Manicurists and Pedicurists earn a median of $35,760 per year ($17.19/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 9.2% through 2035, with about 21,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- Commonly called: Nail Technician
- SOC 39-5092
- Personal Care and Service
- Last updated October 15, 2026
At a glance
Manicurist and Pedicurist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $35,760a year, or $17.19/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $29KTop 10% $50K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +9.2%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+9.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +9.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 21,900201,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025201.8K
- Projected 2035220.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 201.8K Projected 2035 220.4K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school35.8%
- High school49.2%
- Certificate14.8%
- Some college0.3%
Highest education held by manicurists and pedicurists Segment Value Less than high school 35.8% High school 49.2% Certificate 14.8% Some college 0.3%
Also advertised as: Manicurist, Nail Technician (Nail Tech), Pedicurist.
Pay
How much do nail technicians make?
Manicurists and Pedicurists earn a median of $35,760 a year ($17.19 an hour, or about $2,980 a month); the lowest-paid 10% earn less than $28,920 and the top 10% more than $50,140 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The best-paying state is Hawaii, with a median of $60,790. See Nail technician salary in Hawaii and every other state. By city, pay is highest around Omaha ($65,810 average): salary in every city.
Every manicurist and pedicurist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$35,760
Middle half earn $34,010 to $41,650
- 10th
- $28,920
- 25th
- $34,010
- 75th
- $41,650
- 90th
- $50,140
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $28,920 |
| 25th | $34,010 |
| Median | $35,760 |
| 75th | $41,650 |
| 90th | $50,140 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $35,760
- Median hourly wage
- $17.19/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $38,570
- People employed
- 152,770
Versus all US occupations
At $35,760, Manicurists and Pedicurists earn 30% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,220 a year.
Versus personal care and service occupations
Inside the Personal Care and Service group, where the middle occupation pays $38,120, this is 6% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $50,140 or more while the bottom 10% earn $28,920, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 3% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Hawaii posts the highest raw median ($60,790), but once local prices are taken into account Nebraska leads at $63,194 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay nail technicians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hawaii | $60,790 | $55,288 | 40 |
| 2Nebraska | $56,940 | $63,194 | 310 |
| 3Washington | $49,900 | $46,630 | 5,570 |
| 4Maine | $48,540 | $50,015 | 200 |
| 5Alaska | $47,890 | $46,786 | 180 |
| 6Oregon | $46,080 | $44,582 | 2,210 |
| 7Iowa | $45,420 | $51,754 | 190 |
| 8Kentucky | $45,310 | $50,256 | 240 |
| 9South Dakota | $45,310 | $51,148 | 250 |
| 10Nevada | $41,880 | $41,889 | 1,020 |
Job outlook
Is nail technician a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +9.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Manicurists and Pedicurists | +9.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Manicurists and Pedicurists to change 9.2% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.6× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 18,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 21,900 openings are projected each year, 10.9% of the 201,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The projected increase in employment reflects demand for nail services, such as mini-sessions (quick manicures at a low cost) and mobile manicures and pedicures (nail services offered outside of the salon).
The desire among many women and a growing number of men to lead a healthier lifestyle through better grooming and wellness is expected to result in higher employment for manicurists and pedicurists.
Considered a low-cost luxury service, manicures and pedicures will continue to be in demand by individuals at all income levels.
AI exposure: low
BLS places this occupation in its low relative AI exposure category, among the occupations least exposed to current AI.
Getting in
How to become a nail technician
Nail technicians are licensed or registered in every state we could identify, and the training-hour requirement is set state by state and varies more than in almost any other occupation: from 12 hours in Alaska to 750 in Alabama. A nail technician licence and a full cosmetology licence are different credentials. In most states the cosmetology licence already covers nail services, which makes the nail licence the faster and cheaper route rather than a narrower prerequisite, but Connecticut and Oregon are exceptions where it does not.
The credential path, step by step
- Find your state's hour requirement before you enrol anywhere
This single number drives the cost and length of the whole path and it is not close to uniform. Verified figures: Alaska 12, Connecticut 100, Massachusetts 100, Virginia 150, Florida 180, Ohio 200, Pennsylvania 200, Oregon 241 (281 including law and career development hours), New York 250, North Carolina 300, Iowa 325, Illinois 350, Louisiana 500, Georgia 525, Texas 600, Nevada 600, Washington 600, Oklahoma 600, Alabama 750. Alaska also offers an optional 250-hour advanced endorsement, but the 12-hour licence already permits full manicuring and pedicuring services.
- Check the age and schooling minimum, which is lower than people assume
Minimum age is 16 in Alabama, Ohio, Illinois and Florida, 17 in New York, Texas, Washington and California, and 18 in Nevada. Education minimums run from 8th grade in Oklahoma and 9th in Connecticut to 10th grade in California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Alabama and Louisiana. No state we checked requires a high school diploma for a nail technician licence; where a diploma or GED does appear in the rules, it attaches to instructor licences.
- Decide between a nail technician programme and a full cosmetology programme
In most states the cosmetology licence covers nails by statute. Florida defines cosmetology to include manicures and pedicures, California's Business and Professions Code section 7316 includes manicuring nails and treating hands and feet, New York's definition folds in the nail specialty, and Texas lists nail treatments in the cosmetology operator scope. Two states break that pattern: Connecticut expressly excludes actions performed on the nails of the hands or feet from its hairdressing and cosmetology definition, so a Connecticut hairdresser needs a separate nail licence; and Oregon issues no umbrella cosmetology certificate at all, only separate fields of practice.
- Complete a state-approved programme
Schools must be approved by the state board, and hours generally do not transfer between school and apprenticeship routes where both exist. Alaska is unusual in the other direction: its statute forbids schools from requiring more than the 12 hours the licence needs.
- Pass whatever examination your state actually uses, if it uses one
The National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology develops theory, practical and written practical examinations but does not administer them; test administration companies and state boards deliver them. Do not assume a written plus hands-on pair. California uses PSI's own written examination and has eliminated the practical entirely. Florida's nail specialist credential is a registration with no state examination, and Connecticut requires no board examination for its nail technician licence.
- Apply to the board and keep the licence current
Renewal cycles are typically two years, though New York issues a four-year term. Continuing education is required in some states and not others, so this is worth checking at the point of first renewal rather than assuming.
Exams you have to pass
NIC Nail Technology Theory Examination
110 items of which 100 are scored, in 90 minutes. NIC also publishes a Written Practical examination, a computer-based substitute for the hands-on exam, which exists for only four disciplines: Barber Styling, Cosmetology, Esthetics and Nail Technology.
Administered by Developed by the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology; administered by testing companies or state boards.
California manicurist written examination
60 scored items plus 10 pretest items in 90 minutes. California candidates need only pass the written examination; the state no longer administers a practical.
Administered by PSI, for the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.
- How long the training takes
From 12 hours in Alaska to 750 in Alabama. Concrete midpoints: Connecticut and Massachusetts 100, Virginia 150, Florida 180, Ohio and Pennsylvania 200, Oregon 241, New York 250, North Carolina 300, Iowa 325, Illinois 350, Louisiana 500, Georgia 525, and Texas, Nevada, Washington and Oklahoma 600.
- Continuing education
Set by each state
Set by the state, and several states require none. Texas requires 4 hours every two years, including 1 hour of sanitation and 1 hour of human trafficking awareness. Illinois requires 10 hours per two-year cycle for nail technicians, with none due at first renewal. Florida caps continuing education at 10 hours biennially and, since 1 July 2024, exempts licensees with 10 or more continuous years and no discipline. Ohio requires 4 hours and Georgia 5. California states outright that it requires no continuing education to maintain a licence, and Connecticut's nail technician renewal carries no continuing education condition.
Licensing and state variation
Licensed state by state
Everything of consequence here is set by the state: the number of training hours, whether the credential is a licence or a registration, whether there is an examination at all, and whether a cosmetology licence lets you work on nails. Connecticut is worth calling out because most sources still describe it as the state with no nail licence: its nail technician statute was repealed in 2001, but a new one took effect on 1 January 2021 requiring not less than 100 hours of study, a $100 fee and biennial renewal, with no board examination. The Cosmetology Licensure Compact, which would eventually allow multistate practice, has been enacted in 12 states (Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia) but the compact commission states plainly that licensees in member states cannot yet practise through it.
Who governs the credential
- National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC)
Develops the theory, practical and written practical examinations that many state boards adopt. It does not administer them and does not license anyone.
- California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology
Licenses manicurists in California, with a written-only examination delivered by PSI and no continuing education requirement for renewal.
- Connecticut Department of Public Health
Licenses Connecticut nail technicians under a statute effective 1 January 2021: not less than 100 hours of study, a $100 fee, biennial renewal and no state examination.
- Cosmetology Licensure Compact Commission
Stands up the interstate compact for cosmetology licences. Twelve states have enacted it, but the commission states that licensees cannot yet practise through the compact.
Credential detail for manicurist and pedicurists is researched by hand from the bodies that issue it, not derived from BLS or O*NET. Sources last checked August 23, 2026. Requirements change: confirm with your own state board before enrolling in anything.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Manicurists and Pedicurists · checked August 23, 2026
- Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing: Board of Barbers and Hairdressers FAQs · checked August 23, 2026
- Connecticut General Statutes chapter 387 (nail technician licensure, CGS 20-265d and 20-250) · checked August 23, 2026
- Connecticut Department of Public Health: Nail technician licensing requirements · checked August 23, 2026
- Massachusetts 240 CMR 2, Licensure of cosmetologists, manicurists, aestheticians and instructors · checked August 23, 2026
- Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC41-20-200 (nail technician training) · checked August 23, 2026
- Florida DBPR Board of Cosmetology FAQs (nail specialist registration) · checked August 23, 2026
- Florida Statutes 477.013, definitions of cosmetology · checked August 23, 2026
- Ohio Revised Code 4713.28 (licence requirements and training hours) · checked August 23, 2026
- Pennsylvania Department of State: Nail technician licensure snapshot · checked August 23, 2026
- Oregon Health Authority Health Licensing Office: Nail technology certificate · checked August 23, 2026
- New York Department of State: Get a nail specialty licence · checked August 23, 2026
- Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation: Nail technician · checked August 23, 2026
- Georgia Rules and Regulations 240-17-.02 (nail technician curriculum) · checked August 23, 2026
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: Apply for a manicurist licence · checked August 23, 2026
- Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering: Licence types · checked August 23, 2026
- California Business and Professions Code section 7316 (scope of cosmetology) · checked August 23, 2026
- California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology: Applicants and examinations · checked August 23, 2026
- California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology FAQs (no continuing education requirement) · checked August 23, 2026
- NIC: Examination types · checked August 23, 2026
- Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology: NIC Nail Technology candidate information bulletin · checked August 23, 2026
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: Continuing education for barbering and cosmetology · checked August 23, 2026
- Cosmetology Licensure Compact Commission: Delaware becomes 12th state to enact the compact · checked August 23, 2026
What the federal data says
Manicurists and pedicurists must complete a state-approved cosmetology or nail technician program and then pass a state exam for licensure.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as manicurists and pedicurists.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)49.2%
- Less than a High School Diploma35.8%
- Post-Secondary Certificate14.8%
- Some College Courses0.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 49.2% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 35.8% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 14.8% |
| Some College Courses | 0.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a nail technician do?
Clean and shape customers' fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails.
Manicurists and pedicurists clean, shape, and beautify fingernails and toenails.
Day-to-day tasks
- Clean and sanitize tools and work environment.
- Apply undercoat and clear or colored polish onto nails with brush.
- Shape and smooth ends of nails, using scissors, files, or emery boards.
- Prepare customers' nails in soapy water, using swabs, files, and orange sticks.
- Remove previously applied nail polish, using liquid remover and swabs.
- Assess the condition of clients' hands, remove dead skin, and massage hands.
- Advise clients on nail care and use of products and colors.
- Prepare nail cuticles with water and oil, using cuticle knives to push back cuticles and scissors or nippers to trim cuticles.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most manicurists and pedicurists work full time, although part-time work is common. Schedules may vary and often include evenings and weekends. Some manicurists and pedicurists work more than 40 hours per week. Self-employed workers often set their own schedules.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayConflict situations are rare.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where manicurists and pedicurists work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Personal care services76%
- Self-employed workers23%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Personal care services | 76% |
| Self-employed workers | 23% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Active Learning2.8
- Monitoring2.6
- Critical Thinking2.5
- Writing2.1
- Learning Strategies2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.8 |
| Active Learning | 2.8 |
| Monitoring | 2.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.5 |
| Writing | 2.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Coordination2.8
- Time Management2.8
- Persuasion2.6
- Negotiation2.5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.4
- Complex Problem Solving2.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.8 |
| Time Management | 2.8 |
| Persuasion | 2.6 |
| Negotiation | 2.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Data base user interface and query software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
The workforce
Who works as a nail technician?
Women make up 85.2% of manicurists and pedicurists, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation.
24.5% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs.
The median worker is 46.5 years old (all workers: 42.1).
- Women
- 85.2%All workers 47.1% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Median age
- 46.5All workers 42.1 · BLS CPS, 2025
- Aged 55+
- 24.5%All workers 23.2% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Employed (CPS)
- 277,000BLS CPS, 2025
| Group | Share of manicurists and pedicurists | All employed people |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 85.2% | 47.1% |
| White | 25.1% | 75.7% |
| Black or African American | 5.1% | 12.7% |
| Asian | 67.5% | 7.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 14.5% | 20.0% |
| Aged 55 and over | 24.5% | 23.2% |
| Aged 16 to 24 | 5.4% | 12.2% |
Current Population Survey annual averages, 2025 (BLS tables 11 and 11b). Race groups can overlap with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, so they do not sum to 100%.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a nail technician?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Manicurist and Pedicurist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic5.6
- Conventional3.7
- Social3.1
- Enterprising2.4
- Artistic2.3
- Investigative1.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Manicurist and Pedicurist
O*NET related occupations
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More personal care and service careers
Median annual pay, with manicurists and pedicurists highlighted
- Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor$47,160
- Concierge$38,950
- Tour Guide and Escort$38,120
- Hairstylist$35,790
- Manicurist and Pedicurist$35,760
- Animal Caretaker$35,360
- Nanny$34,980
- Childcare Worker$34,980
- Gambling Dealer$34,320
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor | $47,160 |
| Concierge | $38,950 |
| Tour Guide and Escort | $38,120 |
| Hairstylist | $35,790 |
| Manicurist and Pedicurist | $35,760 |
| Animal Caretaker | $35,360 |
| Nanny | $34,980 |
| Childcare Worker | $34,980 |
| Gambling Dealer | $34,320 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Manicurist and Pedicurist appears on
Questions
Manicurist and Pedicurist: frequently asked questions
How much do nail technicians make?
Manicurists and Pedicurists earn a median of $35,760 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 30% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.19/hr. The middle half earn between $34,010 and $41,650. The top 10% earn $50,140 or more.
How much do nail technicians make an hour?
The median hourly wage for manicurists and pedicurists is $17.19 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $35,760 annual median works out to about $2,980 a month before tax.
What is the starting salary for a nail technician?
BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of manicurists and pedicurists earn less than $28,920 a year and the bottom quarter less than $34,010 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.
Which states pay nail technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Manicurists and Pedicurists are Hawaii ($60,790), Nebraska ($56,940), Washington ($49,900) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Nebraska moves to the top at $63,194.
What kind of nail technician earns the most?
BLS does not split manicurists and pedicurists' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $50,140, against a median of $35,760 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are Hawaii ($60,790), Nebraska ($56,940), Washington ($49,900).
Do you need a degree to become a nail technician?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Manicurists and Pedicurists. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 49.2% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is nail technician a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 9.2% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 21,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a nail technician do?
Manicurists and pedicurists clean, shape, and beautify fingernails and toenails. A core O*NET task: clean and sanitize tools and work environment. Employers most often ask for Office suite software, Spreadsheet software, Web page creation and editing software.
What personality type suits a nail technician?
O*NET scores Manicurists and Pedicurists highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISFJ, ISTJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.
How long does it take to become a nail technician?
From 12 hours in Alaska to 750 in Alabama. Concrete midpoints: Connecticut and Massachusetts 100, Virginia 150, Florida 180, Ohio and Pennsylvania 200, Oregon 241, New York 250, North Carolina 300, Iowa 325, Illinois 350, Louisiana 500, Georgia 525, and Texas, Nevada, Washington and Oklahoma 600.
Do you need a license to work as a nail technician?
Yes, and it is issued by the state you work in, not nationally. Everything of consequence here is set by the state: the number of training hours, whether the credential is a licence or a registration, whether there is an examination at all, and whether a cosmetology licence lets you work on nails. Connecticut is worth calling out because most sources still describe it as the state with no nail licence: its nail technician statute was repealed in 2001, but a new one took effect on 1 January 2021 requiring not less than 100 hours of study, a $100 fee and biennial renewal, with no board examination. The Cosmetology Licensure Compact, which would eventually allow multistate practice, has been enacted in 12 states (Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia) but the compact commission states plainly that licensees in member states cannot yet practise through it.
What exams do you have to pass to become a nail technician?
The NIC Nail Technology Theory Examination and the California manicurist written examination. 110 items of which 100 are scored, in 90 minutes. NIC also publishes a Written Practical examination, a computer-based substitute for the hands-on exam, which exists for only four disciplines: Barber Styling, Cosmetology, Esthetics and Nail Technology.
What percentage of nail technicians are women?
Women make up 85.2% of manicurists and pedicurists, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation. 24.5% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 46.5 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.