Nail technician demographics and statistics in the US
Nail technician demographics research summary. Zippia estimates nail technician demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our nail technician estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about nail technicians after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 119,301 nail technicians currently employed in the United States.
- 84.0% of all nail technicians are women, while 16.0% are men.
- The average nail technician age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of nail technicians is Asian (51.7%), followed by White (30.9%), Hispanic or Latino (12.7%) and Black or African American (2.4%).
- In 2022, women earned 97% of what men earned.
- 5% of all nail technicians are LGBT.
- Nail technicians are 83% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Nail technician demographics by:
Nail technician gender statistics
84.0% of nail technicians are women and 16.0% of nail technicians are men.
- Female, 84.0%
- Male, 16.0%
Nail technician gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 84.0% |
| Male | 16.0% |
Nail technician gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$32,863
Female income
$31,861
Nail technician gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in nail technician positions over time. Currently, 84.0% of nail technicians are female.
Nail technician gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 11.02% | 88.98% |
| 2011 | 8.90% | 91.10% |
| 2012 | 9.56% | 90.44% |
| 2013 | 10.65% | 89.35% |
| 2014 | 11.53% | 88.47% |
| 2015 | 11.41% | 88.59% |
| 2016 | 11.24% | 88.76% |
| 2017 | 10.67% | 89.33% |
| 2018 | 14.39% | 85.61% |
| 2019 | 13.30% | 86.70% |
| 2020 | 16.59% | 83.41% |
| 2021 | 15.95% | 84.05% |
Nail technician related jobs gender ratio
We compared nail technicians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, barber apprentice and master barber have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Electrologist | 1% | 99% |
| Medical Esthetician | 4% | 96% |
| Licensed Esthetician | 5% | 95% |
| Nail Technician | 16% | 84% |
| Barber | 75% | 25% |
| Master Barber | 78% | 22% |
| Barber Apprentice | 79% | 21% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Nail technician demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among nail technicians is Asian, which makes up 51.7% of all nail technicians. Comparatively, 30.9% of nail technicians are White and 12.7% of nail technicians are Hispanic or Latino.
- Asian, 51.7%
- White, 30.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 12.7%
- Black or African American, 2.4%
- Unknown, 2.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Nail technician race
| Nail technician race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Asian | 51.7% |
| White | 30.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.7% |
| Black or African American | 2.4% |
| Unknown | 2.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Nail technician race and ethnicity over time
See how nail technician racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Nail technician race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 54.61% | 3.64% | 29.44% | 10.32% |
| 2011 | 53.97% | 3.99% | 29.72% | 10.50% |
| 2012 | 51.97% | 3.49% | 31.97% | 10.44% |
| 2013 | 53.19% | 4.05% | 29.51% | 10.96% |
| 2014 | 50.49% | 3.52% | 32.58% | 11.71% |
| 2015 | 50.72% | 3.33% | 31.77% | 12.34% |
| 2016 | 49.92% | 3.08% | 34.13% | 11.06% |
| 2017 | 48.57% | 3.28% | 32.86% | 12.62% |
| 2018 | 35.10% | 2.09% | 50.09% | 10.75% |
| 2019 | 35.10% | 2.35% | 50.26% | 10.10% |
| 2020 | 31.64% | 1.99% | 51.66% | 12.94% |
| 2021 | 30.86% | 2.41% | 51.74% | 12.68% |
Nail technician wage gap by race
According to our data, white nail technicians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian nail technicians have the lowest average salary at $31,174.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $31,822 |
| White | $34,768 |
| Black or African American | $33,605 |
| Asian | $31,174 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $33,071 |
Average nail technician age
See how the average age of nail technicians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Nail technician age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 43.5 | |
| White | 40 | |
| Black or African American | 36 | |
| Asian | 43 | 46 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 37 |
Nail technician age breakdown
The average age of nail technicians is 40+ years years old, representing 65% of the nail technician population.
Nail technician age breakdown
| Nail Technician Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 65% |
| 30-40 years | 24% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Nail technician educational attainment
The most common degree for nail technicians is high school diploma, with 28% of nail technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 27% and bachelor's degree degree at 25%.
- High School Diploma, 28%
- Bachelor's, 27%
- Associate, 25%
- Diploma, 11%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Nail technicians by degree level
| Nail technician degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 28% |
| Bachelor's | 27% |
| Associate | 25% |
| Diploma | 11% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Nail technician jobs you might like
Nail technician wage gap by degree level
According to the data, nail technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $33,507 annually. With a Associate degree, nail technicians earn a median annual income of $33,276 compared to $33,021 for nail technicians with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,021 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,507 |
| No Education | $30,989 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,276 |
Nail technician employment statistics
Most nail technicians work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where nail technicians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where nail technicians work.
Nail technician jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 13% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 20% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 16% |
| > 10,000 employees | 10% |
Nail technician jobs by company type
Employees with the nail technician job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most nail technicians prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Nail technician jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 4% |
| Public | 12% |
| Private | 83% |
| Government | 1% |
Nail technician jobs by industry
The most common industries for nail technicians are health care, hospitality and manufacturing.
Nail technician industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 16% |
| Hospitality | 13% |
| Manufacturing | 13% |
| Retail | 12% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Media | 8% |
| Start-up | 8% |
| Real Estate | 3% |
| Education | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
Nail technician turnover and employment statistics
Nail technician unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for nail technicians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nail technician unemployment rate by year
| Year | Nail technician unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.12% |
| 2011 | 5.30% |
| 2012 | 3.94% |
| 2013 | 4.25% |
| 2014 | 3.79% |
| 2015 | 2.62% |
| 2016 | 3.06% |
| 2017 | 2.20% |
| 2018 | 1.62% |
| 2019 | 1.35% |
| 2020 | 5.82% |
| 2021 | 8.32% |
Average nail technician tenure
The average nail technician stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 11,865 nail technicians resumes in Zippia's database.
Nail technician tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 30% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Nail technician LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of nail technicians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Nail Technician | 5.11% | - |
| Barber Shop Operator | 8.10% | 38,845 |
| Esthetician | 8.70% | 3,747 |
| Hair Designer | 11.87% | 86,536 |
| Freelance Makeup Artist | 12.20% | 4,009 |
Similar nail technician jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Barber Shop Operator | 8.10% | 38,845 |
| Esthetician | 8.70% | 3,747 |
| Hair Designer | 11.87% | 86,536 |
| Freelance Makeup Artist | 12.20% | 4,009 |
Foreign languages spoken by nail technicians
The most common foreign language among nail technicians is Spanish at 37.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Vietnamese at 29.6% and Polish is the third-most popular at 9.3%.
- Spanish, 37.8%
- Vietnamese, 29.6%
- Polish, 9.3%
- Chinese, 4.2%
- Korean, 2.7%
- Other, 16.4%
Nail technician languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 37.8% |
| Vietnamese | 29.6% |
| Polish | 9.3% |
| Chinese | 4.2% |
| Korean | 2.7% |
| Other | 16.4% |
