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

Best Skincare Specialist programs in Wisconsin, ranked by enrollment

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

29 schools in Wisconsin run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,400 people a year. The job pays a median of $46,220 in Wisconsin across about 1,190 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledEstheticianAestheticianMedical EstheticianSkincare SpecialistFacialistBeauticianElectrologistElectrolysist
Graduates / yr
1,400
in Wisconsin
Median pay · Wisconsin
$46,220
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
1,190
people employed
Schools
29
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
64%
across those schools
Median net price
$16,653
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Wisconsin that lead to this job

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

3 programs in Wisconsin that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Wisconsin (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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
916
65.4%
29$17,113$10,000
2
CIP 12.0409In Wisconsin
479
34.2%
17$17,113$10,000
3
CIP 12.0414In Wisconsin
5
0.4%
2$17,113$10,000

Top 25 schools in Wisconsin

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 22 of the 29 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1The Institute of Beauty and Wellness
Milwaukee, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
139Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$25,02990%$15,441
2VICI Beauty School
Greenfield, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
90Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$21,77388%$13,775
3Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
84Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$23,19825%
4Empire Beauty School - Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
75Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$18,63947%$17,643
5The Institute of Beauty and Wellness Madison
Madison, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
75Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$25,02997%$11,939
6Waukesha County Technical College
Pewaukee, WI Public · 3 feeder programs
72Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$27,04944%
7Empire Beauty School - Green Bay
Ashwaubenon, WI Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
69Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$18,63973%$16,653
8Tricoci University of Beauty Culture - Janesville
Janesville, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
67Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$20,302$14,017
9Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
65Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General51%
10The Salon Professional Academy - Appleton
Appleton, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
64Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$18,60382%$11,696
11Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WI Public · 3 feeder programs
56Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General65%
12Northwood Technical College
Rice Lake, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
53Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$18,29456%
13Chippewa Valley Technical College
Eau Claire, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
51Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$23,40550%
14First Class Cosmetology School
Beloit, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
44Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$23,23586%$17,335
15The Salon Professional Academy - Kenosha
Kenosha, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
43Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$21,67870%$27,093
16The Salon Professional Academy - Onalaska
Onalaska, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
42Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$25,01793%$16,876
17State College of Beauty Culture
Wausau, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
40Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist90%$11,528
18Moraine Park Technical College
Fond du Lac, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
32Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General58%
19Academy of Beauty Professionals
Madison, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
31Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$18,72993%
20Academy of Beauty Professionals
Green Bay, WI Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
28Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist$18,72956%
21Mid - State Technical College
Wisconsin Rapids, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
27Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$17,38552%
22Southwest Wisconsin Technical College
Fennimore, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
26Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General66%
23The Professional Hair Design Academy
Eau Claire, WI Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
26Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$21,65976%$21,059
24Madison Area Technical College
Madison, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
25Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$22,15229%
25Paul Mitchell the School - Milwaukee
Wauwatosa, WI Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
20Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$19,5708%$17,564

All 29 schools in Wisconsin

Every school in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
The Institute of Beauty and WellnessMilwaukeePrivate for-profit1392
VICI Beauty SchoolGreenfieldPrivate for-profit902
Milwaukee Area Technical CollegeMilwaukeePublic842
Empire Beauty School - MilwaukeeMilwaukeePrivate for-profit752
The Institute of Beauty and Wellness MadisonMadisonPrivate for-profit752
Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukeePublic723
Empire Beauty School - Green BayAshwaubenonPrivate for-profit691
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture - JanesvilleJanesvillePrivate for-profit672
Gateway Technical CollegeKenoshaPublic651
The Salon Professional Academy - AppletonAppletonPrivate for-profit642
Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppletonPublic563
Northwood Technical CollegeRice LakePublic531
Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeEau ClairePublic512
First Class Cosmetology SchoolBeloitPrivate for-profit442
The Salon Professional Academy - KenoshaKenoshaPrivate for-profit432

What skincare specialists earn in Wisconsin

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

Median annual in Wisconsin
$46,220
Mean annual
$46,010
Jobs in state
1,190
What the range looks like
10th pct$22,830Median$46,22090th pct$65,590
Versus the national median
+2.0%

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

Job concentration
0.87×

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

Metro areas in Wisconsin

Kenosha, WI
$47,930median
40 jobs
Green Bay, WI
$47,740median
90 jobs
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
$51,810median
40 jobs
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
$46,140median
50 jobs
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
$44,270median
360 jobs
Appleton, WI
$48,270median
70 jobs
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI
$43,550median
30 jobs
Madison, WI
$37,720median
190 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 Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin.

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 Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General, which awarded 916 degrees in Wisconsin in 2024-25, 65.4% 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 1,400 people a year in Wisconsin.

How much do skincare specialists earn in Wisconsin?+

The median is $46,220 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 2.0% 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 Wisconsin?+

29 institutions in Wisconsin 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