A Cosmetic Laser Technician Career

Do you want to start a new career as a cosmetic laser technician? Are you unsatisfied with your current job, or simply looking for a change of pace, a new challenge, or a chance to explore a different field? A cosmetic laser technician career can provide you with a lucrative and flexible path in the beauty and medical aesthetics industry, with opportunities to earn a competitive salary, flexible hours and a better work-life balance while performing in-demand services such as laser hair removal, photofacial skin rejuvenation, laser tattoo removal and body contouring.

A Ten-Billion-Dollar (And Growing) Industry

Louis Silberman, President of National Laser Institute, once summed up the industry’s growth this way in a television interview: “We founded the industry nearly 22 years ago in Scottsdale, Arizona. We were the first cosmetic laser training school in the United States. Who knew that 22 years ago this would become a ten billion dollar industry?” 

According to the American Med Spa Association, there are nearly 10,500 active, physician-supervised medical spas in the United States, with $10 Billion to $15 Billion spent annually on Botox, dermal fillers, and laser hair removal in a single year alone, while Botox, dermal fillers, radiofrequency (RF) microneedling, laser resurfacing and light therapies (such as BBL) rank among the top nonsurgical treatments.

Who’s actually performing these treatments? “Every kind of physician you can imagine is doing this,” Silberman notes. “It’s not just plastic surgeons and derms. It’s primary care doctors, OB-GYNs, nurse practitioners, nurses — it’s everywhere.”

Who Can Become A Laser Technician?

You don’t have to be an esthetician, doctor or nurse to become a cosmetic laser technician. With a two-week laser training program, it’s possible to be out in the working world pursuing a cosmetic laser technician career. National Laser Institute has trained people from all different backgrounds, including stay-at-home moms, real estate agents, cosmetologists and more.

Cosmetic laser technicians use the latest, most advanced technology to help clients with a wide range of skin concerns: acne, scarring, sun damage, rosacea, wrinkles, stretch marks, unwanted hair, freckles, unwanted pigment, age spots, spider veins, broken capillaries, large pores and more.

What To Look For In A Cosmetic Laser School

Comprehensive laser technician training typically takes two to three weeks. In most states, all you need is a high school diploma or GED to attend a cosmetic laser school, though a few states only allow doctors and nurses to perform laser treatments, so be sure to call to check your specific state’s regulations. When evaluating any school, make sure it:

• Employs expert instructors
• Follows appropriate regulations and state guidelines for training
• Offers genuine hands-on training, not just classroom lectures
• Meets your state’s required clinical hours

Skipping any of these means you may end up spending more time and money making up training hours down the road and you may even discover your certification isn’t valid at all.

The Two-Week Boot Camp

National Laser Institute’s cosmetic laser tech boot camp is designed to make this transition as smooth as possible. For the first five days, you’ll attend the classroom module via Zoom from the comfort of your own home. From there, you’ll attend hands-on, in-person training at one of our luxurious locations in Scottsdale, Arizona, Chicago, Illinois or Dallas Texas.

During the course, you’ll learn how to perform today’s most in-demand med spa treatments: laser hair removal, laser skin rejuvenation, radiofrequency skin rejuvenation, CoolSculpting body contouring, cellulite reduction, laser tattoo removal, radiofrequency skin tightening, microneedling and more. You’ll also learn to recognize each client’s individual characteristics and understand the fundamentals of how lasers interact with skin tissue, identify the differences between various light-based devices and their effects on skin, understand potential complications that could arise, determine which treatments will create the desired results for a given client, and understand the hazards associated with cosmetic laser devices.

National Laser Institute pioneered this combination of online didactic instruction paired with in-person hands-on learning for cosmetic lasers — a format that lets you start your new cosmetic laser technician career without putting your current life entirely on pause.

Salary And Career Opportunities

According to ZipRecruiter, the national average pay for a laser technician is $24.40 per hour, or $50,757 annually. This figure does not include commission, which commonly ranges from 3% to 20%, and some laser technicians are paid on a commission-only basis. Historically, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has grouped laser technicians under skin care specialists (a category it has repeatedly flagged as one of the faster-growing career fields in the country) while other salary trackers have placed medical aesthetician pay in the $35,000 range and up, depending on experience, location and how much of your income comes from commission versus base pay.

As a cosmetic laser technician, you can work in a wide variety of settings within the health and beauty industry. You can work at dermatology clinics, doctors’ offices, medical spas, OB-GYN clinics, urgent care clinics, working alongside naturopathic physicians, fitness centers, salons, dentists and more. 

Training At National Laser Institute

National Laser Institute is a laser training facility offering hands-on training with real clients alongside in-depth didactic lectures in a small classroom setting. Students who enroll in our comprehensive laser course train on the most in-demand laser treatments available, taught by experts in medical aesthetics within our luxury medical spa environment.

We’ve been in the medical aesthetics industry for well over two decades, training students from around the world at our Scottsdale, Chicago and Dallas locations every month. We have earned excellent reviews and are recognized as the gold standard of education in this field. Graduates also gain access to our Graduate Services department, which provides hundreds of job leads across the country to those seeking careers in this industry after graduation.

If you’d like to learn more before enrolling, National Laser Institute also hosts Skin Scene events every other month, hosted by Louis Silberman himself. These events include presentations from industry leaders, live demonstrations with the latest laser technology along with prizes and drawings for training scholarships.

Are you ready to start your cosmetic laser training career? Fill out our form or call us now at 800-982-6817 and contact us today to learn more about laser technician training at National Laser Institute.