Washington·Personal Care and Service Occupations·SOC 39-5094

Best Skincare Specialist programs in Washington, ranked by enrollment

Provide skincare treatments to face and body to enhance an individual's appearance.

20 schools in Washington run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,007 people a year. The job pays a median of $79,320 in Washington across about 2,200 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledEstheticianAestheticianMedical EstheticianSkincare SpecialistFacialistBeauticianElectrologistElectrolysist
Graduates / yr
2,007
in Washington
Median pay · Washington
$79,320
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
2,200
people employed
Schools
20
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
58%
across those schools
Median net price
$19,524
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Washington that lead to this job

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

3 programs in Washington that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Washington (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 Washington page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
11,124
56.0%
15$17,113$10,000
2847
42.2%
19$17,113$10,000
336
1.8%
2$17,113$10,000

Top 20 schools in Washington

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 13 of the 20 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Evergreen Beauty and Barber College - Everett
Everett, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
870Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$23,42083%$18,663
2Paul Mitchell the School - Richland
Richland, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
126Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$20,68974%$28,975
3Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Seattle
Seattle, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
104Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$21,78567%$30,779
4Summit Salon Academy
Tacoma, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
102Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$22,59559%$26,702
5Aveda Institute Portland - Vancouver Campus
Vancouver, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
96Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$21,90789%$20,012
6Paul Mitchell the School - Spokane
Spokane Valley, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
90Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$24,55454%$21,992
7Clover Park Technical College
Lakewood, WA Public · 2 feeder programs
86Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$19,38943%
8Studio Beauty School
Spokane Valley, WA Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs
86Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$17,11082%$20,161
9International Beauty Education Center
Spokane, WA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
74Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist81%$17,321
10Spokane Community College
Spokane, WA Public · 2 feeder programs
73Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$17,86933%
11Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy - Shoreline
Shoreline, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
71Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$25,49774%$18,668
12Paul Mitchell the School - Federal Way
Federal Way, WA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
45Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$23,0846%$10,350
13Centralia Beauty College
Centralia, WA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
43Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General82%$8,004
14Victoria's Academy of Cosmetology
Kennewick, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
38Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$19,80696%$19,524
15Elite Cosmetology, Barber & Spa Academy
Yakima, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
23Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General47%$18,071
16Zorganics Institute of Beauty and Wellness
Bellingham, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
18Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
17Everett Community College
Everett, WA Public · 1 feeder programs
17Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General37%
18Stylemaster College of Hair Design
Longview, WA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
17Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$18,41323%$8,549
19Olympic College
Bremerton, WA Public · 2 feeder programs
14Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist31%
20Walla Walla Community College
Walla Walla, WA Public · 1 feeder programs
14Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General38%

All 20 schools in Washington

Every school in Washington 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 Washington that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Evergreen Beauty and Barber College - EverettEverettPrivate for-profit8702
Paul Mitchell the School - RichlandRichlandPrivate for-profit1262
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute SeattleSeattlePrivate for-profit1042
Summit Salon AcademyTacomaPrivate for-profit1022
Aveda Institute Portland - Vancouver CampusVancouverPrivate for-profit962
Paul Mitchell the School - SpokaneSpokane ValleyPrivate for-profit902
Clover Park Technical CollegeLakewoodPublic862
Studio Beauty SchoolSpokane ValleyPrivate for-profit863
International Beauty Education CenterSpokanePrivate for-profit741
Spokane Community CollegeSpokanePublic732
Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy - ShorelineShorelinePrivate for-profit712
Paul Mitchell the School - Federal WayFederal WayPrivate for-profit451
Centralia Beauty CollegeCentraliaPrivate for-profit431
Victoria's Academy of CosmetologyKennewickPrivate for-profit382
Elite Cosmetology, Barber & Spa AcademyYakimaPrivate for-profit232

What skincare specialists earn in Washington

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

Median annual in Washington
$79,320
Mean annual
$83,090
Jobs in state
2,200
What the range looks like
10th pct$48,620Median$79,32090th pct$119,040
Versus the national median
+75.0%

U.S. median $45,330. Washington pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
1.32×

Concentrated here: Washington employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Washington

Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
$81,490median
90 jobs
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
$91,000median
160 jobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$80,510median
1,330 jobs
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA
$75,970median
40 jobs
Kennewick-Richland, WA
$76,520median
80 jobs
Bellingham, WA
$64,830median
80 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+6.7%
Faster than average
Openings per year
14,500
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
6,600
97,400 → 103,900
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 Skincare Specialists page.

How to become a Skincare Specialist

Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Top skills

SpeakingActive ListeningMonitoringCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionActive Learning

The same job in other states

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

Related careers in Washington

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 4 majors mapped to Skincare Specialists4 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 12.0401Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
  • 12.0408Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist
  • 12.0409Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist
  • 12.0414Master Aesthetician/Esthetician

Common questions

Answers for people weighing skincare specialists programs in Washington.

What degree do you need to become a Skincare Specialist?+

Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist, which awarded 1,124 degrees in Washington in 2024-25, 56.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Skincare Specialist?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services. Together they graduate about 2,007 people a year in Washington.

How much do skincare specialists earn in Washington?+

The median is $79,320 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 75.0% above the U.S. median of $45,330. 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 skincare specialists growing?+

BLS projects a +6.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 14,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

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

20 institutions in Washington reported graduates from at least one of the 3 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 skincare specialists work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Esthetician, Aesthetician, Medical Esthetician, Skincare Specialist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 39-5094.

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

All Clema data sources and release dates →

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card