The nail industry is one of the most promising sectors of beauty not just in Australia but also in the rest of the world. Nail trends continue to be in demand, and this is why there is an increased need for nail technicians in the beauty industry.

So, the question now is how much do nail techs make in Australia?

The straightforward answer to this is it depends on the location. Major cities like Melbourne offer the highest rates for nail techs. If you’re a certified nail tech by a registered training organisation (RTO), you may charge a higher rate than those certified by a non-RTO.

Here, allow us to give you the details about nail tech wages in Australia and other important information about the profession that you need to know.

What Is a Nail Technician?

Before we discuss how much nail techs make in the country, let us give you a little bit of background about the profession. Nail technicians are beauty professionals who perform nail services, such as manicuring & pedicuring, nail art, the application and removal of nail extensions and hand & foot massage.

What’s interesting about nail techs, or even other professionals working in the beauty industry, is they have a few career pathways to choose from. They can work from home by building and running their home salon, offer mobile services or work as a salon employee. The most popular career pathway in Australia is working from home as you can be your own boss.

How Much Do Nail Techs Make in the Country?

On average, nail technicians in Australia earn $31.29 per hour. But again, the rate depends on the work location. Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Unley, for example, offer $69.41, $55.96, $23.47 and $36.77 per-hour rates, respectively. With years of experience and proper certifications, the rate per hour can even go higher.

Top nail techs are able to charge $80–$150 for a set of nails. What’s more, prices don’t end there! They have extra earnings for bundles and packages they include in their services. If the average spend of each client is around $100, for example, and they serve 4 clients in a day, they get $400. A year will give them over $100,000!

You can earn as much as they are earning too. You just need to become one of the best in your area. Keeping up with nail trends, updating your skills and providing excellent customer service are key to help you stay on top of the competition. Never limit yourself to what you already learned because the nail industry is constantly changing. You must be flexible enough to adapt to the trends and changing demands of clients.

Do Nail Technicians Need a License in Australia?

The country deregulated its beauty industry in 1986, which doesn’t require practitioners to get a license to work. There are no specific requirements for nail technicians in the country, but professional training is still highly recommended to master the best skills. Nail courses can be taken from an RTO or non-RTO.

Despite not having specific requirements for becoming a nail tech, many beauty salons still prefer hiring certified nail techs. Australia has a lot of training providers, both accredited and non-accredited, offering quality training curriculums. This is why we always encourage individuals wanting to enter the beauty industry to take courses and get certified.

Also, with a valid certificate, the chances of getting better rates are high. You can even charge high rates if you upgrade your skills, learn additional techniques and collect skills certificates.

Why Enrol in a Professional Nail Technology Training?

Professional nail training allows you to learn the best techniques and know the trends in the industry. This is extremely important if you want to become one of the best professionals in nails. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn from industry experts and ask questions about nails. Your questions or concerns will be answered or addressed in real time.

Aside from that, once you enrol in a training program, you learn nails in a salon-like environment. Nail training providers equip their facilities like that of a salon. You have access to various tools and equipment the industry uses nowadays.

Also, getting a certificate when you finish your training makes you a credible nail tech. Clients and salon owners will love to do business with you considering you were professionally trained. Not only that, if you upgrade your skills, you even have the advantage over other nail techs who have limited techniques as you can offer more services than them.

How to Choose the Right Nail Training Program

Choosing the right nail training program is key to a successful career journey. Here are the things you need to consider when choosing your provider:

Curriculum

The very first thing you must look at is the course curriculum. Are the subjects they teach what you want to learn? There should always be a clear answer to this when you look at the training providers’ offered courses.

An ideal curriculum should teach you everything, from the fundamentals to the basic and advanced skills. If they have product kits you can use for your training, that’s a plus!

Learning Method

Many nail course providers offer online training for the convenience of busy individuals. If your time is limited and want to study at your own hours, you can always look for online courses. But if you prefer the traditional in-class training, there are also many courses you can check out. Some providers offer both types of learning methods.

Facility

For in-class training, you must consider the provider’s facilities. Do they have modern tools and equipment? Are those easily accessible to students? Are their training rooms conducive to learning nails? Answering these questions helps you assess if the training provider is right for you.

Faculty and Staff

Do their teachers have strong qualifications to teach nails? Is their staff approachable for any concerns students address?

Trainers should have solid backgrounds in nails as they are your guide in learning the theory and the technical aspect of the training. Their expertise and skills should satisfy you to ensure you’re learning from the right people.

In terms of staff, they should be friendly to everyone and must be professional in treating students, trainers and guests.

Reviews

One very reliable source you can check out about training providers is reviews from current and previous students. Providers who already have established their reputation display student reviews on their sites and social media platforms to encourage more enrolments. Check what the students say about them and how they were able to help these students learn the skills. The higher their rating is, the better.

What Are the Ideal Qualities Nail Techs Must Have?

Whether you’re a nail technician in Australia or anywhere in the world, having good qualities attracts more clients. After all, clients don’t only look for skills but also desirable qualities.

Passionate

This is already given regardless of the profession. Your passion fuels everything, allowing you to enjoy what you’re doing despite facing challenging situations. You need to be passionate about nails to succeed in the industry.

Great Communication Skills

Great communication skills allow you to understand client needs and have good conversations with them. Understanding client needs enables you to provide the right services for each customer. Good conversations help build strong client relationships and provide a nice social experience for clients. To develop good communication skills, you must enhance your talking ability and learn to be more friendly.

Steady Hand

This is a very important technical skill you need to practise. A steady hand provides precision in the application of any nail service. If you don’t have a steady hand, you won’t see the best results in your services. Worse, some clients may be unsatisfied with the outcome. Practise controlling your hands to ensure accuracy.

Reliable

Nothing is more attractive to clients than being a reliable nail technician. This only means they can count on you whenever they need you. Your profession may give you flexible hours, but there are times when clients need your service urgently. If you’re always available for them, you’ll be popular with them and continue to satisfy them with your services. Your reliability allows you to have a good business sense.

Updated with Nail Trends

The nail industry relies extremely on trends and fashion, which is why as a nail tech, you need to be updated with what’s latest. But you must be one step ahead if you want to stay relevant to the industry. You must know how to spot the next biggest trend in nails, so you can always offer new services to your clients.

Excellent Memory

Having an excellent memory makes your clients feel special. You don’t only need to memorise your clients’ names, addresses or birthdays but also their specific life details. You need to go the extra mile to ensure you value your clients not just when they are in your salon but also in their personal lives. You can ask about updates on their life events and other personal stuff they are comfortable sharing with you.

Patient

Patience is highly appreciated in the nail industry. You need this to deal with client demands and ensure precision in your work. Nail procedures alone require a lot of patience because of the level of accuracy these need to achieve the best results. Start practising extending your patience during training to get used to it.

Final Thoughts

With a basic knowledge of how much do nail techs make in Australia, you can create a vision of how you want your career to progress. You can train for more skills to get more certifications and charge higher rates. This is entirely up to you. The important thing is you get professionally trained to build credibility and potentially increase your income.