INDUSTRY SURVEY PRICE TO PAY
Disparities in therapist pay around the world have been highlighted in one of the fi rst compilations of sector salaries. Lisa Starr analyses the fi ndings
LISA STARR, SENIOR CONSULTANT, WYNNE BUSINESS T
Australia Brazil
Canada Cruise Ships
Hong Kong (Kowloon)
Italy Malaysia
South Africa Sweden UK US
herapists in the US are the best paid in the world and can earn up to US$4,166 (€3,100, £2,700) a month. Meanwhile their coun- terparts in Malaysia, with the
worst salaries, only bring in US$308 (€231, £200). These were the fi ndings of Real Num- bers on Esthetician Compensation, a report published by leading industry body the Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) in April. One of the fi rst analyses on global therapist pay, it marked the debut of the GSWS’s Metric Min- utes – compilations of anonymously-sourced, industry data and stakeholder interviews that are designed to “simply start the conversation”. Here, the GSWS has updated its fi ndings
to provide a snapshot of how aestheticians are paid in a selection of different countries – and the reasons why salaries vary so widely. The overview is intended to help operators and owners learn more about how our indus- try makes money (and in some cases does not).
Despite the lack of standard base salary, US therapists earn the most worldwide
ON COMMISSION Whether cultural, regulatory, or just habit, different countries pay beauty therapists in very different ways. Even taking into account the cost of living from one place to another, there are still major variances in average monthly pay (see table below). In a large number of countries, the stand- ard method of pay for beauty therapists is a monthly salary. Although, as shown in the table, there doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason to the amount of the sal- ary. In almost every country, except for in the US, the salary makes up the lion’s share of monthly income, with commissions on services or retail comprising the rest. Ser- vice commissions are typically 5-10 per cent of the cost of the treatment provided and are added to the monthly base salary. In the US, however, it’s quite common for beauty therapists in day spas – which make up the vast majority of country’s spa estab-
Average Monthly Pay of Beauty Therapists Worldwide and Cost of Living in Comparison to New York, USA Country
Average Monthly Base Pay in Local Currency
AU$3,333 BRL1,585 CA$2,150
18 per cent gratuity on services (no base salary)
Commissions n/a Range BRL900-BRL3,375 Monthly Equivalent US$
US$2,985 US$694
5-10 per cent on service and retail US$2,091 10 per cent retail
HK$8,000-HK$15,000 10-15 per cent on service; and 5-10 per cent on retail
€1,600 MYR1,000
ZAR5,000-ZAR8,000 SEK20,000
£1,250-£1,666 US$2,083-US$4,166 66 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital 5 per cent on retail
10 per cent on service; and 5 per cent on retail over targets
5-10 per cent on retail n/a
5-10 per cent on retail 10 per cent retail
US$2,775 US$1,030-US$1,930
US$2,127 US$308
US$506-US$811 US$3,070
118.95 59.68 80.52 n/a
62.28
63.52 41.16
48.06 89.17
US$1,900-US$2,530 78.16 US$2,083-US$4,166
100 *Crowd-sourced data from
Numbeo.com. Figures are based on major cities in relative countries in comparison to New York City Spa Business 3 2013 ©Cybertrek 2013
Cost of Living Comparison Index* (NYC=100)
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/GORAN BOGICEVIC
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