What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Skin Care Specialist Occupational Licensing
License required in 51 states
53rd most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$180
What They Do
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.
Skin Care Specialist Licensing Overview
All 50 states and D.C. require a licence to work as a Skin Care Specialist. On average, these laws require $180 in fees, 143 days of education and about 2 exam. Skin Care Specialist Licenses have the 53rd most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied.
Where is a Skin Care Specialist the most regulated?
Out of the 51 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Skin Care Specialist has the highest burden in Alabama. Alabama requires $255 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 1000 clock hours education.
Where is a Skin Care Specialist the least regulated?
Out of the 51 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Skin Care Specialist has the lowest burden in Florida. Florida requires $75 in fees, no exams, no experience, and 220 clock hours education.
Where is a Skin Care Specialist license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Skin Care Specialist costs the most in Alaska. Alaska requires $390 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 350 clock hours education.
Where is a Skin Care Specialist license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Skin Care Specialist costs the least in Oklahoma. Oklahoma requires $60 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 600 clock hours education.
Where does it take the longest to obtain a Skin Care Specialist license?
An occupational license for a Skin Care Specialist takes the longest to obtain in Alabama, Kansas, Georgia.It takes 233 days (0 years and 23 days).
Where is it fastest to obtain a Skin Care Specialist license?
An occupational license for a Skin Care Specialist takes the least time to obtain in Florida. It takes 51 days. Florida requires $75 in fees, no exams, no experience, and 220 clock hours education.
What states require exams for a Skin Care Specialist license?
To obtain an occupational license for a Skin Care Specialist there is at least one exam required in: Alabama, Kansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana, Washington, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, West Virginia, Nevada, Mississippi, Delaware, Idaho, District of Columbia, Minnesota, Rhode Island, New Jersey, North Dakota, Wyoming, Ohio, New Mexico, Arkansas, Hawaii, Maryland, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Oklahoma, California, Virginia, Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, New York, Utah, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Vermont, Arizona, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Oregon, Michigan, Alaska, Pennsylvania. West Virginia, Nevada, Minnesota, North Dakota, New Mexico, Vermont, Oregon require 3 exams.
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.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 63 | $255 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 2 | Kansas | 35 | $195 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 3 | Georgia | 41 | $139 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 38 | $200 | 175 | 750 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 5 | Texas | 38 | $172 | 175 | 750 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 69 | $200 | 175 | 751 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 7 | Missouri | 33 | $168 | 175 | 750 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 17 |
| 8 | Louisiana | 77 | $100 | 175 | 750 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 9 | Washington | 76 | $319 | 175 | 750 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 10 | Illinois | 41 | $157 | 175 | 750 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 16 |
| 11 | Indiana | 37 | $88 | 163 | 700 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 17 |
| 12 | Montana | 32 | $230 | 152 | 650 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 13 | West Virginia | 67 | $221 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 18 |
| 14 | Nevada | 75 | $195 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 3 | 10 | 18 |
| 15 | Mississippi | 65 | $245 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 16 | Delaware | 42 | $276 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 17 | Idaho | 66 | $214 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 17 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | 61 | $175 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 18 |
| 19 | Minnesota | 35 | $285 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 70 | $100 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 21 | New Jersey | 54 | $95 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 22 | North Dakota | 65 | $165 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 0 |
| 23 | Wyoming | 26 | $123 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 24 | Ohio | 40 | $120 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 25 | New Mexico | 66 | $225 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| 26 | Arkansas | 72 | $110 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 27 | Hawaii | 64 | $182 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 16 |
| 28 | Maryland | 58 | $104 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 9 | 17 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | 37 | $174 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 0 |
| 30 | Nebraska | 61 | $83 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 17 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | 42 | $60 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 8 | 16 |
| 32 | California | 75 | $115 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 17 |
| 33 | Virginia | 72 | $353 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Colorado | 34 | $152 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 35 | South Dakota | 32 | $100 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 36 | Iowa | 71 | $118 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 37 | New York | 41 | $70 | 140 | 601 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 38 | Utah | 64 | $234 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Maine | 46 | $231 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Massachusetts | 50 | $218 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 41 | North Carolina | 66 | $193 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | Connecticut | 65 | $100 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 43 | Vermont | 31 | $285 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 0 |
| 44 | Arizona | 68 | $247 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | 42 | $383 | 105 | 450 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 46 | South Carolina | 60 | $100 | 105 | 450 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 47 | Oregon | 69 | $90 | 110 | 484 clock hours | None | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | Michigan | 48 | $230 | 93 | 400 clock hours | None | 2 | 9 | 17 |
| 49 | Alaska | 64 | $390 | 82 | 350 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 50 | Pennsylvania | 50 | $103 | 70 | 300 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 16 |
| 51 | Florida | 55 | $75 | 51 | 220 clock hours | None | 0 | 0 | 16 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
View Report