Manicurists and pedicurists
Clean and shape customers' fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails.
Manicurists and pedicurists clean and shape customers' fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails. The role reports a median annual salary of $34,660 in the US and is projected to grow 7% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Postsecondary nondegree award, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.41 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Learning.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £24,124 a year for Beauticians and related occupations (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 6222). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Service and sales workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Manicurists and pedicurists, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 5. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification ITI Cosmetology trade (1 year after Class 10), leading to the National Trade Certificate[1]
- 2 · First role Nail expert, manicurist or pedicurist in a salon[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- DGT — Cosmetology CTS curriculum (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Sales and Marketing
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- Psychology
A day in the life
You start the day cleaning and sanitising your tools, bowls and workstation, and checking that polish, files and creams are well stocked. Your first client sits down for a manicure, and you soak her hands in warm soapy water, gently push back cuticles and trim them before shaping and smoothing each nail. You apply a base coat, two layers of colour and a clear top coat, working slowly so the finish is neat. Next comes a pedicure for a client who spends long days standing, so you add a relaxing foot massage. Between appointments you record each service, reorder supplies and chat with regular clients about their plans. After lunch you create detailed nail art for a bride-to-be. At the end of the day you sanitise everything again. The work requires steady hands and patience, and sitting bent over for hours can strain your back, but the neat, finished results are very satisfying.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Clean and sanitize tools and work environment.
- Apply undercoat and clear or colored polish onto nails with brush.
- Maintain supply inventories and records of client services.
- Shape and smooth ends of nails, using scissors, files, or emery boards.
- Prepare nail cuticles with water and oil, using cuticle knives to push back cuticles and scissors or nippers to trim cuticles.
- Prepare customers' nails in soapy water, using swabs, files, and orange sticks.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Manicurists and pedicurists do?
Clean and shape customers' fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails.
What does a typical day look like in Manicurists and pedicurists?
You start the day cleaning and sanitising your tools, bowls and workstation, and checking that polish, files and creams are well stocked. Your first client sits down for a manicure, and you soak her hands in warm soapy water, gently push back cuticles and trim them before shaping and smoothing each nail. You apply a base coat, two layers of colour and a clear top coat, working slowly so the finish is neat.
How much does Manicurists and pedicurists earn?
The median annual salary for Manicurists and pedicurists in the US is $34,660.
What is the job outlook for Manicurists and pedicurists?
The role is projected to grow 7% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 210,100 workers.
How do I become manicurists and pedicurists?
The typical entry education is a Postsecondary nondegree award. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Manicurists and pedicurists need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Learning, Coordination. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Manicurists and pedicurists?
Our AI-durability model gives Manicurists and pedicurists a score of 0.41 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Manicurists and pedicurists has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.