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 (92.5) | $63,390 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | $49,290 | Below avg (85.9) | $57,375 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $59,350 | Above avg (104.4) | $56,874 |
| Rapid City, SD | $47,600 | Below avg (90.3) | $52,715 |
| Mankato, MN | $43,870 | Below avg (87.6) | $50,053 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $46,340 | Below avg (93.2) | $49,725 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $44,770 | Below avg (90.1) | $49,694 |
| Rochester, MN | $45,710 | Below avg (93.0) | $49,173 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $43,380 | Below avg (88.9) | $48,808 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $47,990 | Average (101.2) | $47,421 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $46,840 | Average (98.9) | $47,368 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | $41,440 | Below avg (89.3) | $46,383 |
| Yakima, WA | $45,330 | Average (97.9) | $46,301 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $46,050 | Average (100.9) | $45,628 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $50,800 | Above avg (112.7) | $45,063 |