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Master Aesthetician/Esthetician

Types of Degrees Master Aesthetician/Esthetician Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Master Aesthetician/Esthetician have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,048
Associate’s Degree	3
Master’s Degree	831

What Master Aesthetician/Esthetician Majors Need to Know

Programs in Master Aesthetician/Esthetician develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Master Aesthetician/Esthetician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Master Aesthetician/Esthetician emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Sales and Marketing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Master Aesthetician/Esthetician program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Master Aesthetician/Esthetician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Master Aesthetician/Esthetician graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Selling or Influencing Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	4 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Master Aesthetician/Esthetician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Spa management software	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Master Aesthetician/Esthetician graduates include:

• Skincare Therapist
• Facial Operator
• Aesthetic RN Injector (Aesthetic Registered Nurse Injector)
• Electrolysis Needle Operator
• Image Consultant
• Beautician
• Brow Waxing Expert
• Licensed Esthetician
• Clinical Esthetician
• Skincare Technician (Skincare Tech)
• Aesthetician
• Medical Aesthetician
• Beauty Therapist
• Waxing Specialist
• Electrolysist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Master Aesthetician/Esthetician graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	39.1%
Postsecondary certificate	30.2%
Master’s degree	19.2%
Some college courses	8.8%
Post-doctoral training	2.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Master Aesthetician/Esthetician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 98.6% of Master Aesthetician/Esthetician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,855	98.6%
Men	27	1.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Master Aesthetician/Esthetician graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	859	45.6%
Asian	71	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino	478	25.4%
Black or African American	302	16.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	9	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	20	1.1%
Two or More Races	106	5.6%
Race Unknown	35	1.9%
International Students	2	0.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Master Aesthetician/Esthetician Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Master Aesthetician/Esthetician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$17,533
4 years	$20,210
5 years	$22,425

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $22,425 — roughly 28% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Master Aesthetician/Esthetician Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Master Aesthetician/Esthetician graduates earn a median of $20,210 four years after completion — about 47% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services	12.04
Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist	12.0409
Barbering/Barber	12.0402
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts, Other	12.0499
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor	12.0413
Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General	12.0401
Electrolysis/Electrology and Electrolysis Technician	12.0404
Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist	12.0408
Hair Styling/Stylist and Hair Design	12.0407
Make-Up Artist/Specialist	12.0406
Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist	12.0410
Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup and Tattooing	12.0411

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.