Beauty Therapist

Typical Salary

£15,000 To £20,000

Typical Hours

37 to 40 a week

evenings / weekends as customers demand

How To Become a Beauty Therapist

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
specialist courses run by private training providers

College / University

You could study for a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Beauty Therapy.

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You can do an intermediate or advanced beauty therapist apprenticeship.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start out as a beauty therapy assistant in a salon or spa. You could then study for a qualification on the job.

Other Routes

You could also train with a private beauty school.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

customer service skills to put clients at ease
sensitivity and understanding towards your clients’ needs
the ability to work well with your hands for giving treatments
excellent verbal communication skills to explain treatments
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
the ability to work well with others
the ability to sell products and services
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

In your day-to-day tasks you may:

give a facial by cleansing, massaging and toning a client's skin
do a makeover by applying and advising on make-up
shape eyebrows and colour eyelashes
give a manicure, pedicure or other nail treatment like extensions and nail art
remove unwanted facial and body hair
give electro-therapy treatments to improve body tone and shape
do non-surgical skin improvement treatments
offer UV (ultraviolet) and spray tanning

Working Environment

You could work in a salon, at a health spa, on a cruise ship, in a hotel or from home.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

With experience you could progress to salon manager.

You could become self-employed and get your own salon, work from home or travel to clients.

You could also move into fashion, theatre or media make-up.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Professional and industry bodies

You may find it useful to get professional recognition by joining a register like the Guild of Beauty Therapists.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in beauty therapy from the Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority and the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology.

You can also find out more about working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.