Personal Care and Service Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 39-5092

Manicurists and Pedicurists

O*NET task statements lead this Manicurists and Pedicurists card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance, Motion Picture Projectionists, First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services, Embalmers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Manicurists and Pedicurists: Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance ($97K) , Motion Picture Projectionists ($38K) , First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services ($49K) , Embalmers ($59K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Manicurists and Pedicurists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 39-5092 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Clean and sanitize tools and work environment
  2. 2. Apply undercoat and clear or colored polish onto nails with brush
  3. 3. Maintain supply inventories and records of client services
  4. 4. Shape and smooth ends of nails, using scissors, files, or emery boards
  5. 5. Prepare nail cuticles with water and oil, using cuticle knives to push back cuticles and scissors or nippers to trim cuticles
  6. 6. Prepare customers' nails in soapy water, using swabs, files, and orange sticks
  7. 7. Remove previously applied nail polish, using liquid remover and swabs
  8. 8. Use rotary abrasive wheels to shape and smooth nails or artificial extensions
  9. 9. Schedule client appointments and accept payments
  10. 10. Assess the condition of clients' hands, remove dead skin, and massage hands
  11. 11. Roughen surfaces of fingernails, using abrasive wheel
  12. 12. Advise clients on nail care and use of products and colors

Manicurists and Pedicurists: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 39-5092 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.0 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.0
  2. 2. Speaking 3.0
  3. 3. Social Perceptiveness 3.0
  4. 4. Service Orientation 3.0
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 2.8
  6. 6. Active Learning 2.8
  7. 7. Coordination 2.8
  8. 8. Time Management 2.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 3.4
  2. 2. English Language 2.6
  3. 3. Administration and Management 2.6
  4. 4. Personnel and Human Resources 2.5
  5. 5. Sales and Marketing 2.4
  6. 6. Production and Processing 2.4
National median after O*NET task lead
$35,760
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Clean and sanitize tools and work environment
$36K
National median
↑ +7%
Growth 2024-2034
24,800
Annual openings
152,770
Estimated US jobs
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Highest-pay peer · $97K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Top Paying States for Manicurists and Pedicurists

1. South Dakota $45,310
2. Kentucky $45,310
3. Oregon $46,080
4. Iowa $45,420
5. Maine $48,540
6. Nebraska $56,940
7. Nevada $41,880
8. Alaska $47,890
9. Washington $49,900
10. Hawaii $60,790

Other Personal Care and Service Occupations titles

  1. 1. First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services $48,560
  2. 2. Embalmers $58,780
  3. 3. Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $47,160
  4. 4. Motion Picture Projectionists $38,270
  5. 5. Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance $97,150
  6. 6. Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers $55,010

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Manicurists and Pedicurists (SOC 39-5092). The national OEWS median is $35,760 inside Personal Care and Service Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance, Motion Picture Projectionists, First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services, Embalmers. Lead published task: Clean and sanitize tools and work environment.

Employment Projections expect +7% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 24,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: South Dakota at $45,310. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance at $97,150. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Manicurists and Pedicurists pay-rank #23 in Personal Care and Service Occupations

On the Personal Care and Service Occupations median table (32 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Manicurists and Pedicurists lands at #23, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 39-5092 · national median $35,760 · lower third of Personal Care and Service Occupations (#23/32). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Manicurists and Pedicurists salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 39-5092

South Dakota · top state for Manicurists and Pedicurists

$45K published median

Kentucky · #2 state pay

$45K · behind South Dakota

Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

Highest-pay peer vs Manicurists and Pedicurists · $97K

Motion Picture Projectionists

Lower-pay peer beside Manicurists and Pedicurists · $38K

Compare Manicurists and Pedicurists

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Manicurists and Pedicurists with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Manicurists and Pedicurists full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Manicurists and Pedicurists land on the Personal Care and Service Occupations median table? ▼
Manicurists and Pedicurists is pay-rank #23 of 32 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Funeral Attendants ($36K), Animal Caretakers ($35K), Childcare Workers ($35K), Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners ($35K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do manicurists and pedicurists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Manicurists and Pedicurists. Leading ones include: Clean and sanitize tools and work environment; Apply undercoat and clear or colored polish onto nails with brush; Maintain supply inventories and records of client services; Shape and smooth ends of nails, using scissors, files, or emery boards. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for manicurists and pedicurists? ▼
For SOC 39-5092, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.0), Speaking (3.0), Social Perceptiveness (3.0), Service Orientation (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Administration and Management. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Manicurists and Pedicurists? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $35,760 as the national median for Manicurists and Pedicurists. The published 10th-90th range is $28,920 to $50,140. Beside Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance ($97,150), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Manicurists and Pedicurists? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Manicurists and Pedicurists is +7%. Projected annual openings: about 24,800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Manicurists and Pedicurists? ▼
BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Manicurists and Pedicurists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Manicurists and Pedicurists? ▼
South Dakota ($45,310), Kentucky ($45,310), Oregon ($46,080) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Manicurists and Pedicurists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 39-5092. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Manicurists and Pedicurists. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics