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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

State Licensing Requirements

Select a chart to view:
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