How to hire a licensed esthetician

How to hire a licensed esthetician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step licensed esthetician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a licensed esthetician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new licensed esthetician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a licensed esthetician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the licensed esthetician you need to hire. Certain licensed esthetician roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A licensed esthetician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, licensed estheticians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents licensed esthetician salaries for various positions.

   Type of Licensed Esthetician	Description	Hourly rate
   Licensed Esthetician	Skincare specialists cleanse and beautify the face and body to enhance a person’s appearance.	$12-29
   Skin Therapist	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... Show more	$9-20
   Licensed Cosmetologist	A Licensed Cosmetologist provides various services, such as hairstyling, skincare, nail treatments, and makeup. They are responsible for complying with health and safety standards.	$11-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Product Knowledge
   • Spa Services
   • PCA
   • Product Line
   • Cleanliness
   • Body Treatments
   • Treatment Rooms
   • Treatment Options
   • Spa Management
   • Retail Products
   • Phototherapy
   • Booking
   • TIP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the aesthetics department and perform consultations with patients regarding aesthetic and facial surgery procedures.
   • Maintain product displays, and general cleanliness of facility.
   • Maintain cleanliness, organization, and stock of treatment areas.
   • Provide expert head to toe waxing services, lash and brow tinting, lash extensions and makeup applications.
   • Provide extend services such as: full body waxing, teeth whitening, lash and brow tinting, etc.
   • Experience in aromatherapy, anti-aging and acne facials.

   More licensed esthetician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your licensed esthetician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A licensed esthetician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, licensed estheticians' average salary in indiana is 57% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level licensed estheticians 56% less than senior-level licensed estheticians.
   • Certifications. A licensed esthetician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a licensed esthetician's salary.

   Average licensed esthetician salary

   $40,911yearly

   $19.67 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level licensed esthetician salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 11, 2025

   Average licensed esthetician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$59,707	$29
   2	Connecticut	$51,556	$25
   3	North Carolina	$51,144	$25
   4	California	$48,618	$23
   5	Illinois	$47,059	$23
   6	Virginia	$46,259	$22
   7	Arizona	$45,943	$22
   8	Utah	$45,911	$22
   9	South Dakota	$44,070	$21
   10	Wisconsin	$43,265	$21
   11	Ohio	$42,458	$20
   12	Colorado	$41,816	$20
   13	Michigan	$39,796	$19
   14	Pennsylvania	$39,748	$19
   15	Minnesota	$39,575	$19
   16	Nebraska	$38,993	$19
   17	Texas	$37,554	$18
   18	Florida	$36,438	$18
   19	Tennessee	$34,518	$17
   20	Indiana	$25,717	$12

   Average licensed esthetician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Retail	$49,944	$24.01
   2	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$46,663	$22.43
   3	European Wax Center	$44,984	$21.63	117
   4	Massage Envy	$44,448	$21.37	300
   5	Mario Tricoci Hair Salons & Day Spas	$43,740	$21.03	2
   6	Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa	$42,052	$20.22	191
   7	Amazing Lash Studio	$41,455	$19.93
   8	OneSpaWorld	$41,407	$19.91	20
   9	University of Colorado	$38,284	$18.41
   10	Nordstrom	$37,136	$17.85	3
   11	Estée Lauder	$32,524	$15.64
   12	Black Butte Ranch	$32,145	$15.45

4. Writing a licensed esthetician job description

   A licensed esthetician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a licensed esthetician job description:

   Licensed esthetician job description example

   Wax Specialists at European Wax Center -- PLYMOUTH MEETING! (Located: OUTSIDE THE PLYMOUTH MEETING MALL).
   
   As a Wax Specialist, you'll be a friendly and passionate team player who can hit the ground running while also building your skills with our comprehensive training program. We're in the business of Revealing Beautiful Skin, and with your help, you'll give guests a reason to walk in, and strut out.
   Requirements: -PA Licensed Esthetician or Cosmetologist
   -Able to perform full body waxing
   -Sales Experience/Products sales
   -Ability to work with others in a fun, fast-paced environment.
   -Reliable transportation.
   -Ability to work flexible days and hours including evening and weekends
   -Must be available to work Part time or Full time Benefits:
   -Discounts on all retail products
   -Great referral program
   -Free Body Waxing
   -Working in a beautiful, new facility
   -A fun, well managed environment
   -Career Growth
   -Potential to earn $25 per hour or more - Hourly wage, commission and bonus program
   -Paid training To Apply:
   Email contact information, hours of availability, and resume. You can also fill out an application online by visiting www.waxcenter.com/careers. About the Company: Visit us at www.waxcenter.com and discover how European Wax Center is committed to "Revealing Beautiful Skin!" Location: Plymouth Meeting, PA
   Compensation: Potential to earn $25 per hour or more Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
   do NOT contact us with unsolicited services or offers Job Types: Full-time, Part-time Pay: From $20.00 per hour Benefits: Employee discount Flexible schedule Paid time off Schedule: Day shift Monday to Friday Night shift Weekends Supplemental Pay: Bonus pay Commission pay Tips Experience: Sales Experience: 1 year (Preferred) License/Certification: Esthetician License (Preferred) Cosmetology License (Preferred)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find licensed estheticians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any licensed estheticians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level licensed estheticians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your licensed esthetician job on Zippia to find and recruit licensed esthetician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting licensed estheticians requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new licensed esthetician

   Once you've selected the best licensed esthetician candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new licensed esthetician. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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