Accredited online and on-campus courses from leading Australian universities, TAFEs and colleges
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About Beauty Therapy
You'll become
Average Salaries
Beauty Therapy workers may earn between $32,000 and $57,000 per year
Build an exciting new career working closely with people by studying a beauty therapy course.
You’re seeking a career working closely with people to solve problems and improve wellbeing. Studying a rewarding and exciting beauty therapy course may be for you.
Working closely with clients to conduct beauty consultations and apply beauty treatments, graduates of beauty therapy courses provide a wide range of services aimed at helping people look and feel their best. Working as a beauty therapist, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of people, and use your unique skillset to build people’s confidence.
By studying a beauty therapy course, you’ll build the essential theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to stand out in a competitive work environment, and provide recognised services your clients can trust.
You may study beauty therapy as a certificate, diploma or advanced diploma course, or choose to study beauty therapy as part of a bachelor’s degree in health science, naturopathy or massage therapy. After completing a beauty therapy course, you’ll likely work as a beauty therapist or spa assistant, working in a private or salon setting.
In addition to building critical beauty skills in a beauty therapy course, you’ll also develop your ability to manage a range of small business practises, setting you up for a rewarding and exciting career. You can expect to learn essential skills in financial management, people management, strategic decision-making, and organisation and time management while working in beauty therapy.
If you thrive when working with people and are seeking a rewarding hands-on career, working in beauty therapy is for you.
What do beauty therapy graduates do?
As a beauty therapist, you can expect to perform tasks like:
- Consulting with clients to analyse skin characteristics and conditions;
- Advising clients on suitable skin care routines, treatments and make-up and beauty applications;
- Applying general cosmetic and corrective make-up to clients;
- Applying manicures and pedicures, including decorative nail art;
- Applying artificial nails, performing nail repair, and conducting other specialised hand and foot treatments;
- Performing facial and body treatments, including facials and massages;
- Performing skin treatments, including microdermabrasion;
- Treating unwanted hair through waxing, bleaching, tinting, depilation and electrolysis;
- Evaluating beauty therapy processes and products;
- Scheduling, receiving and organising appointments and bookings;
- Maintaining client records;
- Scheduling and booking appointments, and managing time and appointments;
- Conducting client interactions and customer service; and
- Providing advice on and selling cosmetic and other beauty products.
Career Outcomes
Career Outcomes
As your career progresses, you may take the opportunity to work in a more senior role. Job opportunities for beauty therapists later in their careers include opportunities working as a spa manager, salon manger or massage therapist.
After completing a beauty therapy course, you’ll likely seek employment as a beauty or spa therapist, working in private practise or in a larger salon or beauty clinic setting. You may seek work as a:
Is beauty therapy right for you?
You’ll enjoy working in beauty therapy if you:
- Thrive when working with people
- Can work well independently
- Have strong time management and organisational skills
- Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Enjoy detailed work
- Can manage multiple priorities at once
- Have excellent customer service skills
- Have an interest in beauty and wellness
Job opportunities
The Australian Government’s Job Outlook reports that the beauty therapy sector in Australia is large and growing. Currently employing approximately 28,100 people, the sector has been growing strongly for the last 10 years, and is projected to continue growing rapidly until at least 2020. Job Outlook predicts approximately 36,100 people will be employed as beauty therapists in Australia by 2020.
Although the size of the profession indicates job opportunities in event management are available in all areas of Australia, Job Outlook notes opportunities are concentrated in New South Wales and Victoria, with nearly two in three event managers working in those states.
Average Salaries
PayScale reports that graduates of beauty therapy courses can expect to earn a salary between $32,000 and $57,000 per year, with an average industry salary of approximately $48,000 per year.
PayScale reports that a beauty therapist can expect their average annual salary to increase in the first five years of their career, with average earnings jumping from approximately $46,000 per year to approximately $51,000 per year in a practitioner’s first five years. Earning potential stabilises after this, with no positive relationship existing between experience and earning capacity further into a beauty therapy career.