Nail salons in California: 7,296 locations, +5.7% jobs
Official counts for nail salons in California, 2026 Q1: how many there are, whether they are adding jobs, what they pay, and how California compares with the other states. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, refreshed each quarter.
California against the country · 2026 Q1
| California | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Nail salons with employees | 7,296 | 34,585 |
| Per 100,000 residents | 18.5 | 10.2 |
| Jobs | 40,190 | 154,394 |
| Jobs, year over year | +5.7% | +2.1% |
| Locations, year over year | +6.5% | +2.3% |
| Average weekly wage | $427 | $500 |
| Rank among states, density | 4 of 50 | |
| Rank among states, job growth | 12 of 50 |
What the numbers say
California has 7,296 nail salons with payroll, employing 40,190 people. At 18.5 per 100,000 residents the market is denser than the country as a whole, number 4 among the 50 states with published data. Jobs grew +5.7% over the year, ahead of the national +2.1%.
Average pay at nail salons in California is $427 a week, 15% below the national figure of $500. Budget labor from this number, not from a national guide.
Over five years, from 2021 to 2025, the number of nail salons in California moved +16.1%, from 6,058 to 7,035.
Nail salons in California, annual average
- 20216,058
- 20226,333
- 20236,504
- 20246,700
- 20257,035
Jobs at nail salons in California
- 202127,727
- 202235,938
- 202336,991
- 202437,734
- 202539,881
What counts as nail salons here
Nail salons: manicures, pedicures and nail enhancements as the primary service. The code is NAICS 812113. BLS counts establishments that report payroll, so a one-person business with no employees is not in these figures; in trades with many solo operators the true number of businesses is higher.
Before you open one in California
A statewide figure tells you which way the wind blows. It does not tell you whether the corner you are looking at has the households, the income and the gap in competition to support one more. A counts the nail salons within reach of one address in California, reads the county trend from the same BLS table, and scores the plan. The saturation check does a city-level version for free.
Questions people ask
How many nail salons are there in California?
BLS counted 7,296 nail salons with employees in California in 2026 Q1, employing 40,190 people. Owner-only businesses with no payroll are not in that count. That is 18.5 per 100,000 residents, against 10.2 nationally.
Are nail salons growing in California?
Yes. Jobs at nail salons in California changed +5.7% over the year to 2026 Q1, and the number of locations changed +6.5%. That ranks California 12 of 50 states for job growth in this business type. Over five years the location count moved +16.1%.
Is California a crowded market for nail salons?
California has 18.5 nail salons per 100,000 residents, denser than the country as a whole, ranking 4 of 50 states. Density is a statewide average; a Neur report counts the competitors around one address.
Nail salons in every state
Densest first. The number is nail salons per 100,000 residents in 2026 Q1.
Other business types in California
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private sector, NAICS 812113, 2026 Q1 (quarterly) and annual averages (five-year series); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year population estimates. This page is generated from those feeds and rewritten when a new quarter publishes. All 14 business types in California · Growth ranking for California · Nail salons by state