Manicurists and pedicurists
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Manicurists and pedicurists in the United States earn a median salary of $35,760 per year — about $17 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 210K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +7%.
AI & Automation Risk
The core of this occupation involves high-precision physical labor, tactile sensitivity, and real-time human interaction in a physical environment. While AI can assist with peripheral business tasks like scheduling or inventory management, the primary service of cleaning, shaping, and decorating nails remains a manual task that is difficult to automate with current robotics.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE-IABEST VALUE | $58,620 | Below avg (91.9) | $63,779 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $59,350 | Average (101.9) | $58,267 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | $49,290 | Below avg (86.7) | $56,875 |
| Rapid City, SD | $47,600 | Below avg (89.2) | $53,387 |
| Rochester, MN | $45,710 | Below avg (90.8) | $50,330 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $46,340 | Below avg (93.1) | $49,788 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $44,770 | Below avg (90.6) | $49,398 |
| Mankato, MN | $43,870 | Below avg (91.0) | $48,233 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $43,380 | Below avg (90.0) | $48,197 |
| Yakima, WA | $45,330 | Below avg (95.5) | $47,444 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | $41,440 | Below avg (87.6) | $47,288 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $46,840 | Average (100.1) | $46,803 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $47,990 | Above avg (103.2) | $46,498 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $46,050 | Average (100.3) | $45,891 |
| Medford, OR | $46,390 | Average (101.4) | $45,735 |