Skincare specialists, often called estheticians, give facials and other face and body treatments, look at a client's skin and suggest a routine and products. Booking, reminders and product sales increasingly run through software, but the treatment itself happens in the chair.
The short answer: generative AI barely touches the hands-on part of this work. The ILO's 2025 index rates beauticians and related workers as not exposed, with a score of 0.18. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9 percent growth for skincare specialists from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 14,200 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed skincare specialists are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Beauticians and Related Workers | Not exposed | 0.18 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so this is the closest group for skincare specialists, not a score for the job title itself.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Skincare specialists | Grow 9% | About 14,200 |
The BLS projects employment to grow from 104,200 jobs in 2025 to 113,300 in 2035. It says many openings will come from replacing workers who change occupations or retire. Its outlook does not mention AI.
Where AI is helping
- Online booking, reminders and client records.
- Drafting treatment aftercare notes and social media posts.
- Answering routine questions about prices and opening hours.
What stays with skincare specialists
- Treatments: facials, peels and other hands-on services.
- Reading the skin: noticing reactions and adjusting a treatment as it happens.
- Client trust: repeat clients come back for a person, not a program.
- Checking AI help: generated skincare advice and product text can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Software takes on more of the front desk and marketing, while the treatment work and the client relationship stay with the specialist. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace hairdressers?, will AI replace massage therapists? and will AI replace fitness trainers?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for skincare specialists at $45,330 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: postsecondary nondegree award. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace estheticians?
Unlikely in the near term. The ILO rates beauticians as not exposed, and the BLS projects 9 percent growth for skincare specialists from 2025 to 2035.
How many skincare specialist jobs are there?
The BLS counts 104,200 jobs in 2025, projected to reach 113,300 in 2035.
How many openings are expected?
About 14,200 a year on average over the decade, according to the BLS.
What can AI do for an esthetician?
Mostly admin: booking, reminders, client records and drafting posts. The treatments stay hands-on.