: the type of business, your skill level, location, part-time versus full-time status, tips and bonuses, your state’s regulations and simply how hard you choose to work. In California, for example, medical estheticians often earn well above $52,000 due to higher population density and cost of living, though that may not hold true in a small town with less demand for medical esthetic treatments.

The math on a single specialty can add up quickly, too. A great example is a technician specializing in laser tattoo removal might charge $300 per session; performing five sessions a day nets $1,500 daily from that specialty alone.

Pay Structures

There are three common pay structures for medical estheticians:

• Hourly. The most common structure. National Laser Institute pays medical estheticians $20 an hour plus tips which is a good benchmark to expect when entering this marketplace.
• Commission. Some employers offer 10% to 40% commission depending on the variables above, sometimes with tips included as well.
• Salary. The least common structure in this industry, though some employers do offer it.

If you truly enjoy this work, it pays to hustle: the harder you work to gain and keep clients, the more you should expect to be rewarded.

What Medical Estheticians Do, And What Are The Qualifications?

Medical estheticians are highly skilled skincare specialists who generally focus on facial skin, though some also offer body treatments. It’s worth noting estheticians are not cosmetologists, they offer general beauty services like hair and nails, while medical estheticians are limited to treating the superficial layers of the skin. Esthetician schools teach anatomy, safety, sanitation and skin sciences.

Medical estheticians go a step further, performing cosmetic laser treatments (laser hair reduction, radiofrequency skin tightening, laser tattoo removal) and, if they have a medical professional background, cosmetic injectable treatments like Botox, Juvederm and Restylane. In most states, all you need to attend medical esthetician school is a high school diploma or GED — though a few states only allow medical professionals like nurses or physicians to perform cosmetic laser treatments, and cosmetic injectable courses always require a medical background. Check your state’s specific regulations before enrolling.

Why The Industry Keeps Growing

Medical esthetics (any non-surgical procedure meant to enhance appearance) has been booming for years and shows no signs of slowing, especially as the aging population continues to grow. According to Research and Markets, the global medical aesthetics industry is forecasted to reach $35.3 Billion dollars by 2030, driven by rising demand for minimally invasive procedures, growing social media normalization of cosmetic enhancement and continued technological advancement.

It’s also one of the more recession-resistant career paths available. Historical data suggests workers continue to spend on non-invasive cosmetic procedures even during economic downturns, partly because hiring managers tend to see beauty and youth as workplace assets, making these treatments a way of ensuring job security — and partly because consumers tend to set aside money for small luxuries even when budgets are tight elsewhere.

The most popular job titles in this broad field are cosmetic laser technician and esthetics injector, and you can become a cosmetic laser technician even without a medical background. As previously mentioned, in most states all it takes is being at least 18 with a high school diploma or its equivalent, plus a certain number of supervised training hours in some states.

Courses At National Laser Institute

National Laser Institute is the leading medical esthetic school in the nation, providing hands-on training with state-of-the-art equipment and the latest techniques. Our courses combine didactic (classroom) education with clinical hands-on training, and most can be completed in as little as two weeks:

• Comprehensive Laser (2 weeks) — IPL photofacial, laser hair removal, laser tattoo removal, radiofrequency skin tightening and more
• CORE Laser (8 days) — laser hair removal, body contouring, IPL photofacial, laser tattoo removal, radiofrequency skin tightening, and more
• Online Comprehensive Laser Course — live classroom instruction (via Zoom) across each modality, followed by hands-on clinicals at one of our locations in Scottsdale, AZ, Chicago, IL or Dallas TX.

You’ll treat real clients within a retail medical spa setting to gain a genuine real-world feel for these services, and you’ll also gain access to our Graduate Services Department, which sends out hundreds of job leads to help put you on the right career path after graduation. Financing options are also available for students who need assistance.

To learn more about medical esthetician schools or National Laser Institute, fill out our form now or call 800-982-6817 today.