Purpose

• Nail technicians may find employment in specialty manicure/pedicure-only boutiques or placement in larger beauty salons and spas offering a wide range of services. Although nail technicians may be associated with the lacquer/painting process, they're also responsible for contributing to the health of their clients' digits, from trimming cuticles and nails to soaking off dead skin.
  
  

The Facts

• Nail technicians paid on an hourly basis earned an average of $9.46 as of May 2008. This salary is usually boosted by customer tips, though tips are not guaranteed and vary depending on client availability and flow. Nail technicians working out of a salon or boutique don't usually set their own pricing, but may find different services such as intricate French manicures or wrapped-tip applications at a higher fee level (which may also bring higher tips) than standard buffing and clear polish application.
  
  

Location

• Salary for nail technicians varies as much as the number of bottles of polish on a standard salon wall. Nail techs interested in making the most money will find Vermont as the highest paying state on average for manicurists, averaging $16.19 per hour, far above the national wage. Also averaging much higher salaries are Oregon ($15.43 per hour), Utah ($14.32) and the District of Columbia ($14.13). While these states pay the highest salaries, they're not the likeliest place to attain a nail technician salary. The states with the highest ratio of manicurists per capita included New Jersey, California and Maryland.
  
  

Considerations

• While it may seem as if the process of manicuring is simply picking up a bottle and painting on a color, all 50 states regulate the nail technology field with certification and continuing education requirements. Although some nail technicians are employed on an hourly/contract/salary basis, others operate as contract or freelance, paying a portion of their income to a salon to "rent" a space. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts heightened employment in the field, up 19 percent through the year 2018, faster than many other professions, adding approximately 14,300 jobs.