aesthetician
Key facts
Transforming skin and boosting confidence – that's the power of an aesthetician. If you're passionate about skincare and enjoy helping others feel their best, this could be the perfect career for you.
As an aesthetician, you’ll focus on providing a range of skincare treatments designed to improve the health and appearance of your clients’ skin. Your days will involve assessing skin types, applying specialized treatments, and offering personalized advice to maintain healthy, radiant skin. You'll work directly with clients, creating a relaxing and professional environment while addressing their specific skincare concerns.
- • Applying facial treatments like lotions, scrubs, peels, and masks.
- • Performing hair removal on various body areas, including eyebrows and upper lip.
- • Providing facial massages and body treatments such as wraps.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Personal service workers — 86 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary and 2 more.
Longest-running shortage: Italy, 4 years.
Where it is regulated, your qualification would need formal recognition before you could practise.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
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Could aesthetician fit you?
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Do you enjoy tasks that require Self-Control?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Dependability?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Concern for Others?
Future Outlook for aesthetician
The outlook for aesthetician is exceptionally stable. While AI tools will assist with daily tasks, the core of this role relies on human judgment, resulting in a high resilience score of 81%.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could aesthetician change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could aesthetician change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- determine skin type
- perform facial treatment
- use laser therapy for skin conditions
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- test make-up
- maintain equipment
- identify customer's needs
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Arts, Entertainment, & Design
A typical day as a aesthetician
09 09:00 · Morning perform body wrapping
10 10:30 · Mid-morning identify customer's needs
12 12:00 · Midday perform facial treatment
14 14:00 · Afternoon test make-up
15 15:30 · Late afternoon use hair removal techniques
17 17:00 · Wrap-up use laser therapy for skin conditions
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
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cosmetics
The various types of substances used to enhance the appearance of the human body.
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cosmetics industry
Suppliers, products and brands in the cosmetic industry.
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cosmetics ingredients
A variety of sources cosmetics are composed of ranging from crushed insects to rust.
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hydrotherapy
The practice used to treat diseases or maintain overall health using water.
- cosmetic skin treatment
- make-up techniques
- cosmetic manicure
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determine skin type
Determine what type of skin a person has in order to use the right make-up for that particular skin type.
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perform facial treatment
Perform all kinds of treatments to improve the health and attractiveness of the facial skin, such as facial masks, scrubs, eyebrow tinting, peels, hair removal and make-up.
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use laser therapy for skin conditions
Apply laser treatments to remove undesirable body hairs, to lighten or eradicate pigmented lesions, or to remove tattoos.
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use hair removal techniques
Use techniques and handle tools to remove hair from body parts, such as electrolysis, IPL, waxing, lasering, threading or plucking.
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work ergonomically
Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.
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give massages
Provide clients with head, hand, neck, facial or full body massages.
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test make-up
Perform routine tests to determine if make-up products are adequate.
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perform body wrapping
Wrap customers with plastic, mud or thermal blankets for de-stressing, rebalancing, firming skin, detoxicating and reducing cellulite.
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maintain equipment
Regularly inspect and perform all required activities to maintain the equipment in functional order prior or after its use.
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identify customer's needs
Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
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maintain customer service
Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
See whether this role fits your Career DNA
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Where does aesthetician fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of personality traits are important for an aesthetician?
- Aestheticians benefit from being detail-oriented, patient, and having excellent communication skills. A genuine interest in skincare and a desire to help others feel confident are also crucial.
- Do I need specific training or qualifications to become an aesthetician?
- Training requirements vary by location. Generally, you'll need to complete a formal training program and obtain a license or certification to practice. Research the specific requirements in your area.
- Can I work as a self-employed aesthetician?
- Yes, while many aestheticians are employed in salons, spas, or clinics, it’s also common to establish your own self-business. This offers flexibility but requires business management skills alongside your skincare expertise.
- Aesthetician — is there a shortage in Europe?
- No. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a surplus was reported in 8 of the 14 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Austria, Germany, Greece, Finland and 4 more. 6 countries reported a shortage. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Aesthetician — what does it pay in the United States?
- $41,560 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $23,440 to $79,320. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.
- Aesthetician — is it a regulated profession?
- It is listed as a regulated profession in 16 European countries: Greece, Italy, France, Luxembourg and 12 more. The lowest qualification level required among them is EQF 3. Where a profession is regulated, a qualification earned elsewhere has to be formally recognised before you can practise. Source: EU Regulated Professions Database.