GROWTH OF THE SPA INDUSTRY
People like to look and feel their best. The market for estheticians and hair stylists has always been strong, but it has risen to a new level in recent years with a profound shift toward more holistic health and beauty approaches. Beyond just a haircut and a quick facial, more women – and men – are looking for a time-out, an escape and an opportunity to pamper themselves.
The salon, spa and beauty industries have become an antidote to the fast-paced lifestyles of the information age. Formerly “alternative” health treatments, like massage therapy and acupuncture, are enjoying mainstream success. And with salons and spas for almost every budget, the self-care trend is not limited to the super-rich. Ordinary people are getting “mani-pedis” on their lunch breaks and detoxification body wraps at their local day spas.
All this translates into tremendous growth for salons and spas. The spa, massage and beauty industry is booming like never before, making today a great time to join the industry.
Learn how recent spa growth has made the salon, spa and beauty industries very promising professions:
There is an increasing number of spas and spa-goers...
- There were approximately 14,857 spas in the United States in August 2009, up from 10,128 in April 2004.
- About 80 percent of these spas are day spas. Only 9 percent are resort and hotel spas.
- The number of day spas in the U.S. doubled in just two years from 4,389 in 2002 to 8,734 in 2004. By 2006, that number had risen to 10,988.
- Americans made 154 million visits to spas in 2008, up from 109 million in 2003, and that rate continues to grow in 2010, despite the economy.
- There are 32.2 million active spa-goers in the U.S.
- About 31 percent of U.S. spa-goers are men, inspiring a trend for male spas.
Revenue continues to rise in the spa industry...
- The U.S. spa industry generated $11.2 billion in 2009, up from $7 million in 2003.
- The salon industry as a whole grosses about $72 billion per year.
- The spa industry is the fourth largest leisure industry in the United States.
- The fastest growing segment of the spa industry is the medical spa – or medspa – where patients are supervised by medical professionals and can receive cosmetic surgery and diagnostic testing, as well as spa treatments. There are more than 915 medspas in the U.S., representing 7 percent of the total number of spas.
There is a higher demand for spa and salon professionals...
- Approximately 267,000 individuals were employed in the spa industry as of August 2006.
- There are over 310,000 beauty salons, barber shops, skin care salons and nail salons in the U.S., employing more than 1.6 million professionals.
- Between 1999 and 2003, the total number of salon professionals grew by 24 percent, and it's still increasing today.
In response to spa and salon growth, there is a high demand for spa and beauty professionals. According to NACCAS, the average salon income, including tips, is $30,000 to $50,000 per year, but there are salon and beauty professionals who make upwards of six figures. You also need to check the beauty and massage therapy licensing, exams and state boards in the state where you want to practice. If you aspire to a career where your skills and expertise can positively influence people’s lives, a career in the spa and beauty industry may be right for you.
