Do you love going to the spa? Spas are a growing industry, serving people from all walks of life, so the answer is most likely “yes.” The relaxing, rejuvenation, and refreshing powers of a spa are no longer just for wealthy celebrities.  The International SPA Association (ISPA) has stated that the rapidly growing spa industry brings in $9.7 billion annually.

Over the last decade, the spa world has experienced exponential growth, leaving spas scrambling to fill positions such as estheticians, cosmetologists, and nail technicians along with other beauty specialists. Newly opening spas and older expanding ones regularly recruit spa professionals, and may even offer openings in locales such as busy ski resorts or exotic tropical islands.

This means that there will be rapid growth in job opportunities for current or aspiring beauty professionals. As stated by the U.S. Labor Department, employment among personal appearance workers will show a 14 percent increase up to 2016, with the growth of full-service day spas accounting for a large portion of this demand.

Spa visitors do not want to give up the beauty services that make them look and feel great about themselves, even when the economy is in a slump. One spa expert says that, “While they may forgo splurging on a new car or a fancy vacation, they will faithfully visit day spas and beauty salons to scrub, knead, and exfoliate away their stress.” The ISPA says that one in four Americans has been to a spa, with new clients arriving each day and becoming loyal customers who recognize that personal care and treatments are an essential and affordable luxury.

New spas are opening up everywhere, from malls and department stores, to cruise ships, health clubs, hotels, sports organizations, and medical clinics. All of these new locations are increasing the demand for skilled estheticians to provide services such as facials, massage, waxing, body treatments and skin exfoliation. The spa industry has redirected towards a more holistic health and beauty trend. This allows more women, and men, to seek beauty treatments. They are coming in for things such as stress reducing, hair treatments and manicures when they get off work. They may also just want their makeup professionally applied before a big date! All of the following jobs are greatly needed: hair stylists, colorists, massage therapists, make-up artists, nail technicians, and other cosmetologists since the expansion of the spa world.

But industry insiders insist that the labor shortage in the spa industry does not mean that there is a need for unskilled workers. Spa specialists receive specialized training from accredited beauty schools, where they lean the professional skills that they will need. They also develop hands-on knowledge and expertise in the spa industry. These qualities are vital, whether they are working in a hotel boutique or for a five-star resort. Because expertise in customer service is such an integral element in growing and maintaining a customer base, spa employers expect professional beauty and spa personnel to possess top-notch people skills as well.

Spas have certainly evolved from their primitive beginnings as mineral spring plunges that were considered social centers and sanctuaries of healing. More and more consumers are embracing the spa experience making the spa industry the fourth largest leisure industry in the United States. Nowadays, visiting a spa is a lifestyle; a stress relieving excursion as well as a spa holiday and a health-and-wellness experience. Are you one of the many who “spa”? Now is not only the perfect time to treat yourself to a day at the spa; the time is right to become a spa professional yourself!