Average starting salary

I'm a teacher and earn 43k after 7 years in the profession. Can soemone tell me what I'm looking at starting at during my first year in esthetics. I will be takig medical esthetics this June, and hope to be done by December. What are my job prospects? :)

Ginger123 in Tempe, Arizona said: I'm a teacher and earn 43k after 7 years in the profession. Can soemone tell me what I'm looking at starting at during my first year in esthetics. I will be takig medical esthetics this June, and hope to be done by December. What are my job prospects? :)

This one is very difficult to answer. IMO, there are schools cranking out students with unrealistic expectations with regard to job availability and income. So much depends on where you work. You might want to call around in your area, and just ask a few questions of aestheticians as to how well they are doing.

Good luck!

lpt

Thanks for the comment, I am not looking to get rich I just want to have a job with less stress and I have always wanted to check out the beauty industry. My advisor at the school said the minimum would be $15 an hour. It's less then what I'm getting now but hopefully I'll be more content. How well do you enjoy your job? What are the ups and what are the downs? :)

ginger in Phoenix, Arizona said: Thanks for the comment, I am not looking to get rich I just want to have a job with less stress and I have always wanted to check out the beauty industry. My advisor at the school said the minimum would be $15 an hour. It's less then what I'm getting now but hopefully I'll be more content. How well do you enjoy your job? What are the ups and what are the downs? :)

I know there are estheticians working in a med-spa here who are making $10 per hour. I am sure they also get about 10% commission on product sales. I work in a med-spa as a room renter. I pay $200 per week to hve the room full-time. If you are looking for a job with a physician, it will be difficult.

I truly love what I do. Ups are that I have total autonomy with regard to my schedule. I love my clients! I make a very nice income, after 7 years. It is tough in the begining, so I would highly recommend getting a job for the first year or two. Until you get your "sea legs" so to speak...

Downs; Expensive to get equipment and products to begin. building a clientele takes time, and can be very frustrating. Owners who do not know what they are doing. Co-workers who are trying to snake your clients... No shows.

lpt

I appreciate the honesty, I need straight answers like this. I really have a hard time believing what the schools tell me on this high income potential right out of school. Why do you feel it is so difficult to get hired by a physian? I am going to start taking classes at a laser esthetics school, I figured since it specializes in the laser part of it all I would have an easier time finding a job in a medical setting. Thanks for telling me the truth. I'm thinking, probably my first year will go towards gaining experience at a low paying job until I can prove myself. Oh well, I'm excited to learn about skin care it fascinates me :)

I don't know the market in Arizona, so it may possibly be easier than in California to work with a doctor if that is your interest. I worked for a physician for less than I wanted in terms of money, but I did so because I though I would learn a lot. This did not happen, so I moved on and worked in a salon for a few years.

You are right to be skeptical about what your school is telling you. If it was so great in terms of money, why aren't THEY out there making the BIG Bucks?

Maybe they just LOVE teaching!

lpt

lProThera in Bakersfield, California said: I don't know the market in Arizona, so it may possibly be easier than in California to work with a doctor if that is your interest. I worked for a physician for less than I wanted in terms of money, but I did so because I though I would learn a lot. This did not happen, so I moved on and worked in a salon for a few years.

You are right to be skeptical about what your school is telling you. If it was so great in terms of money, why aren't THEY out there making the BIG Bucks?

Maybe they just LOVE teaching!

lpt

My first question to these schools would be to supply me with a list of past graduates who are making that money.

Jeff

Good idea, I'll see if they will supply me with their previous students' info! One more question, how bad is the esthetics industry getting hit with the economy worsening? Do you see less people coming in to get services? I am so determined on starting school in June, but I do think I am going to struggle even more with this economy I'm starting out in. It scares me, having a mortgage and bills ahhhh!

I just read somewhere that it's now going to be ban for estheticians to peform any type of laser services. Before you pay for a ten or two-week course, Ginger, I would ask that you sit in a few of the practical classes and GO TO THE STUDENT clinics. The student who is giving you the service will give you the low-down!

OMG! They might ban laser practice for estheticians. My 6 month course is costing me 20k, it's crazy expensive. I was told I would get the 600hrs for esthetics plus 150hrs for a Laser Technician Certification Training Course. This includes my own microderm abrasion machine and I can't graduate until I have 100 laser practices done. I think it's expensive, but I don't know how much extra it usually costs to get the laser portion of this done and how many hrs of education I should feel comfortable with.
Oh no, can someone help me figure this out. Am I getting ripped off? Should I be going for the whole esthetics plus laser portion or should I be ok with and rely on just the esthetics portion to live off of? I thought I would be more marketable if I graduated with both servies and land a job easier. :( Can someone tell me how much laser practice is needed before u get out there and what is the average cost and time?