Beauty therapist
Give facials, manicures, waxing, lash and brow treatments and more, helping clients look and feel their best in salons, spas or your own business.
- Salary£23,000 – £29,000
- Hours30 to 37 hours a week, including evenings and weekends as customers demand
- Working for yourselfSelf-employment is common
What the job is like
Beauty therapists offer a wide menu of face, body, hand and foot treatments. It suits people with steady hands and an eye for detail who also enjoy putting clients at ease and explaining what a treatment involves.
You can train through a Level 2 apprenticeship or a college course, then add specialist treatments as you go. The work is found in salons, spas, hotels and on cruise ships, and many therapists become self-employed, working from home or visiting clients.
What you'll do
- Talk clients through treatments and check they are suitable
- Give facials, cleansing and massaging the skin
- Shape brows, tint lashes and apply make-up
- Do manicures, pedicures, nail extensions and nail art
- Remove unwanted facial and body hair
- Offer treatments such as spray tanning and, with extra training, aromatherapy
- Recommend and sell products and book follow-up appointments
- Keep equipment hygienic and treatment rooms clean
Where you'll work
- Indoors
- In customers' homes
- In a team
- On your own
Skills and hobbies that help
Weighted by how much they matter in this job, from the official job profile's skills and tasks. Tap one to see other careers that use it.
Key skills
Used a lot
Handy to have
Hobbies that give you a head start
How to become a beauty therapist
Apprenticeship
Beauty Therapist Level 2 apprenticeship (typically about 15 months), then Advanced Beauty Therapist Level 3
College
Courses in beauty therapy, massage therapy, aromatherapy, nail technology or beauty specialist techniques; entry requirements vary
Direct application
Start as a beauty therapy assistant in a salon or spa and study for a qualification while working
Other ways in
Private training providers run beauty courses; check that a course leads to a recognised qualification and compare costs
Where it can lead
- Assistant manager, then salon manager
- Beauty services sales and marketing for a hotel and spa group
- Self-employment: your own salon, a home-based business or a mobile service
- Fashion, theatre or media make-up
Good to know
- Advertised pay is often full-time equivalent or pro rata, so actual pay depends on your hours
- Joining a register such as the Guild of Beauty Therapists can give professional recognition
Courses and training
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Apprenticeship search
Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK
The official GOV.UK service for searching and applying for apprenticeship vacancies in England.
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Course search
Find a course – National Careers Service
The National Careers Service search for college and training provider courses in England, including Skills Bootcamps.
Official information
Sources
We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.
- National Careers Service: Beauty therapist nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/beauty-therapist
- Skills England apprenticeship: Beauty therapist (Level 2) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0630-v1-0
- Skills England apprenticeship: Advanced beauty therapist (Level 3) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0211-v1-0