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How much do self-employed nail technicians make?

Nail technicians and nail salons. Census data for 2024. Figures are revenue before costs, not income.

Nail technician in blue gloves applying polish with a fine brush

Businesses

318,382

Revenue per firm

$41,294

Under $25,000

50.3%

Sole proprietors

96.3%

Census code 812113, "Nail Salons", covers nail technicians and nail salons, including technicians renting a station who file as a business.

In 2024, 318,382 US businesses with no paid employees were classified under this code. Between them they reported $13.1 billion in revenue, an average of $41,294 per firm, 29% below the $58,194 average for all businesses with no employees.

What stands out

Nail salons have the lowest share of very small businesses among the beauty trades: 18.7% reported under $10,000, half the all-industry share of 37.3%. 5.6% reached $100,000.

The gap between legal forms is the widest on this list. Sole proprietors, 96.3% of firms, averaged $31,381; nail businesses set up as partnerships or corporations averaged $300,932.

Georgia holds 2.0 times its national share of these businesses, Texas 1.7 and Nevada 1.5. Among states with at least 500 nail businesses, Washington (0.26) and Minnesota (0.20) have the lowest relative concentrations.

What a typical firm brings in

The average hides a wide spread. 18.7% of firms reported under $10,000 (all industries: 37.3%), 50.3% under $25,000 (all: 60.4%) and 83.3% under $50,000. 5.6% reached $100,000 or more (all: 13.3%). The middle firm falls in the "$10,000 to $24,999" bracket.

Share of 318,382 US firms in each revenue bracket, 2024. Shares use the national firm total and are rounded to one decimal; a band shown as 0% can hold a small number of firms, and bands without a published count are left out. Source: Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics.
  • Under $5,0008.7%
  • $5,000 to $9,99910%
  • $10,000 to $24,99931.6%
  • $25,000 to $49,99933%
  • $50,000 to $99,99911.1%
  • $100,000 to $249,9993.4%
  • $250,000 to $499,9991.4%
  • $500,000 to $999,9990.5%
  • $1 million to $2.5 million0.2%

How much is left after costs

The IRS Table 1 row nearest this trade, "Personal and laundry services", does not match the scope of this Census category, so no matching profit figure is shown here.

How it varies by state

Texas has the most firms, at 55,628. Among the 43 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, revenue per firm is highest in West Virginia ($55,443) and lowest in New York ($22,457). The Census assigns each business to a state by its mailing address, which may not be where the work is done. These data do not explain state differences or show take-home pay.

Alabama5,978$53,187+29%
Alaska*212$47,467+15%
Arizona8,251$38,125-8%
Arkansas2,754$49,762+21%
California18,570$26,775-35%
Colorado3,130$35,771-13%
Connecticut1,273$25,002-39%
Delaware*477$34,960-15%
District of Columbia*188$55,957+36%
Florida50,549$42,554+3%
Georgia24,295$45,001+9%
Hawaii1,244$40,512-2%
Idaho1,272$32,466-21%
Illinois12,993$40,532-2%
Indiana5,725$48,878+18%
Iowa2,094$42,054+2%
Kansas1,291$29,226-29%
Kentucky3,383$50,828+23%
Louisiana5,134$38,067-8%
Maine528$37,636-9%
Maryland6,199$42,533+3%
Massachusetts3,703$29,763-28%
Michigan9,868$41,722+1%
Minnesota919$30,873-25%
Mississippi3,336$43,629+6%
Missouri5,520$45,682+11%
Montana546$39,753-4%
Nebraska2,264$48,250+17%
Nevada4,883$43,037+4%
New Hampshire*276$37,518-9%
New Jersey2,851$25,899-37%
New Mexico1,388$42,679+3%
New York7,954$22,457-46%
North Carolina13,468$51,646+25%
North Dakota*247$59,077+43%
Ohio7,749$32,032-22%
Oklahoma4,357$44,345+7%
Oregon1,539$37,349-10%
Pennsylvania3,806$26,324-36%
Rhode Island705$33,685-18%
South Carolina6,364$54,690+32%
South Dakota*278$55,227+34%
Tennessee8,969$50,227+22%
Texas55,628$43,361+5%
Utah3,073$35,405-14%
Vermont*93$39,753-4%
Virginia8,473$38,455-7%
Washington1,463$33,471-19%
West Virginia900$55,443+34%
Wisconsin1,960$31,067-25%
Wyoming*262$46,073+12%

* Fewer than 500 firms, so the average is less stable. Click a column heading to sort. Receipts are modified by the Census Bureau to protect privacy.

Frequently asked questions

How much do self-employed nail technicians make?

Census data for 2024 show 318,382 US businesses with no paid employees in this trade, reporting an average of $41,294 in revenue each. 50.3% took in under $25,000, against 60.4% of all businesses with no employees. Revenue is what the business takes in before costs, so it is not the owner's income.

Which state has the highest revenue per firm for self-employed nail technicians?

Among the 43 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, West Virginia had the highest average revenue per firm, at $55,443, and New York the lowest, at $22,457. States are assigned by business mailing address, and these figures do not show take-home pay.

Sources and method

Other trades