How to become an esthetician

1. 1Check your state's hour and age rules

   Time: 1-2 weeksSources 3, 4, 5, 7

   Each state board sets its own minimum training hours, age and schooling. California requires 600 hours, age 17 and completion of 10th grade; Washington requires 750 hours and age 17; Connecticut requires 600 hours. Look up your board through the CareerOneStop License Finder before you pick a school, because hours earned in a shorter program may not be enough if you later move to a state with a higher minimum.

2. 2Complete a state-approved esthetics program

   Time: About 4-12 monthsCost: $3,630/yr median public in-state tuitionSources 3, 4, 1

   Esthetics programs are offered by beauty schools, cosmetology schools and some community colleges. California's 600 hours, for example, break down into 100 hours of health and safety, 100 of disinfection and sanitation, 350 of skin care services and 50 of hair removal and lash and brow work. You practice on mannequins, classmates and clinic clients. Some states, including California and Washington, also allow an apprenticeship; Washington's takes 2,000 hours.

3. 3Pass the written and practical exams

   Time: A few weeks after finishing hoursCost: $115 in California (application, exam and license)Sources 2, 10, 8, 9, 11

   Most states use exams written by the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC): an Esthetics Theory exam and an Esthetics Practical exam, where you perform services such as a facial and brow waxing in front of an examiner. Washington requires a scaled score of 75 on both. California now gives only a written exam, and Florida's facial specialist registration needs no exam at all.

4. 4Apply for your license and start working

   Time: 2-6 weeksCost: State license feeSources 5, 1

   After passing, you apply to your state board, pay the fee and, in some states, attest to infection-control rules; Connecticut charges $100 to apply. New estheticians usually start at a salon, day spa or waxing studio, building a client list. Many spend their first year learning which treatments and products sell well and which retail and rebooking habits fill their schedule.

5. 5Add advanced training and keep your license current

   Time: OngoingCost: VariesSources 1, 4

   Licenses must be renewed on a schedule set by the state, and many states offer or require continuing education. Product makers and trade associations teach advanced peels, microdermabrasion, lash extensions and similar services. In Washington, a master esthetician license (an extra 450 hours) is needed for lasers and medium-depth peels. Check what your state allows before paying for a laser or medical-esthetics course.

Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Skin analysis

Choosing the wrong peel or extraction method for sensitive or acne-prone skin can cause burns, scarring or breakouts.

Infection control

State exams and inspections test sanitation closely, because extractions and waxing can spread infection between clients.

Steady, gentle hands

Extractions, brow shaping and waxing near the eyes all need precise pressure and control.

Client rapport

Your income depends on clients rebooking and trusting your product recommendations, so listening and explaining clearly matter.

Selling and scheduling

Retail commissions and a full appointment book separate estheticians who earn near the median from those who earn more.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: speaking, active listening, monitoring, reading comprehension, critical thinking.

Training cost

$3.7K–$8.0K

Before financial aid

Time

6 to 12 months

Typical path

Median pay

$45,330

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

No premium

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

Low: one year of College Scorecard median published in-state tuition for public cosmetology and related certificate programs, $3,630, which covers a 600- or 750-hour program, plus California's $115 application, exam and initial license fee. High: the median federal loan debt of graduates of these certificate programs, $7,898, as a guide to what many students borrow at private beauty schools, plus $115. Not included: kits, supplies, uniforms, other states' exam and license fees and living costs.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Medical or master esthetician

  Advanced training, and in some states a master license, lets you work in dermatology offices and medical spas with lasers and deeper peels.

• Spa owner or independent esthetician

  Experienced estheticians rent a suite or open a studio, which takes business skills and a steady client base rather than more schooling.

• Cosmetologist$35,790 median

  A full cosmetology program adds hair and nail training so you can offer a wider range of services.

• Massage therapist$58,450 median

  A state-approved massage program and licensing exam let you add body treatments in spa settings.

• Medical assistant$45,690 median

  A short medical assisting program opens clinical jobs in dermatology practices beyond the esthetics role.