Brazilian waxes are a specific kind of bikini wax that has become popular in the United States since the late 90s. Waxing -- whether on the face or body -- can only be performed by those licensed as either estheticians or cosmetologists in a particular state. Both types of licenses are granted and regulated by a State Board of Cosmetology.

Requirements for License

In order to obtain a license for waxing, students must complete a minimum number of hours as required by the state in which they expect to work. In New York state, for example, a licensed waxer needs to have logged 75 hours of schooling. Other cosmetic professionals, with more extensive and broader esthetician schooling, are also licensed to do brazilian waxing.

Hours logged in other states or countries are usually easily credited and transferred to other states, if the education previously received is considered comparable.

Esthetician License

A licensed esthetician is licensed to perform a variety of tasks in the salon industry, including waxing. Licensed estheticians work at a number of tasks including facials, body treatments, manicures, pedicures as well as a variety of hair-removal procedures like brazilian waxing. Because their expertise is broader than a student merely licensed to wax, estheticians require between 250 to 1,500 hours of schooling, depending on the state. Courses typically require four to six months of schooling.

Licensed estheticians can also become medical estheticians, and become trained at identifying skin that require the help of a dermatologist.

Cosmetology License

Salon professionals with cosmetology licenses typically have the highest level of training of any salon professionals. Cosmetologists are licensed to cut hair, apply make up and are often the proprietors of a salon. Licensed cosmetologists are, by default, licensed to perform Brazilian and other waxes in the state of their license.

Though the length of training for cosmetology varies by state, the average amount of training required to obtain the license is 1,000 hours.

Salaries

The salaries of estheticians and other salon professionals vary greatly depending on the client base that they are able to establish. As of April 2011, the cost of a Brazilian wax can range between $30 and $100, depending on the salon where the service is performed. The number of clients that the salon is able to attract is also important in determining an esthetician's salary. As such, an average esthetician currently makes between $30,000 and $50,000 per year.