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The differences between laser technicians and estheticians 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 $37,370 average annual salary of a laser technician.
The top three skills for a laser technician include patients, customer service and laser equipment. The most important skills for an esthetician are customer service, excellent guest, and cleanliness.
| Laser Technician | Esthetician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,370 | $41,419 |
| Hourly rate | $17.97 | $19.91 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 24,920 | 3,747 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 45 | 35 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A Laser Technician or photonic technician is a trained professional responsible for operating and keeping the laser equipment in place. An experienced individual knows about running and using laser devices for medical purposes: their responsibility is to assemble, test, recalibrate, and repair laser devices or actual lasers. They have to ensure that all tools and machines are appropriately stored.
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.
Laser technicians and estheticians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laser Technician | Esthetician | |
| Average salary | $37,370 | $41,419 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $46,000 | Between $28,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | West Fargo, ND | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Lancaster General Health |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a laser technician and an esthetician in terms of educational background:
| Laser Technician | Esthetician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Cosmetology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | - |
Here are the differences between laser technicians' and estheticians' demographics:
| Laser Technician | Esthetician | |
| Average age | 45 | 35 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.8% Female, 52.2% | Male, 6.1% Female, 93.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 Percentage | 6% | 9% |