First, pick your pay model
Most med spas pay estheticians one of three ways: a flat hourly or salary, straight commission on services and products, or a hybrid (a lower base plus commission). Each has a trade-off. Hourly is predictable for you and them but doesn't reward hustle. Straight commission rewards production but feels unstable to staff. The hybrid — a modest base they can count on, plus commission that rewards the months they crush it — is what keeps the best people without blowing up your margins.
Why underpaying costs more than it saves
A great esthetician builds a book of regulars who follow them. When they leave because the pay was thin, you don't just lose them — you lose the clients who rebooked because of them, plus the time and money to hire and train a replacement. Turnover is one of the most expensive line items in this business, and it's almost always cheaper to pay well and keep someone than to keep replacing people.
The right number isn't the lowest one they'll accept. It's the one where they stay, produce, and don't spend their shifts browsing job listings.
Run your actual numbers
Ranges only get you so far, because your rent, your service prices, and your commission split all change the math. Plug in your real numbers and see what a given pay package actually does to your margin — and what it would take to keep someone happy and profitable at the same time.
Run your esthetician pay numbers (free)