Summary Report for:
39-5092.00 - Manicurists and Pedicurists
Clean and shape customers' fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails.
Sample of reported job titles: Manicurist, Nail Technician, Pedicurist
Tasks | Technology Skills | Tools Used | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Detailed Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Credentials | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information
Tasks
- 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.
- Prepare nail cuticles with water and oil, using cuticle knives to push back cuticles and scissors or nippers to trim cuticles.
- Prepare customers' nails in soapy water, using swabs, files, and orange sticks.
- Remove previously applied nail polish, using liquid remover and swabs.
- Use rotary abrasive wheels to shape and smooth nails or artificial extensions.
- Schedule client appointments and accept payments.
- Assess the condition of clients' hands, remove dead skin, and massage hands.
- Roughen surfaces of fingernails, using abrasive wheel.
- Advise clients on nail care and use of products and colors.
- Treat nails to repair or improve strength and resilience by wrapping.
- Extend nails using powder, solvent, and paper forms attached to tips of customers' fingers to support and shape artificial nails.
- Polish nails, using powdered polish and buffer.
- Whiten underside of nails with white paste or pencils.
- Promote and sell nail care products.
- Decorate clients' nails by piercing or attaching ornaments or designs.
Technology Skills
All 5 displayed - Calendar and scheduling software — Appointment Search; Appointment-Plus; AppointmentQuest Online Appointment Scheduler
- Customer relationship management CRM software — Customer information databases
- Data base user interface and query software — Aknaf ADVANTAGE Salon Software and Spa Software; DaySmart Software Salon Iris
- Office suite software — Microsoft Office
- Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
Hot Technology — a technology requirement frequently included in employer job postings.
Tools Used
- Air brushes — Manicure airbrushes
- Carts — Pedicure carts
- Cash registers — Electronic cash registers
- Dry heat or hot air sterilizers — Dry heat sterilizers
- Extremity hydrotherapy baths or tanks — Foot baths
- Magnetic stripe readers and encoders — Credit card processing machines
- Manicure implements — Cuticle knives; Cuticle scissors; Nail scissors; Nail scrub brushes (see all 11 examples)
- Nail clippers — Nail nippers; Nail slicers
- Nail dryers
- Notebook computers — Laptop computers
- Pedicure implements — Callus shavers; Toe separators
- Personal computers
- Pumice stone — Pumice stones
- Steam autoclaves or sterilizers — Steam autoclaves
- Tables — Manicure tables
- Tweezers — Manicure tweezers
- Ultraviolet sterilizer — Ultraviolet UV sterilizers
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Skills
- Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Abilities
- Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Work Activities
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Detailed Work Activities
- Clean tools or equipment.
- Treat nails by shaping, decorating, or augmenting.
- Maintain client information or service records.
- Maintain supply or equipment inventories.
- Schedule appointments.
- Administer therapeutic massages.
- Assess skin or hair conditions.
- Provide medical or cosmetic advice for clients.
- Promote products, services, or programs.
- Sell products or services.
Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities
Work Context
- Exposed to Contaminants — 86% responded “Every day.”
- Physical Proximity — 63% responded “Very close (near touching).”
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 62% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
- Contact With Others — 16% responded “Contact with others most of the time.”
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Sitting
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 66% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
- Freedom to Make Decisions — 42% responded “A lot of freedom.”
- Face-to-Face Discussions — 20% responded “Never.”
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 38% responded “Extremely important.”
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — 35% responded “Very high responsibility.”
- Structured versus Unstructured Work — 41% responded “A lot of freedom.”
- Work With Work Group or Team — 22% responded “Not important at all.”
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — 30% responded “Never.”
Job Zone
| Title | Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed |
| Education | These occupations usually require a high school diploma. |
| Related Experience | Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public. |
| Job Training | Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations. |
| Job Zone Examples | These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, forest firefighters, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers. |
| SVP Range | (4.0 to < 6.0) |
Education
 Percentage of Respondents |
Education Level Required |
|---|---|
| Not available | High school diploma or equivalent  |
| Not available | Less than high school diploma |
| Not available | Post-secondary certificate |
Interests
Interest code: RES
- Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Styles
- Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
- Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
- Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
- Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
- Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Work Values
- Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Related Occupations
| 31-9011.00 | Massage Therapists 
|
| 39-3011.00 | Gaming Dealers |
| 39-3093.00 | Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants |
| 39-5011.00 | Barbers |
| 39-5012.00 | Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
Bright Outlook
|
| 39-5093.00 | Shampooers |
| 39-5094.00 | Skincare Specialists |
| 43-4071.00 | File Clerks |
| 51-6041.00 | Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers |
| 51-6052.00 | Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers |
Wages & Employment Trends
| Median wages (2016) | $10.65 hourly, $22,150 annual |
| State wages | 
|
| Employment (2014) | 114,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2014-2024) | 
Faster than average (9% to 13%)
|
| Projected job openings (2014-2024) | 20,600 |
| State trends | 
|
| Top industries (2014) | |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2016 wage data
and 2014-2024 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2014-2024). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
- Manicurists and pedicurists
. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition.
