Qualifications required
Basic manicurist/pedicurist training is required prior to becoming a Nail Tech. NVQs, BTEC, ITEC, VCTC and CIBTAC are some of the different courses available, but these may not give you the in-depth knowledge you need to become a skilled Nail Tech, so don't stop there.
The National Careers Service is a government website that gives information on colleges that run these courses.
Rules and regs
It is not currently a legal requirement to be a certified nail technician in order to practise nail services (crazy, right?), however, other considerations are needed, such as: Hygiene & Sanitation - Habia (who Caroline mentions) has a Health & Safety pack to support you with best practice.
All salons must also abide by the Health and Safety Act 1974.
Council Approval - Your local council may require you to have a Special Treatment licence, which is on average £500 per annum. Check your council's requirements here.
Under the London Local Authorities Act 1991 all London premises (commercial or private address) offering special treatments must have a massage and special treatment licence.
Liability insurance is a MUST and can vary in depth and price, but it is usually around £100 per annum and can be provided by a variety of insurance providers. Direct Line provide a Nail Technician insurance, as an FYI.
Remuneration framework
A self-employed nail technician can earn anything from £100 to £500 (yep!) per day, depending on skill, reputation, and of course location. This equates to a salary band (before costs and tax) of £26,000 to a whopping £130,000 per year (based on working 5 days a week).
… For example, as a beginner if you charge £25 per set and do 4 sets a day, for 5 days a week you would earn £500 per week and £26,000 per year (again excluding costs and tax). However, lots of nail artists do more than 4 sets a day and can work evenings and weekends to fit in even more sets per week. And of course, remember there is flex here, if you’re going on holiday or need some extra cash, work more hours and then take a break after… It’s your time and your money to manage in a way that works for you.
As Caroline (a highly experienced nail tech and artist) says, she now charges at least £32 per set, and this can go up to £40 depending on the level of artwork involved (she does some crazy technical stuff). Of course, the longer the artwork takes the less ‘sets’ of nails you can get through in a day, so as always, do your cost calculations well to make sure you’re earning what you need.
Generally speaking, earnings are very dependent on a range of issues, including reputation (including social following/level of notoriety), the nail tech's client base, and the location of the studio from which they work (i.e. London techs would theoretically charge more than northern artists, due to increased rates of business).
How to get started
Colleges all over the UK will have courses, for you to get your basic qualifications. However, to gain a Nail tech qualification, many people use private educators. When going down this path, always ensure that the courses and education provider are fully accredited. The leading accrediting body in the UK is Associated Beauty Therapists (ABT) therefore look for courses offering an ABT accreditation.
Habia (the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority) are UK Government recognised and have endorsed courses by industry leaders in nail beauty, such as CND & Jessica.
Sweet Squared (as endorsed by Caroline!) are based in Leeds and run courses via their Academy 2 training programme, which are both on demand & in person. Their courses can be found here.
CND, who Caroline trained with, is commonly recognised as the nail industry’s most trusted brand and has led the way in professional nail care for over 40 years. CND™ research, develop, formulate and test all of its products in a state-of-the-art R&D facility in the U.S.A, ensuring that all global regulations, of the highest standard, are met. Sweet Squared (above) offers CND endorsed courses, but you can find other CND courses nearer to where you live.
NCT (Nail Technician Courses) are ABT accredited and they have academies all over the UK. Their 3 day in person practical Complete Nail Technician course costs £399.
While you are training, make yourself known at beauticians and salons you would like to work at. Even offer to do some work experience for free. Showing willing and showing a good work ethic really does go a long way in this industry.
A good knowledge of the industry can be gained via some hefty online research. Plus, there are lots of great social accounts to follow - as in LOTS! Some of our suggestions are:
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@drybylondon are a great high-end London-based account to follow (lots of celebs and influencers frequent it)
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Florida based @nailz_by_dev have a huge insta following
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@emilygilmor.nails do a lot of celeb work
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@cndworld is the home of CND
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@apresnailofficial is the home of Gel-X
Others...
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@nailchampion_
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@nailedbytav
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@naileditbychelsey
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@nailedbycleo
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@nailchark
.. Don’t forget to find and follow your local tattoo artists also; support local business!
Associations or official bodies to register with
The Federation of Nail Professionals (The FNP) is a not-for-profit organisation created in 2020 by a collective of industry experts who recognised that the nail industry had no professional body to represent them. As the only dedicated voice of nail professionals in the United Kingdom, The FNP will formally represent after our members interests and work in collaboration with other industry bodies to this end.
Job site links
Nail technician jobs are advertised in all the usual places online, and will likely be advertised through whatever training centre you use also. Be sure to register with job sites and local recruitment firms to receive alerts:
Progression pathway
Many nail technicians start working within a salon environment, but by growing your client base you could easily look to open your own salon, on your own terms.
Once you're experienced enough, you could have a go at running training courses in certain areas of nail art and nail hygiene, alongside your day-to-day work. If you wish to become a Nail Tech tutor you will need to complete a Level 3 Award in Education and Training, details of where to study can be found here.
Finally, if you’re really good, like Caroline, there are options to become ambassadors for nail art companies, like Caroline is. This association can either remunerate via payment or via free product (which you can use to bring your costs down).
... A highly professional and well populated (and well followed) set of social accounts, particularly Instagram, is key to achieving such partnerships, so please bear that in mind and make sure you have the gear you need to create good, solid, regular content; i.e. a good phone to film/take pics on, a ring light for extra definition and some interchangeable table or shelf backgrounds (i.e. coloured paper) to shoot against.