Beauty Therapists

ANZSCO ID 4511

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
33,400
Future Growth
12.2%
Weekly Earnings
$1,196
Full-Time Share
30%
Female Share
97%
Average age
32

Summary

Beauty Therapists provide skin analyses, facial therapies, skin-care treatments and body treatments such as massage to clients.

Specialisations: Electrologist (Hair Remover), Manicurist, Nail Technician.

A certificate III or IV in beauty services or beauty therapy is usually needed to work as a Beauty Therapist.

Tasks

  • discussing client needs, analysing skin characteristics and advising on suitable skin care, treatments and application of make-up

  • applying general cosmetic and corrective make-up

  • performing manicures and pedicures including decorative nail art, application of artificial nails, nail repair, and other specialised hand and foot treatments

  • performing facial and body treatments such as massages

  • treating unwanted hair through waxing, bleaching, tinting, depilation and electrolysis

  • evaluating beauty therapy processes and products

  • receiving bookings, arranging appointments and maintaining client records

  • providing advice on and selling cosmetic products

Characteristics

Job Type
Community And Personal Service Workers
Skill Level
Medium skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Enterprising
  • Helping
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow strongly
  • is likely to reach 42,400 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
12.2%
(or 4,600 jobs)
From
37,800
in 2021
To
42,400
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 23,200
2012 19,500
2013 28,000
2014 25,200
2015 28,800
2016 34,500
2017 42,900
2018 33,700
2019 44,700
2020 31,000
2021 37,800
2026 42,400

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 39% of people employed as Beauty Therapists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 27 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,196 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $942
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,822

    Median hourly earnings are $30, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Beauty Therapists All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,196 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Other Services
96.1%
2
Health Care and Social Assistance
2.2%
3
Retail Trade
1.1%
4
Manufacturing
0.3%
5
Other industries
0.3%
  • Most Beauty Therapists work in the Other services industry.

    Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.


Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

32.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

25.2% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

20.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.3% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

12.0% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.5% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.6% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.4% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Beauty Therapists All Jobs Average
NSW 32.6 31.6
VIC 25.2 25.6
QLD 20.4 20.0
SA 6.3 7.0
WA 12.0 10.8
TAS 1.5 2.0
NT 0.6 1.0
ACT 1.4 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
32
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
97%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Beauty Therapists is 32 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 97% of the workforce. This is 49 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Beauty Therapists All Jobs Average
15-19 3.9 5.0
20-24 16.9 9.3
25-34 36.3 22.9
35-44 23.5 22.0
45-54 14.0 21.6
55-59 2.9 9.0
60-64 1.4 6.0
65 and Over 1.0 4.2
Median Age 32 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A certificate III or IV in beauty services or beauty therapy is usually needed to work as a Beauty Therapist.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Hairdressing and Beauty VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Beauty Therapists All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 1.5 10.1
Bachelor degree 6.5 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 45.7 11.6
Certificate III/IV 22.1 21.1
Year 12 14.5 18.1
Year 11 2.4 4.8
Year 10 and below 7.3 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Beauty Therapists who interact well with others, who are reliable and well presented.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 48%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 45%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 45%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 45%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 43%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 43%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 41%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 41%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 41%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 41%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 39%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 39%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 39%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 39%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 36%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 34%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 29%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 25%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 23%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 70%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 52%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 51%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 46%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 45%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 39%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 35%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 28%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 26%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 25%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 24%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 24%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 22%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 20%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 20%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 15%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 14%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 13%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 12%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 10%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 54%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 54%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 54%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 46%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 46%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 43%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 43%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 43%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 43%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 41%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 41%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 41%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 41%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 41%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 41%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 39%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 37%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 73%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 68%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 65%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 65%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 57%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 57%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 53%

    Influencing people

    Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.

  • 50%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 47%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 46%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 45%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 45%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 43%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 43%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 42%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 35%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 35%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 34%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 29%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 25%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 67%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 67%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 48%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 29%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 14%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 71%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 71%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 50%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 48%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 48%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 99%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 94%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 92%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 92%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 88%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 85%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 85%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 79%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 77%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 77%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 75%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 73%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 70%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 69%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 67%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 66%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 64%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 64%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 63%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 56%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 39-5094.00 - Skincare Specialists.


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