Skin Care Specialist

Skin care specialists, also known as estheticians, aestheticians, spa technicians and facialists, among other titles, provide skin care treatments to face and body to enhance an individual’s appearance.

Forty-nine states and D.C. license skin care specialists; Connecticut is the only state that does not. On average, these laws require $175 in fees, 145 days of education and two exams—the 56th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. However, because almost all states license the occupation, it ranks as the ninth most widely and onerously licensed.

License requirements are somewhat uniform: 37 states require about 140 to 175 days (600 to 750 hours) of education, 36 require two exams, 38 require a minimum grade level, and 40 require a minimum age of between 16 and 18 years. However, there are some outliers. For example, four states require about 233 days (1,000 hours) of education, while Florida requires only about 61 (260 hours). Similarly, seven states require three exams, but Florida requires none. Fees also vary greatly, from $51 in Ohio to $450 in Alaska.

Burden Rank	State	States Licensed	Fees	Estimated Calendar Days Lost	Education	Experience	Exams	Minimum Grade	Minimum Age
1	Kentucky	50	$200.00	233	1000 clock hours	-	2	12	18
2	Kansas	50	$195.00	233	1000 clock hours	-	2	12	17
3	Alabama	50	$235.00	233	1000 clock hours	-	2	10	16
4	Georgia	50	$139.00	233	1000 clock hours	-	2	12	17
5	Nevada	50	$145.00	210	900 clock hours	-	2	10	18
6	Texas	50	$176.00	175	750 clock hours	-	2	12	17
7	Missouri	50	$150.00	175	750 clock hours	-	2	10	17
8	Louisiana	50	$100.00	175	750 clock hours	-	2	10	16
9	Illinois	50	$186.00	175	750 clock hours	-	1	12	16
10	Washington	50	$210.00	175	750 clock hours	-	2	0	17
11	Tennessee	50	$190.00	175	750 clock hours	-	2	0	16
12	Indiana	50	$92.00	163	700 clock hours	-	1	10	18
13	Montana	50	$254.00	152	650 clock hours	-	2	12	18
14	Vermont	50	$360.00	140	600 clock hours	-	3	12	18
15	New Mexico	50	$253.00	140	600 clock hours	-	3	10	17
16	West Virginia	50	$159.00	140	600 clock hours	-	3	12	18
17	Mississippi	50	$233.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	12	18
18	South Dakota	50	$80.00	140	600 clock hours	-	3	12	18
19	Minnesota	50	$285.00	140	600 clock hours	-	3	12	0
20	Delaware	50	$263.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	10	16
21	Arizona	50	$247.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	10	16
22	D C	50	$230.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	10	17
23	North Dakota	50	$205.00	140	600 clock hours	-	3	12	0
24	Idaho	50	$186.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	10	17
25	New Jersey	50	$119.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	12	17
26	Maine	50	$148.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	10	17
27	California	50	$115.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	10	17
28	Arkansas	50	$125.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	10	16
29	Rhode Island	50	$100.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	10	18
30	Wyoming	50	$123.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	10	16
31	Maryland	50	$104.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	9	17
32	New Hampshire	50	$198.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	12	0
33	Ohio	50	$51.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	10	16
34	Hawaii	50	$110.00	140	600 clock hours	-	1	12	16
35	Oklahoma	50	$60.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	8	16
36	Nebraska	50	$78.00	140	600 clock hours	-	1	12	17
37	Colorado	50	$177.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	0	16
38	Iowa	50	$118.00	140	600 clock hours	-	1	12	0
39	New York	50	$70.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	0	17
40	Utah	50	$234.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	0	0
41	Virginia	50	$175.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	0	0
42	North Carolina	50	$168.00	140	600 clock hours	-	2	0	0
43	Oregon	50	$115.00	117	500 clock hours	-	3	0	0
44	South Carolina	50	$175.00	105	450 clock hours	-	2	10	16
45	Wisconsin	50	$391.00	105	450 clock hours	-	2	0	18
46	Michigan	50	$200.00	93	400 clock hours	-	2	9	17
47	Alaska	50	$450.00	82	350 clock hours	-	2	0	0
48	Pennsylvania	50	$110.00	70	300 clock hours	-	1	10	16
49	Massachusetts	50	$188.00	70	300 clock hours	-	2	0	0
50	Florida	50	$70.00	61	260 clock hours	-	0	0	16