An esthetician performs procedures for skin care such as skin peels, blackhead removals and hair removal. They typically have a background in cosmetology, although estheticians may also be trained nurses. Nurse estheticians frequently have a license requiring an additional year of formal coursework and they may also have a board certification as an esthetician.

Outlook

The employment growth of nurse estheticians between 2008 and 2018 should be nearly 38 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This rate is much higher than the average of 10 percent for all occupations during this period. The increasing popularity of skin treatments for recreational and medical purposes will continue to drive the rapid employment increase of nurse estheticians. The greatest opportunities for advancement will be available to entry-level estheticians, while established nurse estheticians will face much greater competition.

National Profile

The average annual salary for nurse estheticians was $32,030 as of 2010, according to the BLS. The upper 10 percent earned $50,890 per year on average and the bottom 10 percent had an average annual salary of $17,090. The top fourth of nurse estheticians had annual salaries averaging $40,810 and the bottom fourth earned salaries averaging $20,640 per year.

Industry Profile

Physicians' offices offered the highest annual salaries for nurse estheticians with an average of $39,540. The next highest salaries for nurse estheticians were in recreation industries, where the average was $38,450 per year. Nurse estheticians working in outpatient care centers earned an average of $37,650 per year and those in hospital settings earned an average of $37,280 per year. Nurse estheticians in department stores had salaries averaging $36,660 per year.

Geographic Profile

The state with the highest-paid nurse estheticians was Delaware, where the average salary was $46,130 per year. Hawaii was second on the list with an average salary of $42,810 per year. The average salary for nurse estheticians in Oregon was $41,650 per year. Employers in the District of Columbia paid an average annual salary of $41,580 to nurse estheticians and the average salary in Washington was $40,370 per year.