9 Glamorous Careers for Nail Technicians

Well-manicured nails and hands can make a client look instantly feel more attractive. A good set of nails in a just-right polish color can instantly make hands or feet appear more youthful and fashionable, as nails can be an ideal accessory to reflect the latest beauty trends. In short, good nail service can make clients feel brand-new and glamorous, and it’s clear why so many people are regulars in their nail technicians’ chairs.

You might have a knack for a good shaping and polish, for creating inventive and creative nail art that’s Instagram-worthy, and for helping your friends polish their looks for special occasions. But you may be wondering: Is nail technician a good career for me? Where can I employ my skills if I’ve finished nail technician school? Will I have flexibility in my job locations and creativity in my day-to-day?

Read on for more information about what nail technicians’ daily reality looks like, what services they offer their clients, and what glamorous locations the work might take you as a nail technician.

Is Nail Technician a Good Career?

First, let’s talk about a nail technician’s day-to-day activities: A nail technician cleans, files, shapes, polishes, beautifies and decorates their clients’ fingernails and toenails. Services may include manicures, pedicures, nail artwork, acrylic overlays, UV gel polish designs, and more.

A career as a nail technician can be highly attractive for many beauty specialists because manicure and pedicure services are always in demand. That means that coursework and certification as a result of nail technician school offers unlimited potential for return on investment: Income can be nearly unlimited for nail techs who build robust client bases and love their work. And many nail technicians love what they do because they get to exercise their creativity and because they often build relationships with their clients and co-workers that grow into close friendships.

9 Places Nail Technicians Can Work and Thrive

If you’ve been thinking of becoming a nail technician, you might wonder where the career could take you — and the answer is, opportunities expand beyond the salon. Once you’ve finished nail technician school, you can build a glamorous career in any of these exciting spaces:

1. Salon nail technician — Most people equate the nail technician’s role with salon work, because salons are a great starting point for any nail technician’s career. Salons offer a great environment for honing skills, learning about different products and techniques, building up a client base, and gaining referrals.

2. Manicurist at a spa (or airport spa) — Similar to the salon environment, a spa is a great place to hone nail technician skills and gain experience. Many nail technicians love a spa environment for its focus on relaxing clients, pampering them, and reducing their stress levels.

3. Vacation resort or cruise ship nail technician —If you want to feel like you’re on vacation every day at work, it’s hard to beat a position at a vacation resort or on a cruise ship. Working as a nail technician in a resort setting often comes with perks such as discounts on hotel stays, food and beverages, spa services, rental cars, and more.

4. Country club nail tech — Similar to a nail technician role at a resort or cruise ship, a job manicuring country club members might secure you perks including access to workout spaces, food and beverages discounts, retail discounts, and even golf privileges.

5. Health and beauty retail — Health and personal care stores, plus retail spaces, are common job sites for nail technicians who both love nails and have a passion for sharing products with their customers.

6. Consultant for magazines or celebrities — If you’ve been reading “Vogue” and dreaming of the editorial fashion side of the beauty industry, you might specialize in helping magazines or celebs find the right products to apply to look picture-perfect on camera. To follow this glamorous career path, you’ll want to “nail” many types of nail-art designs and techniques and build a portfolio to show off your skills.

7. Mobile manicurist — If the salon environment doesn’t offer the flexibility you crave, you might want to ply your nail technician trade by being your own boss and traveling to your clients’ locations instead of setting up shop. This flexible option requires you to provide your own equipment and supplies, but it opens you up to offer manicure and pedicure services at special events such as birthday or bachelorette parties.

8. Salon ownership — You might be attracted to becoming an independent contractor with control over the hours you work. If you have leadership and business skills, you find opening your own salon to be the right fit. If you enjoy managing other people and don’t mind doing the legwork of finding and securing your own salon location, ownership might be in your future.

9. Nail technology educator — If you go to nail technician school, love the environment, and realize you never want the learning to end, you might be a great candidate to become a teacher yourself. Once you’ve accrued plenty of nail technician experience, you’ll be ready to mentor the next generation of manicurists and pedicurists. Teaching nails might require extra education, such as post-secondary credentials, but you might also be able to find training in manicure instruction at a nail technician school near you.

Are you ready to begin a comprehensive nail education to take your skills from “beauty lover” to “esthetic professional”? At our nail art schools in Orlando, West Palm Beach, and Hollywood, Florida, we offer our students a variety of nail technician training certification options, from basic to advanced, in order to help new nail techs start their careers and veteran technicians take their skills to the next level. Ready to paint a new future? Request more information today.