If you enjoy working with people to improve their appearance, you have a number of career options in Maine’s salon and spa industry. More than 4,900 people were employed as beauticians or barbers in Maine in 2012 according to the state’s Center for Workforce Information and Performance.
There are many ways to pursue a career you love and earn a good income in Maine’s salon industry. In addition to getting a traditional salaried position, you can work for commission. You can even work for yourself, as you have the choice of being an independent contractor and renting your own booth or chair. Once you have experience, you can even open your own shop!
Typically, the reported salary and hourly figures for salon professionals do not include tips, so your income is likely to be higher than what is reported for Maine. Customers who are happy with their service generally tip 15 to 25%.
Esthetician Salaries and Opportunities in Maine
Getting an esthetician’s license in Maine will let you join the ranks of a growing field while you work with your clients to improve the quality of their skin. The number of estheticians in Maine is expected to grow 28.3% between 2012 and 2022 according to the state’s Center for Workforce Information and Performance.
This agency reports the range of salaries for estheticians in Maine. Your take home pay should be even higher than these figures indicate, since they do not account for tips. The average salary for an esthetician in the state was $32,220 in 2013.
Gaining experience will help you to earn higher salaries. Estheticians on the low end of the salary scale averaged $18,930, while those with more experience earned an average of $34,160.
Portsmouth is a particularly good place to work as an esthetician. The average salary on the low end of the pay scale was $39,110—higher than the average salary for the state as a whole. Experienced estheticians in Portsmouth earned an average of $54,120.
Maine Cosmetology Salary Ranges
Most of the beauticians in Maine work as cosmetologists such as hairdressers or hair stylists. In 2012, 4,179 residents had these types of jobs according to the Maine Center for Workforce Information and Performance.
The average salary for a cosmetologist in Maine was $28,160 in 2013, although the level of take home pay will be higher than this. Official salary figures such as this one do not include tips, and since you will be pleasing your customers, they will normally tip you.
These salaries vary depending on what part of Maine you work in. The average salary for a cosmetologist in Portland was $30,190, while that in Bangor was $24,760.
Gaining experience will increase your salary, since you will be better able to please your customers. Experienced cosmetologists in Maine earned an average of $12,830 more than those just starting out. These average salaries were $32,360 and $19,530, respectively.
Average Barber Salary in Maine
If you get a license to be a barber or tonsorial artist in Maine, you will be joining a growing field. The number of barbers is expected to increase by 3.9% in the ten-year period ending in 2022 according to the Maine Center for Workforce Information and Performance.
The average salary for a barber in Maine was $27,706 in 2013, although this figure does not include tips. Most clients tip their barbers, so the average barber makes 10-25% more than indicated here.
Your level of income will vary a great deal depending on your level of experience. Nationally, experienced barbers earned 2.5 times more than their less experienced colleagues according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Salaries of Manicurists in Maine
Getting a manicurist license will let you join an elite group of beauticians in Maine. In 2012, 180 people in Maine worked as nail technicians. While the Maine Center for Workforce Information and Performance provides the range of salaries you can expect to make, it does not include tips. Since customers who are happy with their service typically tip 10 to 25%, you can expect to take home more pay than what is reported here.
The average salary for a manicurist in Maine was $21,910 in 2013. Your salary will vary depending on your level of experience. Manicurists with less experience earned $18,450 on average, while more experienced manicurists averaged $23,950.
Salaries for Maine’s Makeup Artists
If you enjoy applying makeup to women to make them look stunning or to transform an actor for a role, you can join the ranks of makeup artists in Maine once you get training. The average salary was $66,331 a year in 2013 according to the Maine Center for Workforce Information and Performance.
Your salary will vary a great deal depending on which specialty you choose. You are likely to earn a much higher salary if you work in the theatre, film, video, or television than you would if you worked with individual clients. Nationally, makeup artists who worked in the motion picture and video industries in 2013 earned 3.3 times as much as those who worked in the personal care services industry according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.