Average Manicurists And Pedicurists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Manicurists And Pedicurists is $35,760 per year. The middle 50% earn between $34,010 and $41,650, with 152,770 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 50 states and 188 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Manicurists And Pedicurists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $28,920
- 25th
- $34,010
- Median
- $35,760
- 75th
- $41,650
- 90th
- $50,140
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
This is a lower-wage occupation relative to the US labor market. Pay is below the national median for all workers.
Pay is tightly clustered around the median. Most manicurists and pedicurists earn within a narrow band, with less variation than many other occupations. That is often a sign of standardized roles or union and public-sector pay scales.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for manicurists and pedicurists from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +7.0%
- 14,700 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 24,800
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Postsecondary training beyond high school is typically required, but a full four-year degree is not always necessary.
Where Manicurists And Pedicurists earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where manicurists and pedicurists work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Hawaii at $60,790, about 70.0% above the national median. At the metro level, Portland-South Portland, ME leads with a median of $59,350.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $60,790 | 40 |
| Nebraska | $56,940 | 310 |
| Washington | $49,900 | 5,570 |
| Maine | $48,540 | 200 |
| Alaska | $47,890 | 180 |
| Oregon | $46,080 | 2,210 |
| Iowa | $45,420 | 190 |
| South Dakota | $45,310 | 250 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $59,350 | 130 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $58,620 | 230 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $50,800 | 3,610 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | $49,290 | 30 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $47,990 | 40 |
| Anchorage, AK | $47,890 | 120 |
| Rapid City, SD | $47,600 | 60 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $47,280 | 2,190 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see manicurists and pedicurists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Manicurists And Pedicurists rose from $25,770 to $35,760, a gain of +38.8% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $25,770 would need to be worth $32,452 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $35,760 is $3,308 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +10.2% in purchasing power.
Real wages have grown strongly, 10.2% above inflation. Workers in this field have meaningfully gained purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +38.8%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +10.2%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Manicurists And Pedicurists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $35,760
- 2024
- $34,660
- 2023
- $34,250
- 2022
- $31,130
- 2021
- $29,210
- 2020
- $27,870
- 2019
- $25,770
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Barbers
- $38,210
- Shampooers
- $32,600
- Skincare Specialists
- $45,330
- Funeral Attendants
- $35,680
- Animal Caretakers
- $35,360
Common salary questions for Manicurists And Pedicurists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Manicurists And Pedicurists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.