Manicurist vs nail artist

The differences between manicurists and nail artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a nail artist has an average salary of $43,369, which is higher than the $33,794 average annual salary of a manicurist.

The top three skills for a manicurist include TIP, cosmetology and customer service. The most important skills for a nail artist are beauty services, customer service, and nail art.

Manicurist vs nail artist overview

	Manicurist	Nail Artist
Yearly salary	$33,794	$43,369
Hourly rate	$16.25	$20.85
Growth rate	22%	22%
Number of jobs	1,746	4,559
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Manicurist vs nail artist salary

Manicurists and nail artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Manicurist	Nail Artist
Average salary	$33,794	$43,369
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $56,000	Between $14,000 And $127,000
Highest paying City	Valley Stream, NY	-
Highest paying state	Maryland	-
Best paying company	E & S Inc	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between manicurist and nail artist education

There are a few differences between a manicurist and a nail artist in terms of educational background:

	Manicurist	Nail Artist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Cosmetology	Cosmetology
Most common college	-	-

Manicurist vs nail artist demographics

Here are the differences between manicurists' and nail artists' demographics:

	Manicurist	Nail Artist
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6%	Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 52.0% White, 30.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 52.1% White, 30.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between manicurist and nail artist duties and responsibilities

Manicurist example responsibilities.

Manage beautiful hairstyles with the use of flat irons, curling irons, blow dryers, and other hair products.
Provide manicures, pedicures and tip overlays to clients.
provide manicures, pedicures and/or false eyelashes per the customer's request while upholding state cosmetology rules and regulations.
Take pride in maintaining immaculate cleanliness throughout facility.
Sterilize tools using conclaves and assist in maintaining salon cleanliness.
Perform makeup artist techniques that include wardrobe suggestions for magazine and local newspaper editorials.

Nail artist example responsibilities.

Achieve all sales goals through close client contact and upselling techniques.
Conceptualize and develop terrain models using Maya and partner with director and animators to correspond and produce effective shots.
Freelance artist for Dior cosmetics, left to obtain more work elsewhere
Work directly for Christian Dior to locally work spa days and events.

Manicurist vs nail artist skills

Common manicurist skills

TIP, 24%
Cosmetology, 17%
Customer Service, 9%
State Board, 6%
Client Appointments, 5%
Guest Service, 5%

Common nail artist skills

Beauty Services, 66%
Customer Service, 15%
Nail Art, 6%
Nail Services, 6%
Nail Care, 3%
Front Desk, 3%

Updated January 8, 2025

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