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The differences between licensed estheticians and skin therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a licensed esthetician has an average salary of $40,911, which is higher than the $29,682 average annual salary of a skin therapist.
The top three skills for a licensed esthetician include customer service, product knowledge and spa services. The most important skills for a skin therapist are booking, product knowledge, and skin care products.
| Licensed Esthetician | Skin Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $40,911 | $29,682 |
| Hourly rate | $19.67 | $14.27 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 13,427 | 17,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 35 | 35 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Licensed Estheticians are responsible for cleaning and maintaining a client's skin. They normally provide services such as facials, pore cleansing, exfoliating, chemical peels, waxing, aromatherapy, and body wraps at a salon or spa. They are also trained to identify skin problems and can advise on a proper skin cleansing regimen. Estheticians can use their license to teach clients how to make up, such as learning proper shading to create the best skin tones and accentuating bone structure. Specialized services include eyebrow tinting and sculpting. A medical esthetician works in dermatology or plastic surgery, assisting with procedures and helping with its recovery process.
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.
Licensed estheticians and skin therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Esthetician | Skin Therapist | |
| Average salary | $40,911 | $29,682 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $61,000 | Between $20,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Puyallup, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | Equinox | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a licensed esthetician and a skin therapist in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Esthetician | Skin Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Cosmetology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between licensed estheticians' and skin therapists' demographics:
| Licensed Esthetician | Skin Therapist | |
| Average age | 35 | 35 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 4.5% Female, 95.5% | Male, 7.4% Female, 92.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 9% | 9% |