What does the average beauty therapist, clinic owner, or dermal clinician really earn?
If you've ever wondered how your income compares to others in the industry, you're not alone. A recent thread in The ABIC Community sparked a wave of transparency, as dozens of professionals anonymously shared their earnings, roles, and realities - from solo traders to seven-figure clinic owners.
We’ve analysed the comments, pulled out the common themes, and unpacked the insights to reveal what’s actually happening behind the curtain of the professional beauty and skin industry.
Solo vs Team: Is Bigger Always Better?
There was a clear trend across the board: solo operators are often earning more, with less stress, than clinic owners managing a team.
A sole trader offering skin and waxing services reported a take-home of $180K in just 8 months, working 25–40 hours per week in Victoria.
A home clinic owner in Perth with a fully booked schedule had a turnover of $138K, but only took home $43K due to overwhelming expenses.
A solo brow tattooist shared an annual personal income of $180–200K, with a business turnover between $400–600K.
Meanwhile, clinic owners with staff reported:
$35K per clinic in personal income (from multiple sites)
$85K salary while managing admin, social media and floor work
A wide range of stress levels and varying opinions on whether scaling was worth it
One of the clearest insights?
The biggest barrier to a business owner taking home a higher salary is often the team they employ.
More often than not in this industry, business owners are hustling to afford their team’s predictable, steady income, while the owner takes what’s left - after wages, rent, stock, admin and tax are paid.
And while a business owner's lifestyle of ‘popping in and out of the salon’ between errands with a fresh blow-wave might look glamorous from the outside, paying yourself last isn’t nearly as luxe as it seems.
Even casual employees (who may be earning $35–$40 an hour) can end up with more consistent income than the person signing their payslips.
Injectables = Income
The most consistently high-paying roles were those involving injectables or advanced dermal treatments.
A nurse/clinic owner earning $200K annually split her services 50/50 between injectables and dermal work
Another member noted it was “nearly impossible” to earn that kind of income from beauty or laser alone
So why is injectables such a profitable service?
High per-service pricing: Injectable treatments often start from $300–$600, reaching well into the thousands depending on volume and complexity
Repeat clients: Clients typically return every 3–6 months for top-ups or ongoing results-based care
Time efficiency: Compared to hour-long facials or body treatments, injectables can be delivered in a short timeframe with higher returns per appointment
Perceived value: Clients associate injectables with advanced, clinical outcomes - and are often more willing to invest regularly
If you're seeking higher income potential, upskilling or renting a room for advanced skin services (particularly injectables) appears to be the most direct path.
Education & Employment: Predictable, But Capped
Those in employed positions within education or government roles shared:
$96K as a government-employed beauty educator, with 12 weeks of annual leave
$70K base + $45K commission working in course sales for a private education provider
Within the education space, it’s worth distinguishing between different types of educators:
Type | Examples | Overview |
Independent Educator | Skin Education International, ASH’d, Melbourne Lashes | Educators delivering short courses or certifications either online or in-person. These professionals set their own pricing and often enjoy more flexibility, but carry marketing and delivery responsibilities. |
Institutional Educator | TAFE, Elly Lukas, The French Beauty Academy | Work within a government-supported or private registered training organisation delivering nationally recognised qualifications. Generally salaried with capped income and fixed hours. |
Brand/Company Educator | INSKIN Cosmedics, Professional Beauty Solutions | Educators linked to product suppliers or distributors, combining education with sales, business development, or client support. Some roles have sales targets or KPIs. |
Each avenue has its pros and limitations - from freedom and earning potential to structure, stability, and overheads.
The Expense Elephant in the Room
A major recurring theme was the confusion between turnover and profit.
One clinic owner shared an income of $43K from a $138K turnover, sparking this response:
“Something doesn’t add up… you need to look at where your money goes.”
Fellow professionals advised:
Raising prices
Auditing profitability per service
Understanding your margin—including your wage
More commentary from the thread included:
“If you’re not at 60–70%, you need to up your prices.”
“Put your prices up girl! I do it all the time. No one blinks an eye.”
Profit isn’t just about having clients. It’s about charging appropriately, managing overheads, and reviewing your numbers - regularly.
So, What’s the Real Benchmark?
Here’s a simplified (if you can call it that!) snapshot from the thread:
Role | Structure | Reported Income |
Solo Skin/Waxing (VIC) | Sole trader | $180K in 8 months |
Clinic Owner with Injectables | Owner | $200K annually |
Brow Studio Owner (Team) | Owner | $180K–$200K annually |
Home Clinic Owner | Solo | $43K from $138K turnover |
Government Educator (TAFE) | Employee | $96K + 12 weeks leave |
Course Consultant (Private) | Employee | $115K (base + commission) |
Clinic Owner (not on floor) | Owner | $35K per clinic |
Senior Skin Therapist | Employee | $100K |
Dermal Clinician | Employee | $90K gross @ $45/hour |
Clinic Manager / Owner (hybrid) | Owner + worker | $85K |
Sole Trader (Rural Victoria) | Solo | $70K after tax |
Salon Owner + Therapist | Owner + worker | $6K/month after tax |
But it’s not just individual insights that matter - accurate industry-wide data relies on proper classification.
That’s why there had been so much discussion in 2024 around the ANZSCO Classification (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) and OSCA (Occupational Skills Classification of Australia) which now officially replaces ANZSCO for use in Australia. This marks a pivotal step forward in how we record, recognise, and benchmark the professions that make up our industry.
The importance of correctly classifying your title cannot be overstated. Using standardised, nationally recognised job titles supports:
Accurate salary and income benchmarking
Workforce and skills tracking
Government support, training initiatives and immigration data
Recognition within broader healthcare and education frameworks
A Dermal-Specific Example: Advocacy in Action
One of the strongest examples of this in action comes from the Australian Society of Dermal Clinicians (ASDC). In the lead-up to the 2021 census, the ASDC encouraged its members to consistently self-identify using only one of two titles: Dermal Therapist or Dermal Clinician.
By doing this across their membership base and through formal census submissions, they created a cohesive, trackable data set.
As a direct result of that advocacy, "Dermal Therapist" was formally recognised as an occupation on 6 December 2024 - a major milestone that shows just how powerful aligned language and accurate classification can be.
Why this matters for our industry:
Right now, our industry suffers from inconsistent role titles, which equates to inconsistent salary and income, as you can see from the fluctuation in figures above. Everyone from facialists to dermal therapists, clinic coordinators to brow technicians is self-naming and charging what they think is relative to their title, experience and certification.
Without using clear, standardised titles recognised by OSCA (or self regulating - an entire kettle of fish in and of itself), we make it incredibly difficult to:
Accurately benchmark salaries
Track industry growth
Strengthen government recognition and funding pathways
Advocate for better wages, training support or policy change
If we want stronger data and a better understanding of what is normal for our industry salary-wise, we need to start using the correct occupational classifications - and stop reinventing the wheel with vague or inconsistent titles…then we need to speak the same industry language, because if it's confusing us, no wonder the government look at us and their heads spin!
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