Hairdressers, Beauticians and Related Workers

How to become a Manicurist

Also called: Nail technician, Pedicurist, Nail technician, Pedicurist

Manicurist cleans, shapes, and polishes finger or toe nails. He/she applies liquid polish-remover to take off old nail polish, files nails to shape, softens nail cuticles with lukewarm water and oil and pushes back cuticle of each nail with cuticle pusher. He/she trims cuticle with scissors or nippers, smooths edges with emery board, applies polish to nail with small brush and cleans and sterilises equipment.

Main tasks

Cleaning, shaping and polishing finger and toe-nails and treating minor ailments of the human foot such as corns, calluses or deformed toe-nails
Performing manicures and pedicures including decorative nail art, application of artificial nails, nail repair and other specialised hand and foot treatment
Providing advice and selling cosmetics and other beauty products
Arranging appointments and collecting payments

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $25,200 a year. The middle half earn $16,800 to $36,000 a year.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Questions people ask

How much does a Manicurist earn in Singapore?

Median full-time pay is $25,200 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $16,800 to $36,000.

Will AI change the work of a Manicurist?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026