Career Training Path
Students training in a nail tech program

Career Training PathNail technician schools › Kentucky

Nail technician schools in Kentucky

Kentucky has 6 accredited campuses awarding nail tech credentials. If you finish and work as a nail technician in Kentucky, expect to start around $31,480–$32,440 and reach a median of $45,310 with experience; the top quarter earn $47,670 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Kentucky). Graduates of these Kentucky programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $16,764 in their first year, against not reported nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.

What manicurists and pedicurists earn in Kentucky

$31,480starting (10th percentile)
$32,440early career (25th)
$45,310median, all experience
$47,670experienced (75th)
$65,430top earners (90th)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 240 employed in Kentucky. National median: $35,760.

Campuses in Kentucky, ranked by what their graduates earned

6campuses in Kentucky
77credentials awarded / yr
$16,764median earnings, yr 1 (Kentucky)
not reportedmedian earnings, yr 1 (U.S.)

Cities: Bowling GreenGlasgowLexingtonManchesterPaintsville

CampusCityTypeGrads / yrEarnings, yr 1Program debtCompletionCost / yr
PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow Glasgow for-profit 4 $17,502 $15,286 67% $33,168
Summit Salon Academy-Lexington Lexington for-profit 24 $16,764 $7,917 55% $18,701
PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green Bowling Green for-profit 22 $16,566 $7,917 64% $30,528
Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education Lexington non-profit 21 not reported $14,089 63% $26,784
Edge Academy of Beauty Manchester for-profit 5 not reported not reported not reported $20,565
South Eastern Beauty Academy Paintsville for-profit 1 not reported not reported 41% $12,266

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.

The Path
Lineworkers earn $95k. Dental hygienists $98k. Barbers $38k.
The federal numbers on every trade, technical and healthcare career, in a free weekly newsletter.
Subscribe →

Other trades in Kentucky

All trade and career schools in Kentucky →

The Path
Nine months to a paycheck that AI can't take.
A free weekly newsletter for people choosing a hands-on career: trades, technical and healthcare.
Subscribe →