Esthetician Job Description & Career Opportunities

Also known as skin care therapists, estheticians are employed at medi-spas, day spas, and salons. They are taught in the cosmetic treatment of the skin and they conduct different cosmetic procedures such as waxing, facials, and body treatments. The job requires dealing with the client most of the time, so an esthetician should have excellent public relations skills.

To become an esthetician one must have at least a high school diploma or GED equivalent in addition to state certification to administer skin care. One can enroll in cosmetology and barbering classes offered by private and public vocational schools. A full-time training program in barbering and cosmetology will take about nine to twenty-four months. Trainings for electrologists, skin care specialists, pedicurists, and manicurists will take less training time.
Education and Skills Requirements

Formal training consists of practical work, demonstrations, and classroom study. Training could include giving scalp and hair treatments, shaving customers, chemically treating hair, and cutting and styling the hair. For professional cosmetologists and barbers, there are advanced training courses in sales and marketing, sale and service of hairpieces and wigs, coloring, and hairstyling.

For cosmetologists, barbers, and other personal appearance workers, a State licensed is required. A qualified esthetician should possess excellent communication skills, a pleasant personality, accuracy in work, and the ability to evaluate the needs of the clients and respond to these needs effectively. Another qualification of an effective esthetician is the ability to maintain presence of mind and fast thinking to manage difficult clients and deal with emergency situations.

The job of an esthetician requires talking and listening. An esthetician is required to sit, walk, stand, reach with hands and arms, use hands to touch, handle and feel objects, balance or climb and crawl, and crouch or kneel. The job requires physical strength and stamina as an esthetician is expected to move or carry up to fifty pounds worth of weight.
Duties and Responsibilities

An esthetician is responsible for maintaining and increasing knowledge of the product line and skin and body treatment by joining education classes, in-house instruction, and skin care promotions. Also, an esthetician is responsible for assisting in all areas of spa operation as called for by management, assisting with washing and folding of all linens utilized in treatment rooms, and maintaining spa appearance and cleanliness.

An esthetician is also responsible for upholding the standards of sterilization and sanitation required by law. They must sell beauty products and recommend retail products for the in-house use of clients. Also, part of an esthetician’s job is to manage and treat the skin care needs of the client. Skin care needs would include make-up, spa treatment, skin cleansing, treatment of skin diseases, and facial massages. An esthetician also administers body hair removal treatments.
Salary and Compensation

Depending on the work experience of an esthetician, the salary and compensation varies. Typically, an esthetician earns at least $10,000 or as much as $60,000 a year. The difference in the salary is due to the varied responsibilities and tasks done by an esthetician.