Esthetician states
51
Above median
Occupational licensing · Cosmetology · 51 state boards
Esthetician Licensing Requirements by State
Esthetician licensing rules differ by state. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) compilation and responsible state boards (current as of May 15, 2026), this registry compares education hours, initial and renewal fees, exams, background checks and reciprocity notes across 51 boards. Use the table to compare differences, then verify the current rule with the responsible board before applying.
Esthetician across 51 state boards. Nearest coverage peers (51-state band): Barber, Body Piercer, Cosmetologist.
- States regulated
- 51
- Avg initial fee
- $95
- Require an exam
- 100%
- Avg education hours
- 628
Board Pathway Strip
Esthetician: 51 boards · ~628 avg pre-licensure hrs · exam on 100% · background check on 100% · avg first fee $95. Same-lane boards: Barber, Body Piercer, Cosmetologist.
Esthetician vs. every tracked profession
Average confirmed pre-licensure education hours, board-sourced state requirements
628 28th of 47 higher than 19 of 47 professions
professions with confirmed education-hour requirements, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more professions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCredential NCSL and state-board corpus · 2026
Specializes in skin care including facials and waxing.
Esthetician initial fees swing $25 (NH) to $163 (CA), a $138 spread across 51 boards ; Barber often lands on a different fee band.
Board thresholds for Esthetician drift board-to-board; the same pattern shows up on Barber and Body Piercer in cosmetology. Methodology notes live on our methods page.
Esthetician edu hrs
628 hrs
Below median
Esthetician first fee
$95
Bottom quartile, lowest
Esthetician renewal
$50
Bottom 10% lowest
Board gates for Esthetician: exam on 51/51 (100%), background check on 51/51 (100%) , most boards skip mandated CE hours . Stack that against Barber / Body Piercer before calling this license soft or hard.
Training-hour peers beyond cosmetology
Coverage band
- Security Alarm Installer · 51 states
- Amusement Ride Operator · 51 states
- Animal Breeder · 51 states
- Arborist / Tree Surgeon · 51 states
Hour load
- Commercial Truck Driver (CDL) · 233 avg hrs
Cheapest vs priciest jurisdiction for Esthetician
A $138 fee spread for the same credential
Initial licensing fees in New Hampshire ($ 25) and California ($ 163) bracket the field, a 6.5× spread for identical practice rights.
NH
New Hampshire
$25 initial licensing fee
CA
California
$163 initial licensing fee
Esthetician boards vs Barber / Body Piercer - state table
51 statesWhat to do with this
Esthetician is regulated in 51 states -- here's how to use that before you act.
- Esthetician ranks #28 of 47 professions by average pre-licensure education hours -- see how it compares to similar roles. Browse all professions
- #28 of 97 professions by number of states requiring a license -- see which states are strictest overall. State burden rankings
- Initial fees for Esthetician range from $25 (NH) to $163 (CA) -- check whether your license transfers before assuming you'd need to pay again. Reciprocity guide
Requirements are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research and verified against state board sites where possible; always confirm current rules with the licensing board before relying on any single row.
Every figure on PlainCredential is rendered directly from NCSL and state occupational- licensing board data, no number is typed in by an editor. Esthetician requirements from NCSL and state board schedules: 51 rows, no hand-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.