Also called: Session Manicurist, Celebrity Manicurist
Creates nail designs for magazine shoots, ad campaigns, fashion shows and celebrities.
She hand-paints tiny designs on a model's nails for a magazine cover, then works backstage at a runway show doing 30 sets of nails in two hours.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 4 years after high school. Nail technician license plus years building a portfolio and agency connections.
Ways in: Trade school, Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Nail Technology (trade school).
Growing about average.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Retouching and AI images replace some shoot work, but hand-painted nails for real campaigns and shows stay in demand.
Classes: Art, Photography, Cosmetology CTE program.
Official data: O*NET occupation 39-5092.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.