Esthetician Schools in Virginia

If you love the idea of becoming a skin care professional and are considering going to esthetician school in Virginia, browse our directory of esthetician schools, or skip ahead to learn about the state's esthetician licensing requirements and job outlook.

Browse All Esthetician Schools in Virginia

For School Owners

Don't see your school listed? Want to discuss becoming a featured school in the directory? Contact us to learn more.

10130-A Colvin Run Road Suites A and B
Great Falls, VA 22066

(703) 759-2700
Programs:
Cosmetology, Esthetics, Massage Therapy, Electrology, Teacher Training

671 North Glebe Road Suite 1280
Arlington, VA 22203

(571) 366-4809
Programs:
Cosmetology, Esthetics, Teacher Training

932 Ventures Way
Chesapeake, VA 23320

(757) 549-2121
Programs:
Esthetics, Massage Therapy

3700 Candlers Mountain Road Unit 68
Lynchburg, VA 24502

(434) 385-7722
Programs:
Cosmetology, Esthetics, Barbering, Massage Therapy
Ad

Find Cosmetology Schools Near You

Academy of Esthetics – Accredited

5900 Fort Drive Suite 202
Centreville, VA 20121

Aesthetics Academy of Virginia – Accredited

21165 Whitfield Place Suite 102
Sterling, VA 20165

Alure Hair Academy – Accredited

1020 East Main Street Suite H
Purcellville, VA 20132

American Spirit Institute - Richmond – Accredited

1624 East Parham Road
Richmond, VA 23228

American Spirit Institute - Williamsburg – Accredited

368 Mclaws Circle
Williamsburg, VA 23185

American Spirit Institute – Accredited

221 Carlton Road
Charlottesvle, VA 22902

Anna Beauty Academy

778 23rd Street South
Arlington, VA 22202

Belle Sante School Of Esthetics – Accredited

1906 Electric Road
Roanoke, VA 24018

Beyond Beauty Academy – Accredited

2508 Build America Drive
Hampton, VA 23666

Blue Ridge School Of Esthetics – Accredited

10 East Beverley Street
Staunton, VA 24401

Cedar Stone School Of Massage – Accredited

1834 South Main Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Cosmopolitan Beauty and Tech School – Accredited

4201 John Marr Drive 206
Annandale, VA 22003

Crown Cutz Academy Bristol – Accredited

805 Commonwealth Avenue
Bristol, VA 24201

Dermal Science International Aesthetics and Nail Academy – Accredited

11425 Isaac Newton Square South Suite 200
Reston, VA 20190

Eastern Virginia Career College – Accredited

10304 Spotsylvania Avenue Suite 400
Fredericksburg, VA 22408

Hues Aesthetic Institute – Accredited

4 Penningcroft Lane
Fredericksburg, VA 22406

Infinity Beauty Academy – Accredited

13874 Metrotech Drive
Chantilly, VA 20151

Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics – Accredited

405 England Street
Ashland, VA 23005

LB Beauty Academy – Accredited

3114 West Marshall Street Suite A
Richmond, VA 23230

Le Arai Beauty & Barber Academy – Accredited

8630 Lee Highway Suite J
Farifax, VA 22031

Lilique Training Institute – Accredited

3609D Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22030

Lotus School of Integrated Professions – Accredited

8935 Patterson Avenue
Richmond, VA 23229

Miracle Beauty & Nails Academy – Accredited

3420 Holland Road Suites 102 and 112
Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Naturally Yours Barber & Beauty Salon – Accredited

8014 Midlothian Turnpike Suite 311 North
Chesterfield, VA 23235

Neroli Skin Care – Accredited

1880 Howard Avenue Suite 203
Vienna, VA 22182

Nova Derm Institute – Accredited

19450 Deerfield Avenue Suite 325
Leesburg, VA 20176

Nova Laser And Esthestic Training – Accredited

2785 Jefferson Davis Highway Suite 113
Stafford, VA 22554

Paulette de Paris, International Beauty Academy – Accredited

8229 Boone Boulevard Suite 120
Vienna, VA 22182

Skin Care Institute – Accredited

8403 Richmond Highway Suite G
Alexandria, VA 22309

Spectrum Beauty Academy – Accredited

25 South Quaker Lane Suite 15
Alexandria, VA 22314

Sugaring House Beauty Academy – Accredited

46050 Manekin Plaza Suite 120
Sterling, VA 20165

T Lynn Beauty Academy

6580 Valley Center Drive Suite 157
Radford, VA 24141

The Chrysm Insitute of Esthetics – Accredited

208 Golden Oak Court Suite 200
Virginia Beach, VA 23452

The Esthetic Institute – Accredited

8381 Old Courthouse Road Suite 200
Vienna, VA 22182

The Institute of Epidermal Cell Therapy – Accredited

445 North Battlefield Boulevard Suite O
Chesapeake, VA 23320

Winks Esthetics Academy – Accredited

3232 Tidewater Drive
Norfolk, VA 23509

Fast Track Health Care Education – Accredited

105 Poplar Avenue
Salem, VA 24153
Accredited School

You must attend a school that meets any licensure requirements as defined by your state. Most states require that you graduate from an accredited or state-approved school.

Esthetician Schools Near Me

Check out the Esthetics/Skin Care schools these cities in Virginia have to offer.

How to Become a Esthetician in Virginia

Virginia Esthetician Careers At a Glance
  • 600 education hours or 2,000 apprentice hours are required to become licensed.
  • You must renew your license every 2 years.
  • 0 continuing education hours are required to renew your license.
  • The average salary for estheticians in Virginia is $37,130.
  • There is a predicted 17% job increase between 2018–2028 for estheticians.

To work as an esthetician in Virginia, you’ll need to complete relevant training at an esthetician school in Virginia (or transfer your license from another state) and meet a few basic conditions. You must:

  • Have completed 600 hours of training in an approved training program or a 2,000-hour registered apprenticeship.
  • Pass a written and practical exam.
  • Pay fees for practical and written testing, plus an application fee (around $280-300 in total).
  • Renew your license every two years.
  • Submit a Criminal Conviction Reporting Form if you have a criminal conviction. A conviction won’t automatically prevent you from working as an esthetician, but the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology will evaluate applicants on a case-by-case basis.
  • Wait up to 30 days to receive your license.

Esthetician Salary in Virginia and Projected Job Growth

$37,130

Average yearly salary for esthetics in Virginia

The average salary for Virginia estheticians, is $37,130 per year or $17.85 per hour as of 2021. Virginia esthetician salaries range from approximately $20,000 to $57,000 per year, dependent on experience, location, and services offered.

Much of the variation in salary is due to whether you work in a city or rural area. The cost of living around Washington, DC, and Richmond, VA, for instance, is higher than in smaller towns. The salaries there tend to be higher, but so does the cost of living.

The highest-paying metro areas for estheticians in Virginia are:

Metro Area 2021 Median Salary
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $44,600
Charlottesville, VA $31,170
Richmond, VA $30,730
Roanoke, VA $28,770

Table information sourced from O*Net (2021)

Employment for Virginia estheticians is projected to grow by 17% through 2028. While this predicted growth isn’t as high as in the U.S. as a whole (29%), it’s still clear there’s a demand for good, qualified estheticians in the state.

What to Expect From an Esthetician Program in Virginia

600 Education Hours OR 2,000 Apprentice Hours

Required to earn a esthetics license

To work as an esthetician in Virginia, you’ll need to complete 600 hours of training at a state-approved beauty school. The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) keeps a list of licensed esthetics schools in the state.

While the timing and breakdown of esthetics courses may vary slightly, they generally include units on the following topics:

  • Business management
  • Laws and regulations
  • Bacteriology, dermatology, anatomy, and physiology
  • Skin structure, function, types, and conditions
  • Health screening
  • Skin analysis and consultation
  • Cleansing procedures
  • Masks
  • Extraction techniques
  • Machines, equipment, and electricity
  • Manual facials
  • Makeup application
  • Body wraps, masks, and scrubs
  • Hair removal

Any business offering cosmetology services in Virginia must be licensed, and everyone working with clients within that business must have individual licenses.

Can I Apprentice as an Esthetician in Virginia?

In Virginia, you can obtain your license by completing an apprenticeship. Since being an esthetician is a practical job, an apprenticeship may be appealing if you’re a hands-on person.

Apprenticeships in esthetics and master esthetics both take 2,000 on-the-job hours over one year, along with appropriate related technical instruction. Apprentices must be at least 16 years old.

Virginia Esthetician Licensing Requirements

After completing a course or apprenticeship, you’ll need to take written and practical exams to work as an esthetician in Virginia. There are separate tests for esthetician and master esthetician licensing, with both written and practical components. The fee is around $80-90 per exam, and you must pass both parts of the test to get your license.

To access the application forms to sit the exam, download them online. You can complete them online or print them out and mail them to the correct address. Applicants must take the tests in person but scheduling your exams via the website is more efficient.

Written esthetician exams are offered in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean. Practical exams are only in English. If you need to apply for ADA accommodations, you can do so online. You’ll need to provide documentation from a medical authority or learning institution.

On the test day, bring a government-approved ID and arrive 30 minutes early. The theory exam is on a computer, and you’ll get up to 15 minutes to practice before you get to the real questions. It’s a multiple-choice test with sections on scientific concepts and skin care services.

For the practical exam, wear professional clothing as you would when working in a salon. You’ll have to demonstrate a series of procedures on a model and/or a mannequin. PSI, the test administrator, provides detailed information about both the written and practical exams.

If you fail the test the first time, you can retake it an unlimited number of times within one year. If you’re unable to make it to your scheduled exam time, you can reschedule without having to pay another fee as long as you cancel more than two days before the test.

You’ll receive your unofficial pass/fail scorecard immediately after the test. You need a minimum of 75 to pass the theory exam. If you fail, you’ll receive a summary of your strengths and weaknesses so you know what to work on. You’ll receive the official scorecard in the mail ten days after the test, at which point you can send your license payment to the VA Board. You’ll receive your license about 30 days later.

Virginia Esthetician Licensure Reciprocity

If you hold a current esthetician license from another U.S. state or territory, you can transfer your license to Virginia by submitting an Endorsement Application. To be approved, your prior training must be roughly equivalent to that of Virginia in terms of length, the number of hours, and content. You’ll need to pay a fee of $95 for a reciprocal license.

Active-duty military personnel and spouses can receive temporary 12-month licenses while working to meet Virginia requirements and get help covering the cost of license transfers.

Esthetician Specialties in Virginia

After earning your esthetician license, you can complete 600 more hours of training (or a 2,000-hour apprenticeship) to become a master esthetician in Virginia. Licensed master estheticians can perform more advanced skin care procedures, including:

  • Chemical peels
  • Microdermabrasion
  • Lymphatic drainage

You can also train to become a wax technician in Virginia, which takes 115 hours.

License Renewal

2 Years

License renewal period

0 Hours

Continuing education required

Esthetician licenses in Virginia must be renewed every two years. You can renew online or by mail by the end of the month your original license was issued. There’s a 30-day grace period if you forget, although you will receive a reminder.

There are currently no continuing education requirements for esthetician license renewal in Virginia.

Contact the Virginia State Board of Cosmetology

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation

Resources for Estheticians in Virginia

Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology
The VA state board site provides information and resources about esthetics licensing, laws and regulations, forms and applications, and more.

Summary of Virginia Licensing Requirements
This easy-to-read chart summarizes licensing requirements for various cosmetology professions, including esthetician and master esthetician.

Virginia State Association of Skin Care Professionals
The state association advocates for skin care specialists by upholding Virginia’s licensing guidelines and regulations.

Commercial_Combo_Program-Career-Geo
Esthetics/Skin Care
Virginia

How to Become a Esthetician in Your State