Estheticians, Electrologists, and Related Workers

(NOC 6562)

in All Sales and Service

These workers provide facial and body treatments designed to enhance an individual's physical appearance. They work for beauty salons, electrolysis studios, scalp treatment and hair replacement clinics and other similar businesses and in cosmetic departments of retail shops like pharmacies and department stores, or they may be self-employed.

Job Outlook

Good

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  • Estimate Moderate growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 205 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Low rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Sales and Service

  • Estimate 10325 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 17495 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Employment prospects for this occupation are generally favourable throughout the province, but may vary somewhat by community. An influx of new residents in rural areas has resulted in an increase in demand for estheticians and long wait times. Given this unmet demand, individuals interested in self-employment may have little trouble gaining clientele. Some business owners have also had difficulty filling vacancies for estheticians or renting out chairs in their establishments. Estheticians may improve their employability or broaden their client base by taking training in specific services such as electrolysis or hair removal.

Hourly Pay

$14.50

Minimum

$15.50

Median

$25.96

Maximum

Annual Pay

$2,100

Minimum

$13,710

Median

$32,424

Maximum

Compared to: All Sales and Service

Hourly Pay

$12.95

Minimum

$15.00

Median

$25.60

Maximum

Annual Pay

$2,949

Minimum

$16,629

Median

$45,086

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

These workers provide facial and body treatments designed to enhance an individual's physical appearance. They work for beauty salons, electrolysis studios, scalp treatment and hair replacement clinics and other similar businesses and in cosmetic departments of retail shops like pharmacies and department stores, or they may be self-employed.

Job duties

Estheticians:

  • Give facial and other body treatments using specialized products and techniques.

Cosmeticians:

  • Advise customers on the use of make-up and other beauty products and apply make-up to customers.
  • May specialize in applying make-up to models or other individuals for special occasions.

Electrologists:

  • Remove unwanted hair permanently from client's face or body using needle only specialized electrical hair removal equipment, laser, or other equipment.

Manicurists and pedicurists:

  • Clean, shape and polish fingernails and toenails and provide related treatments.

Scalp treatment specialists:

  • Apply medicated lotions to treat scalp conditions and hair loss.

Tattoo artists:

  • Apply permanent designs to customer's skin, using electric needles and chemical dyes.
  • May also apply temporary designs to customer's skin.

Hair replacement technicians (non-medical):

  • Prepare and apply custom-made hair pieces to customer's scalp, weave customer's hair to hair pieces, and provide scalp treatments.

Sample job titles

  • beauty care specialist
  • cosmetologist
  • electrolysis technician
  • esthetician
  • hair removal specialist
  • manicurist
  • nail care technician
  • skin care consultant
  • skin care specialist
  • tattoo artist

Skills

  • You must have good manual dexterity, imagination, and creativity. Good communication, organization, and interpersonal skills are definite assets. You should be tactful, patient, and able to follow directions closely. You must be in good health. Business skills are a definite asset.

Job requirements

  • High school, college or beauty school programs for cosmeticians, estheticians, electrologists, manicurists and pedicurists is required or on-the-job training is provided.
  • Electrologists usually require certification from an electrologist's educational or training institution.
  • Membership in a provincial or national electrolysis association may be required.
  • A registered dermal therapy program may be required to provide electrology laser and vascular treatments.
  • Estheticians usually require certification from an esthetician's educational or training institution.
  • A business licence is required for workers in this group who are owners/operators of businesses offering these services.
  • Practitioners offering these personal services are required to adhere to infection control procedures.

Other considerations

  • Self-employment is common for these jobs. Earnings for people in these jobs are often supplemented by tips or gratuities. Therefore, an individual's income will likely depend upon their ability to attract and maintain a group of clients. This work usually occurs in clean, pleasant surroundings with good lighting and comfortable temperatures. The work can be tiring and physically demanding. Workers must be on their feet for long periods of time. This work is often carried out during evenings and weekends, when spas are busiest. There is little or no mobility among the different jobs in this group without additional specialized training. Tattoo artists and body piercers and modifiers are also included in this group, and most apprentice to learn the trade. However, there are very few regulations or guidelines for these jobs in the province and the apprenticeship process is informal.

By the numbers

Quick look

1,270

employed in 2016

64.2%

employed full-time

36.6%

self employed

90.6%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
9.4%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
33

median age

Compared to: All Sales and Service

102,605

employed in 2016

56.4%

employed full-time

5.8%

self employed

60.1%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
39.9%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
37

median age

Where will I likely work?

51.0%

Halifax

$15,620 median annual income
14.7%

North Shore

$15,637 median annual income
14.3%

Annapolis Valley

$15,181 median annual income
11.2%

Cape Breton

$7,987 median annual income
8.8%

Southern

$12,616 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

85.1%

Other services (except public administration)

12.6%

Retail trade

2.3%

Arts, entertainment and recreation

What is the age of Employment?

39.0%

25-34

21.0%

35-44

20.0%

15-24

12.0%

45-54

5.0%

55-64

4.0%

65+

Compared to: All Sales and Service

30.0%

15-24

17.2%

45-54

17.2%

25-34

16.1%

55-64

13.8%

35-44

Top levels of education

45.3%

College Diploma

$13,778 median annual income
31.9%

Trade Certification

$15,120 median annual income
8.3%

High school

$12,438 median annual income
6.7%

Bachelor

$9,838 median annual income
5.1%

Less than high school

$14,288 median annual income

Compared to: All Sales and Service

39.8%

High school

$15,705 median annual income
19.7%

Less than high school

$9,866 median annual income
19.5%

College Diploma

$20,644 median annual income
9.9%

Bachelor

$21,262 median annual income
8.0%

Trade Certification

$21,234 median annual income

Education & training

Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist

College or Trades Program

These programs prepare students to cleanse, depilate, massage, and beautify the human body and to function as licensed estheticians and skin care specialists. They include courses in skin anatomy, physiology, and health, principles of nutrition, decontamination and infection control, health and safety, facial and body massage, body wrapping and spa treatments, temporary hair removal including waxing and tweezing, colour and skin analysis, client consultation and care, applicable laws and regulations, business practices, and sometimes related alternative healing regimens.

Institutions providing this program

CBBC Career College Inc. - Sydney Campus

Sydney, NS

Academy of Cosmetology

Dartmouth, NS

Hair Design Centre Limited

Halifax, NS

Hair Masters

North Sydney, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Elevate Beauty Institute of Cosmetology

New Minas, NS

CBBC Career College Inc. - Halifax Campus

Halifax, NS

Cosmetology

College or Trades Program

These programs prepare students to cut, trim, style, or remove scalp, facial, and body hair, apply cosmetic preparations, do manicures and pedicures, massage the head and extremities, and prepare for practice as licensed cosmetologists in specialized or full-service salons. They include courses in hair cutting and styling, manicuring, pedicuring, facial treatments, shampooing, chemical applications, esthetics, shop management, sanitation and safety, customer service, and applicable professional and labour laws and regulations.

Institutions providing this program

CBBC Career College Inc. - Sydney Campus

Sydney, NS

Hair Masters

North Sydney, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

CBBC Career College Inc. - Halifax Campus

Halifax, NS

Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services - Other

College or Trades Program

This includes any program not listed elsewhere that relates to Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services.

Institutions providing this program

Eastern Esthetics Career College

Halifax, NS

Elevate Beauty Institute of Cosmetology

New Minas, NS

High School Diploma or Equivalent

High School Program

Adults without a high school diploma can contact the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning (NSSAL) for tuition-free programming across the province. NSSAL oversees adult education programs in Nova Scotia. NSSAL partners with the Nova Scotia Community College, Adult High Schools, Université Sainte-Anne, and community-based learning organizations to deliver programs. NSSAL offers clear, accessible pathways from adult basic education to a high school credential or GED.

Institutions providing this program

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Adult High Schools

Various, NS

Community Learning Organizations

Various, NS

Makeup Artist

College or Trades Program

These programs prepare students to professionally apply cosmetic makeup preparations and do makeovers including hairdressing, wig work, masking, temporary prosthesis applications, cosmetic applications, and related costuming for leisure or for professional stage, camera, clinical, or security purposes. They include courses in period and contemporary hairstyling and costuming, wig work and hairpiece application, synthetic hair and masks, cosmetic preparations and treatments, makeup artistry, attachment, removal, and camouflaging of prostheses, health and safety, client consultation and care, preproduction and postproduction operations, set and crew conduct and relations, script, instruction, and prescription interpretation, labour relations, and business practices.

Institutions providing this program

Academy of Cosmetology

Dartmouth, NS

Hair Design Centre Limited

Halifax, NS

Eastern College - Halifax

Halifax, NS

Nail Technician and Manicurist

College or Trades Program

These programs prepare students to shape fingernails and toenails, remove unwanted skin and blemishes, apply polish and cosmetics to nails, and function as licensed manicurists or nail technicians/specialists. They include courses in manicuring theory, skin anatomy, nail growth, irregularities, and diseases, sterilization and sanitation, equipment and table maintenance, cuticle, blemish, and rough skin removal, nail filing, shaping, and polishing, cream application and extremity massage, nail sculpture and design art, product storage and use, customer service, laws and regulations, and business practices.

Institutions providing this program

Hair Masters

North Sydney, NS

Eastern Esthetics Career College

Halifax, NS

Elevate Beauty Institute of Cosmetology

New Minas, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

Regulations

Cosmetologist

Right to Practice: This job is regulated in Nova Scotia. A licence shows that the holder has met provincial requirements and is required to legally do this work.

Regulating body:
Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia
Halifax, NS
Tattoist/Body Artist

Permit Required: A permit is required to operate this type of business.

Regulating body:
Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change
Halifax, NS

Contacts

Canadian Organization of Professional Electrologists
Lundbreck, AB
Health Canada
Ottawa, ON

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.