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Esthetician schools in North Carolina

North Carolina has 24 accredited campuses awarding esthetics credentials. If you finish and work as a skincare specialist in North Carolina, expect to start around $25,570–$27,610 and reach a median of $39,120 with experience; the top quarter earn $57,000 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, North Carolina). Graduates of these North Carolina programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $18,055 in their first year, against $20,883 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.

What skincare specialists earn in North Carolina

$25,570starting (10th percentile)
$27,610early career (25th)
$39,120median, all experience
$57,000experienced (75th)
$96,660top earners (90th)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 2,680 employed in North Carolina. National median: $45,330.

Campuses in North Carolina, ranked by what their graduates earned

24campuses in North Carolina
926credentials awarded / yr
$18,055median earnings, yr 1 (North Carolina)
$20,883median earnings, yr 1 (U.S.)

Cities: AshevilleChapel HillDallasDurhamFayettevilleFlat RockGrahamGrantsboroGreensboroMarionMorehead CityMurphyNew BernRaleighSalisburySanfordShelbySpindaleStatesvilleTarboroThomasvilleWilmington

CampusCityTypeGrads / yrEarnings, yr 1Program debtCompletionCost / yr
Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill for-profit 112 $21,282 $6,333 82% $25,246
Wake Technical Community College Raleigh Public 64 $21,232 $8,048 33% not reported
Central Carolina Community College Sanford Public 46 $21,186 not reported 43% not reported
Elevate Salon Institute Durham for-profit 41 $20,058 $6,333 not reported not reported
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Asheville Public 22 $19,902 not reported 40% not reported
Mitchell Community College Statesville Public 34 $18,257 not reported 28% not reported
Health And Style Institute Greensboro for-profit 247 $17,854 $8,444 not reported not reported
College of Wilmington Wilmington for-profit 18 $16,095 $13,666 15% $26,512
Leons Beauty School Inc Greensboro for-profit 36 $15,889 not reported 96% $10,311
Cleveland Community College Shelby Public 17 $11,762 not reported 32% not reported
Carteret Community College Morehead City Public 20 $9,747 not reported 49% not reported
Cape Fear Community College Wilmington Public 59 not reported not reported 35% not reported
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Salisbury Public 39 not reported not reported 35% not reported
Edgecombe Community College Tarboro Public 37 not reported not reported 37% not reported
Davidson-Davie Community College Thomasville Public 33 not reported not reported 46% not reported
Gaston College Dallas Public 27 not reported not reported 63% not reported
Isothermal Community College Spindale Public 17 not reported not reported 56% not reported
Craven Community College New Bern Public 12 not reported not reported 48% not reported
Blue Ridge Community College Flat Rock Public 9 not reported not reported 50% not reported
McDowell Technical Community College Marion Public 9 not reported not reported 48% not reported
Pamlico Community College Grantsboro Public 8 not reported not reported 54% not reported
Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville Public 7 not reported not reported 24% not reported
Tri-County Community College Murphy Public 7 not reported not reported 54% not reported
Alamance Community College Graham Public 5 not reported not reported 39% not reported

Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.

Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.

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