Job Description

If giving people facials, head massages, removing body hair, or applying make-up appeals to you, then you may be on the right track to becoming an esthetician. On a daily basis, estheticians perform all of these activities for their several clients. They work in several different settings, such as in spas or healthcare facilities. Prior to being able to work with customers, they must attend esthetician school where they learn all about skin and how to use certain tools and skills to help their clients.

Annual Salary

Esthetician salary varies between $20,000 and $40,000 annually. Yes, there is quite a bit of a jump between the numbers, and this is due to several factors. One factor is if she is working solely on commission or on salary, and two more are experience and client base.

Commission vs. Salary

If an esthetician is working on commission alone, there are times when she may make a lot of money one day, and then next to nothing the next day. Working on commission means working solely for tips, so if there are no customers one day, she will not earn anything. However, they are paid a low minimum wage, which adds up to nothing if no tips are earned.

What also affects how many lagniappes they earn is their clientele. They may take care of dozens of clients in one day, but a few of them may leave a small tip or no tip at all. This is very discouraging for many estheticians, so they prefer to have a salary and have the tips as an extra source of income.

Experience

Especially in the customer service industry, having experience is one of the most important factors that are considered on a salary level. When an esthetician has just finished her training at cosmetology school, she has little experience under her belt and has not dealt with that many clients. However, as she gains experience and deals with more and more customers, her likelihood of earning a higher salary increases.

Clientele

With experience comes a customer base. When she has been in the industry for a while, she builds up a group of clientele who often go to that facility and request her for certain procedures. This clientele grows as the years go on, causing the esthetician to earn a better reputation and the potential for higher commission.

Job Description

An esthetician works with clients to improve their physical characteristics, specifically focusing on skin. Their clients look and feel better about themselves after a session, and will often come back for a repeat. Estheticians mostly perform procedures on their clients such as make-up application, body hair removal, and facials. Doing these procedures on a daily basis is not an easy task, so there is a need to have proper training. We have provided a list of things that will make it easy for you to learn how to become an esthetician.

1) Having Certain Skills

A lot of people go into a profession without possessing the skills that are necessary to have in order to be successful. As an esthetician, you will need to have patience when it comes to dealing with clients, as well as a passion for what you are doing. There is nothing worse than working in a customer service position when you highly dislike your job, and the customers.

2) Esthetician School

The next step is researching and applying for esthetician school, also known as cosmetology school. During this program, you will take classes in skin and hair care and will be able to practice on volunteers so you can gain real-world experience. Esthetician school can be fairly pricey, depending on which one you go to, so it is important to do your research to determine which one will be the best for you and your specialty.

3) License

All estheticians who wish to have a career and be able to practice must be licensed in order to do so. After completing the training during school, then must pass an exam in order to gain licensure. The exam includes a written portion as well as an application portion to show knowledge about the subject, and how to use that knowledge in a real-world setting.

4) Applying for Jobs

The last step in the process is applying for jobs. Estheticians can work in several different settings, so it is just about finding the right place that fits you and your skills, and is also hiring.

If you go into a spa, there are several people who are there to cater to your every need. There is a person to give you a relaxing massage, somebody to give you a manicure and a pedicure, and there is also someone there to give you a facial or remove unwanted body hair. A few of these people fall under the job category of an esthetician.

An esthetician works with clients to improve their overall appearance by giving them certain skin care treatments. These treatments include neck and head massages, facials, body hair removal, and applying make-up.

Most estheticians specialize in a certain aspect of skin-care, like in massages or body hair removal. They also tend to work in spa settings, or in facilities that specialize in what they are trained in. Those who specialize in applying make-up, for example are called make-up artists and either work in beauty salons, malls at the make-up counter, or they are self-employed and travel to meet the needs of their clients. The other types of estheticians generally work in an all-inclusive salon, where their clients receive massages, facials, and other types of treatment.

Estheticians need to have a thorough understanding of the human body, and more specifically with the skin. They must attend a training school in order to learn all about the industry and how to perform their job tasks. During training, they practice what they have learned on volunteers, who pay for the service at a reduced price. In this scenario, both parties win; the practicing esthetician gets experience, and the client gets a service performed at a discount.

Depending on the specialty, the job duties are different. Someone who specializes in facials must know extensive information about the face and skin so they know what to use for their clients. They use this information to find the right combination of products for the client’s needs, and then apply them accordingly.  Another who specializes in body hair removal must be properly trained on how to use hair-removal tools, such as wax or lasers.

In addition to actually performing the job tasks, estheticians must also keep a clean and sanitary working station. They have dozens of clients on a daily basis, and they need to make sure that no bacterial residue is left behind from one client that could potentially spread to another. During training, they learn the proper procedures to take care of and sanitize their tools and working stations.