What is a skin therapist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Everyone wants healthy, beautiful skin. You could make that a reality for people if you become a skin therapist. Skin therapists are licensed, educated skin health expert who provides skincare treatments, typically for clients at spas and physician offices. Skin therapists specialize in examining an individual's skin and recommending effective treatments to address any issues affecting skin health.

These trained professionals are extremely knowledgeable about various conditions affecting skin health, like rosacea, sun damage, and wrinkles. Some of the treatments they may recommend or perform include facial cleansing treatments, laser hair removal, chemical peels, and lymphatic drainage techniques. Skin therapists may also refer their clients to dermatologists as needed for more serious skin conditions.

If you're interested in becoming a skin therapist, you'll need to get certified in your state. Requirements vary from state to state, but you'll typically need to complete between 600 and 750 hours of training to receive your certification.

ScoreSkin TherapistUS Average
Salary
2.3

Avg. Salary $29,682

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
4.5

Growth Rate 17%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.34%

Asian 8.65%

Black or African American 5.06%

Hispanic or Latino 16.29%

Unknown 6.40%

White 63.26%

Gender

female 92.64%

male 7.36%

Age - 33
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 33
Stress Level
4.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
5.7

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Skin Therapist career paths

Key steps to become a skin therapist

  1. Explore skin therapist education requirements

    Most common skin therapist degrees

    Associate

    32.5 %

    Bachelor's

    18.2 %

    Certificate

    14.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific skin therapist skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Booking38.40%
    Product Knowledge28.66%
    Skin Care Products6.49%
    Customer Service6.24%
    Facial Treatments5.84%
  3. Complete relevant skin therapist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New skin therapists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a skin therapist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real skin therapist resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming a licensed skin therapist usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed skin therapist in most of states. 38 states require skin therapists to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    State
    ascdesc
    Education
    ascdesc
    Exam
    ascdesc
    License Url
    ascdesc
    AlabamaSpecific course requiredState exam requiredLicensed Esthetician
    AlaskaSpecific course requiredState exam requiredEsthetician
    CaliforniaSpecific course requiredState exam requiredEsthetician
    ColoradoSpecific course requiredState exam requiredEstheticians
    DelawareSpecific course requiredThird-party exam requiredAesthetican
  5. Research skin therapist duties and responsibilities

    • Provide direct assistance to patients in residential and intensive outpatient eating disorder programs.
    • Evaluate skin condition, budget, nutrition, possible allergies, and concerns to craft ideal plan for each customer.
    • Complete client record forms for each client including information such as treatments, procedures used, particular problems and or allergies.
    • Promote for companies that include Chanel, Donna Karan, Vera Wang, and Calvin Klein.
  6. Prepare your skin therapist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your skin therapist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a skin therapist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Skin Therapist Resume templates

    Build a professional Skin Therapist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Skin Therapist resume.
    Skin Therapist Resume
    Skin Therapist Resume
    Skin Therapist Resume
    Skin Therapist Resume
    Skin Therapist Resume
    Skin Therapist Resume
    Skin Therapist Resume
    Skin Therapist Resume
    Skin Therapist Resume
  7. Apply for skin therapist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a skin therapist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Skin Therapist Job

Zippi

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Average skin therapist salary

The average Skin Therapist salary in the United States is $29,682 per year or $14 per hour. Skin therapist salaries range between $20,000 and $42,000 per year.

Average Skin Therapist Salary
$29,682 Yearly
$14.27 hourly

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How do skin therapists rate their job?

-/5

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Skin Therapist reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2021
Pros

Helping people with their self confidence by correcting their skin’s imperfections and overall health.

Cons

Poorly managed practices that don’t prioritize patient’s satisfaction through care.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2021
Pros

Being skin specialist i like to take care of skin and the happy face in my client face..

Cons

I like everything there is no such dislike being skin specialist.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

Making clients feel and look great

Cons

The feeling that clients don't like your work


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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