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Esthetician vs skin therapist

The differences between estheticians and skin therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an esthetician has an average salary of $41,419, which is higher than the $29,682 average annual salary of a skin therapist.

The top three skills for an esthetician include customer service, excellent guest and cleanliness. The most important skills for a skin therapist are booking, product knowledge, and skin care products.

Esthetician vs skin therapist overview

EstheticianSkin Therapist
Yearly salary$41,419$29,682
Hourly rate$19.91$14.27
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs3,74717,683
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 31%Associate Degree, 32%
Average age3535
Years of experience--

What does an esthetician do?

An esthetician is responsible for providing skincare solutions such as facial treatments, hair removal procedures, and makeup services. Estheticians must be highly-knowledgeable on various skin conditions to perform effective treatments and recommend maintenance skincare routines. An esthetician should also be strict on following hygienic procedures, ensuring sterilization of all the tools and equipment used for the procedures. They also respond to customer's inquiries and concerns regarding skincare health and sell products depending on the customers' needs.

What does a skin therapist do?

A skin therapist is a licensed professional who specializes in recommending and implementing treatments to improve skin health. Their responsibilities revolve around meeting with clients to identify their needs and skin conditions, conduct assessments and evaluations, suggest skincare products, and perform treatments such as hair removal, facial cleansing, and other techniques, ensuring client satisfaction. There are also instances where they may refer clients to dermatologists and other specialists. Moreover, a skin therapist must establish rapport with clients to have a strong customer base.

Esthetician vs skin therapist salary

Estheticians and skin therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

EstheticianSkin Therapist
Average salary$41,419$29,682
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $60,000Between $20,000 And $42,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WA-
Highest paying stateWashington-
Best paying companyLancaster General Health-
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between esthetician and skin therapist education

There are a few differences between an esthetician and a skin therapist in terms of educational background:

EstheticianSkin Therapist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 31%Associate Degree, 32%
Most common majorCosmetologyCosmetology
Most common college--

Esthetician vs skin therapist demographics

Here are the differences between estheticians' and skin therapists' demographics:

EstheticianSkin Therapist
Average age3535
Gender ratioMale, 6.1% Female, 93.9%Male, 7.4% Female, 92.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.7% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.7% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between esthetician and skin therapist duties and responsibilities

Esthetician example responsibilities.

  • Manage the aesthetics department and perform consultations with patients regarding aesthetic and facial surgery procedures.
  • Cleanse skin and remove makeup.
  • Close group for PCA skin care professionals only.
  • Maintain HIPPA privacy laws while reviewing patient's history.
  • Assist in surgery and process tissue for Mohs surgery.
  • Assist with and document Botox, Injectables and Sclerotherapy procedures.
  • Show more

Skin therapist example responsibilities.

  • Provide direct assistance to patients in residential and intensive outpatient eating disorder programs.
  • Evaluate skin condition, budget, nutrition, possible allergies, and concerns to craft ideal plan for each customer.
  • Complete client record forms for each client including information such as treatments, procedures used, particular problems and or allergies.
  • Promote for companies that include Chanel, Donna Karan, Vera Wang, and Calvin Klein.

Esthetician vs skin therapist skills

Common esthetician skills
  • Customer Service, 27%
  • Excellent Guest, 14%
  • Cleanliness, 8%
  • Retail Products, 7%
  • Body Treatments, 7%
  • Treatment Rooms, 6%
Common skin therapist skills
  • Booking, 38%
  • Product Knowledge, 29%
  • Skin Care Products, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Facial Treatments, 6%
  • Hair Removal, 2%

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