| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Apply undercoat and clear or colored polish onto nails with brush. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Advise clients on nail care and use of products and colors. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Assess the condition of clients' hands, remove dead skin, and massage hands. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Remove previously applied nail polish, using liquid remover and swabs. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Prepare customers' nails in soapy water, using swabs, files, and orange sticks. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Shape and smooth ends of nails, using scissors, files, or emery boards. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Clean and sanitize tools and work environment. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Prepare nail cuticles with water and oil, using cuticle knives to push back cuticles and scissors or nippers to trim cuticles. |
| Importance: 93 (%) | Description: Promote and sell nail care products. |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Extend nails using powder, solvent, and paper forms attached to tips of customers' fingers to support and shape artificial nails. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Maintain supply inventories and records of client services. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Polish nails, using powdered polish and buffer. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Treat nails to repair or improve strength and resilience by wrapping. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Schedule client appointments and accept payments. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Decorate clients' nails by piercing or attaching ornaments or designs. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Use rotary abrasive wheels to shape and smooth nails or artificial extensions. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Roughen surfaces of fingernails, using abrasive wheel. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Whiten underside of nails with white paste or pencils. |
Associate Degree Entry Level Careers and Jobs
Explore Careers and Jobs Predominantly Filled by Those with an Associate's Degree or Less, having 1 year or less of work experience - All On One Page
Sorted by median annual U.S. salary, including % with Associate's Degree (or less), and % with 1 year experience (or less).
These entry-level roles are open to associate's degree graduates and offer a practical starting point for building experience and advancing. For recent graduates or career changers seeking their first role with a two-year degree. Compare starting salaries and degree-holder percentages, then access preparation resources built for new graduates.
Here is a short Helper Video
.
This page will take you through 4 steps, relative to an Associate's Degree, to (1) Select an entry-level career, (2) Find active job listings, (3) Prepare for the career you chose, and (4) Provide web resources specific to the career you chose.
Step 1: Select a Career: You will be presented with a listing of Associate's Degree entry-level careers. The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of careers below
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply browse the list of careers. There may be many that you might never have considered. This may help you to discover entry-level careers that might be of interest.
Once you have identified a career of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the career you selected. Information includes core and supplemental duties, general and specific work activities, knowledge required, essential and transferable skills required, day-in-the-life summaries, knowledge required, software skills required, preparation required, educational requirements, training and work experience required, local salary information, certifications, professional associations, current job listings for the job selected along with multiple similar job titles, and related careers (related to what they do, what they know, and what they're called).
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that will provide detailed (updated) links to occupational information specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career
Leading Books About Associate Degree Jobs ![]()
What entry level jobs can you get with just an Associate's Degree? Scroll through the picklist (below). These are entry level careers (1 year or less work experience) related to the Associate's Degree level, with at least 30% of job holders having an Associate's Degree. - 426 specific careers are listed. Select those careers that may be of interest - you will then get links to matching active job listings, and detailed resources to help you prepare.
You can use this form two ways:
1) Enter a Keyword - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the listing to those occupations that contain the keyword entered
2) Browse the list (Don't enter a keyword) - You can simply browse the list of occupations. There may be many that you might never have considered. This may help you to discover jobs that might be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title - Sorted by Annual Salary -(scroll and Select) :
Legend: Career Title Link / (% having Associate's Degree or less) / (% having less than 1 year experience) / (Median Annual U.S. Salary)
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Job Listings for: Manicurists and Pedicurists.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Prepare for the "Manicurists and Pedicurists" Career
The details below will provide a pathway to your specific job goal and help you to identify an appropriate career ladder.
Description: Clean and shape customers' fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Manicurists and Pedicurists":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
123,000U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
163,100
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
40,100 (32.6%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
18,800
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. |
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Administer therapeutic massages. | |
| Assess skin or hair conditions. | |
| Clean tools or equipment. | |
| Maintain client information or service records. | |
| Maintain supply or equipment inventories. | |
| Promote products, services, or programs. | |
| Provide medical or cosmetic advice for clients. | |
| Schedule appointments. | |
| Sell products or services. | |
| Treat nails by shaping, decorating, or augmenting. | |
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Administer therapeutic treatments. |
| Activity: Advise patients or clients on medical issues. |
| Activity: Apply hygienic or cosmetic agents to skin or hair. |
| Activity: Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas. |
| Activity: Evaluate patient or client condition or treatment options. |
| Activity: Maintain operational records. |
| Activity: Promote products, services, or programs. |
| Activity: Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products. |
| Activity: Schedule appointments. |
| Activity: Sell products or services. |
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Office suite software: |
| Microsoft Office software |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| Web page creation and editing software: |
| General Software Tools |
| Calendar and scheduling software: |
| Appointment Search AppointmentQuest Online Appointment Scheduler DaySmart Software Appointment-Plus |
| Customer relationship management CRM software: |
| Customer information databases |
| Data base user interface and query software: |
| Aknaf ADVANTAGE Salon Software and Spa Software DaySmart Software Salon Iris |
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed |
| Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. |
| Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. |
| These occupations involve following instructions and often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include dishwashers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, counter and rental clerks, dental laboratory technicians, and security guards. |
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 49.2 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 35.8 (%) | Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma |
| Frequency of Attainment: 14.8 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.3 (%) | Level of Education: Some College Courses |
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 33.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 27.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 18.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 16.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 3.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.3 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated)
This section contains detailed resources appropriate to "Manicurists and Pedicurists". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Manicurists and Pedicurists
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
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