Careers / Manicurists and Pedicurists

Manicurists and Pedicurists — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$35,760

United States, 2025

Employment

152,770

United States, 2025

Typical education

High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Clean and shape customers' fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails.

O*NET code
39-5092.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
None

Typical tasks

  • Schedule client appointments and accept payments.
  • Clean and sanitize tools and work environment.
  • Apply undercoat and clear or colored polish onto nails with brush.
  • Maintain supply inventories and records of client services.
  • Shape and smooth ends of nails, using scissors, files, or emery boards.
  • Prepare nail cuticles with water and oil, using cuticle knives to push back cuticles and scissors or nippers to trim cuticles.
  • Prepare customers' nails in soapy water, using swabs, files, and orange sticks.
  • Remove previously applied nail polish, using liquid remover and swabs.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$28,920
10th
$34,010
25th
$35,760
Median
$41,650
75th
$50,140
90th

10th percentile

$28,920

25th percentile

$34,010

75th percentile

$41,650

90th percentile

$50,140

Most important skills

  • Service Orientation3.0
  • Social Perceptiveness3.0
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Speaking3.0
  • Time Management2.8
  • Coordination2.8
  • Reading Comprehension2.8
  • Active Learning2.8
  • Persuasion2.6
  • Monitoring2.6
  • Critical Thinking2.5
  • Negotiation2.5

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 4 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

4

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Active Listening3.02.8Not selected2.8
Service Orientation3.02.6Not selected2.6
Social Perceptiveness3.02.6Not selected2.6
Speaking3.02.6Not selected2.6

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
HI$60,790402025
Portland, ME$59,3501302025
Omaha, NE$58,6202302025
NE$56,9403102025
Seattle, WA$50,8003,6102025
WA$49,9005,5702025
Grand Forks, ND$49,290302025
ME$48,5402002025
Fairbanks, AK$47,990402025
AK$47,8901802025
Anchorage, AK$47,8901202025
Rapid City, SD$47,600602025
Portland, OR$47,2802,1902025
Kennewick, WA$46,8401702025
Mount Vernon, WA$46,620502025
Medford, OR$46,390702025
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY$46,3401302025
OR$46,0802,2102025
Spokane, WA$46,0502802025
Rochester, MN$45,7101402025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Manicurists and Pedicurists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.