Ohio·Personal Care and Service Occupations·SOC 39-5092

Best Manicurist programs in Ohio, ranked by enrollment

Clean and shape customers' fingernails and toenails.

49 schools in Ohio run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,090 people a year. The job pays a median of $35,590 in Ohio across about 3,680 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledManicuristPedicuristNail Technician (Nail Tech)Nail ArtistFingernail FormerFingernail SculptorFingernail SculpturerFingernail Technician
Graduates / yr
2,090
in Ohio
Median pay · Ohio
$35,590
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
3,680
people employed
Schools
49
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
74%
across those schools
Median net price
$17,230
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Ohio that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

2 programs in Ohio that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Ohio (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Ohio page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 12.0401In Ohio
1,515
72.5%
47$17,113$10,000
2
CIP 12.0410In Ohio
575
27.5%
24$17,113$10,000

Top 25 schools in Ohio

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 31 of the 49 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology - North Dayton
Dayton, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
130Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist$16,80674%$14,666
2Raphael's School of Beauty Culture Inc - Alliance
Alliance, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
127Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist$13,62366%$19,297
3Aveda Fredric's Institute - Cincinnati
West Chester, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
124Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$22,16080%$19,837
4Paul Mitchell the School - Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
113Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$20,05879%$22,574
5Paul Mitchell the School - Columbus
Columbus, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
105Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$23,78881%$17,230
6Salon Institute - Toledo Campus
Toledo, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
81Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$22,67261%$17,233
7Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology - South Dayton
Dayton, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
79Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist$16,80678%$12,857
8Summit Salon Academy - Perrysburg
Perrysburg, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
79Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist$21,81985%$13,945
9Paul Mitchell the School - Cleveland
Twinsburg, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
71Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$19,77862%$21,251
10Aveda Institute - Columbus
Columbus, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
69Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$21,08974%$21,098
11Ohio State School of Cosmetology - Heath
Heath, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
68Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$15,18984%$14,992
12Brown Aveda Institute - Mentor
Mentor, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
66Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$20,87386%$18,840
13Empire Beauty School - Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
65Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$15,48044%$19,084
14Casal Aveda Institute
Niles, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
63Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$15,69863%$16,776
15Paul Mitchell the School - Toledo
Sylvania, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
59Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$20,05846%$25,387
16National Beauty College
Canton, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
55Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$16,763
17Ohio State Beauty Academy
Lima, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
52Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$16,81957%$8,741
18Brown Aveda Institute - Strongsville
Strongsville, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
48Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$20,87385%$20,329
19Portage Lakes Career Center
Uniontown, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
44Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist69%
20Raphael's School of Beauty Culture Inc - Brunswick
Brunswick, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
42Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist$15,26666%$19,433
21Gerbers Akron Beauty School
Akron, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
41Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist$12,70660%$11,151
22Raphael's School of Beauty Culture Inc - Boardman
Boardman, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
41Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist$12,38058%$15,784
23Raphael's School of Beauty Culture Inc - Niles
Niles, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
40Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$15,26658%$22,191
24The Spa School
Columbus, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
37Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist$20,25670%$19,326
25Polaris Career Center
Middleburg Heights, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
33Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist77%

All 49 schools in Ohio

Every school in Ohio with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Ohio that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology - North DaytonDaytonPrivate for-profit1302
Raphael's School of Beauty Culture Inc - AllianceAlliancePrivate for-profit1272
Aveda Fredric's Institute - CincinnatiWest ChesterPrivate for-profit1241
Paul Mitchell the School - CincinnatiCincinnatiPrivate for-profit1131
Paul Mitchell the School - ColumbusColumbusPrivate for-profit1051
Salon Institute - Toledo CampusToledoPrivate for-profit811
Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology - South DaytonDaytonPrivate for-profit792
Summit Salon Academy - PerrysburgPerrysburgPrivate for-profit792
Paul Mitchell the School - ClevelandTwinsburgPrivate for-profit711
Aveda Institute - ColumbusColumbusPrivate for-profit691
Ohio State School of Cosmetology - HeathHeathPrivate for-profit682
Brown Aveda Institute - MentorMentorPrivate for-profit662
Empire Beauty School - CincinnatiCincinnatiPrivate for-profit651
Casal Aveda InstituteNilesPrivate for-profit632
Paul Mitchell the School - ToledoSylvaniaPrivate for-profit591

What manicurists and pedicurists earn in Ohio

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Ohio
$35,590
Mean annual
$40,680
Jobs in state
3,680
What the range looks like
10th pct$26,650Median$35,59090th pct$53,260
Versus the national median
-0.5%

U.S. median $35,760. Ohio pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.67×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Ohio

Canton-Massillon, OH
$38,540median
140 jobs
Akron, OH
$36,700median
190 jobs
Columbus, OH
$37,670median
480 jobs
Cleveland, OH
$35,430median
850 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$35,150median
1,050 jobs
Sandusky, OH
$35,340median
30 jobs
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH
$35,600median
390 jobs
Youngstown-Warren, OH
$37,100median
100 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+7.0%
Faster than average
Openings per year
24,800
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
14,700
210,100 → 224,800
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Manicurists and Pedicurists page.

How to become a Manicurist

Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Top skills

Active ListeningSpeakingActive LearningReading ComprehensionMonitoringCritical Thinking

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Ohio

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 2 majors mapped to Manicurists and Pedicurists2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 12.0401Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
  • 12.0410Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist

Common questions

Answers for people weighing manicurists and pedicurists programs in Ohio.

What degree do you need to become a Manicurist?+

Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General, which awarded 1,515 degrees in Ohio in 2024-25, 72.5% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Manicurist?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this occupation. The largest are Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services. Together they graduate about 2,090 people a year in Ohio.

How much do manicurists and pedicurists earn in Ohio?+

The median is $35,590 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.5% below the U.S. median of $35,760. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for manicurists and pedicurists growing?+

BLS projects a +7.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 24,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Ohio?+

49 institutions in Ohio reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do manicurists and pedicurists work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Manicurist, Pedicurist, Nail Technician (Nail Tech) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 39-5092.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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