Beauticians and related occupations: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time beauticians and related occupations in the UK earned a median £24,124 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 38% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (13th from the bottom).
Median full-time pay: women £23,249 a year, men £26,896 a year.
Most jobs here are part-time: 12,000 of about 35,000 are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 54.2% (from £15,641), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 90,100 people in this line of work, 12% of them in Scotland.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | – | – | £7,719* | £152.70* | £12.21 |
| 20th percentile | – | £423.70 | – | £9,666 | £195.30 | – |
| 25th percentile | £21,040* | £435.20 | £12.21 | £10,567 | £200.10 | – |
| 30th percentile | £21,416* | £451.60 | £12.35 | £10,966 | £221.30 | £12.21 |
| 40th percentile | £22,306* | £479.70 | £12.82 | £12,984 | £244.20 | £12.24 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £24,124 | £502.90 | £12.97 | £15,009* | £301.00* | £12.50 |
| 60th percentile | £26,134 | £518.80 | £13.19 | £17,984* | £374.90 | £12.96 |
| 70th percentile | – | £539.60 | £14.06 | £21,199* | £427.90 | £13.25 |
| 75th percentile | – | £552.60 | £14.50 | £22,022* | £459.40 | £13.75 |
| 80th percentile | – | – | – | £24,207* | £497.80 | £14.24 |
| Mean | £24,371 | £513.90 | £13.67 | £16,724 | £339.60 | £13.54 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £15,641 | £329.00 | £8.91 | £9,813 | £215.20 | 29 |
| 2022 revised | £18,694 | £382.40 | £9.93 | £12,404* | £255.90 | 30 |
| 2023 revised | £19,298 | £418.30 | £11.00 | £13,248 | £280.80 | 28 |
| 2024 revised | – | £460.40 | £12.12 | £14,915* | £277.70 | 30 |
| 2025 provisional | £24,124 | £502.90 | £12.97 | £15,009* | £301.00* | 35 |
Beauticians and related occupations by region
UK: 90,100 (± 11,600), April 2025 to March 2026. 8 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 11,000* | ± 3,800 |
| South East | 10,500* | ± 4,100 |
| North West | 9,900* | ± 3,800 |
| South West | 8,400* | ± 3,300 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What beauticians and related occupations do
Beauticians and related workers give facial and body beauty treatments, apply cosmetics and dress wigs. (ONS SOC 2020, 6222)
Also covers: beautician, beauty therapist, nail technician, spa therapist, tattoo artist, aesthetic practitioner, aesthetic therapist, beauty adviser, beauty specialist, body artist, body piercer, brow technician, eyelash technician, image consultant, laser therapist, lash artist, lash technician and mask maker (39 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Discusses clients requirements, analyses and advises client on appropriate skin care, and applies treatments to the face or body
- Massages scalp, face and other parts of the body and carries out spray tanning
- Uses waxing, threading, sugaring and other epilation techniques to remove any unwanted body hair
- Cleans, shapes and polishes finger and toe nails, applies nail extensions
- Performs specialist treatments for conditions such as acne, applies skin rejuvenation therapies
- Recognises problems and refers clients to medical practitioners if appropriate
There are no minimum academic requirements for entry, although some colleges require candidates to possess GCSEs/S grades. NVQs/SVQs in Beauty Therapy are available at levels 1, 2 and 3. Professional qualifications are also available.
Related
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ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026