How to Set Your Prices as a Nail Tech (Without Undervaluing Yourself)

How to Set Your Prices as a Nail Tech (Without Undervaluing Yourself)

Let’s talk about something that makes many new nail techs uncomfortable: pricing.

I get it - you want to attract clients, so you offer cheap services, run endless promotions, and hope to build your clientele from there.

But here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud:

Low prices attract the wrong kind of clients.

🧨 The entitled ones.

🧨 The ones who want more for less.

🧨 The ones who think you’re at their service, not providing a professional one.

It’s tempting to start cheap. You’re learning, you’re nervous, and you just want experience.

That’s totally understandable. But there’s a difference between starting fairly and selling yourself short.

So… How Low Is Too Low?

If you're doing a full set that takes you 3 hours and you're charging £5 or £10—that's not just low, it's stupid.

A fair starting price for a beginner?

Around £15 for simple sets of gel polish—just enough to cover your products and a small portion of your time. At least £20 for extensions or BIAB.

Use this rate for your first 10–15 clients, not forever. As your work improves, your prices should grow too. (You need to make raising your prices a regular thing).

From there:

→ Once your retention improves, raise your price to £20/£25

→ As shaping and finishing gets better, increase again

→ When your sets are solid, look around and match junior tech pricing in your area.

It’s not just about money - it’s about building confidence and attracting clients who respect your time and work.

"But what if clients leave when I raise prices?"

Then they make room for clients who are happy to pay what you're worth.

Yes, some will go. It happens. (Some of the cheap clients who are haunting value).

And as much as you might love your clients (some truly do become more than just clients), the harsh truth is:

You’re a service provider. The second you no longer meet their needs, they will move on!

So don’t bend your life around clients.

That evening slot they “really appreciate”? That’s time away from your family, your rest, your balance.

They benefit, you burn out.

Boundaries Matter From the Start

Let me give you a personal example:

I don’t work evenings. Not because I have kids - I just love my peaceful evenings.

I do work weekends, including Sunday - because that works for me.

I know techs who only work weekdays, school hours only.

That’s their rhythm - and their clients fit around them.

And it works.

Because when you’re clear, your aligned clients will find you.

Charge What Reflects Your Skill

I’m now at a point in my career where I charge what I know I’m worth.

I don’t check what others are charging—I know the quality I provide.

I charge £80 for a full set of hard gels.

Why? Because:

✔ My nails are competition-level

✔ I’m an educator & competitor

✔ My sets last 3–4+ weeks

✔ I offer beautiful nails that last, including detailed hand painted nail art that is charged accordingly to a time I spent on it.

Clients pay it. They understand the value behind the price.

Price Rises? I Do It in Summer 🌞

Yes, cheeky - but effective! People are happier, they want fresh nails, and they’re more open to treating themselves.

It's a good time to shift things up. Try it.

Nails Are a Luxury Service, Not a Charity

Let’s be real:

That beautiful set of nails you create? It costs you around £5–8 in product. The rest is your skill.

Your skill = all those hours, courses, experience, and products you’ve invested in.

Stop giving it away.

“But I work from home... should I charge less?”

Nope. That’s a myth.

Working from home doesn’t mean you have fewer responsibilities - it means you’re doing it all.

You’re the:

Nail tech

Receptionist

Cleaner

Stock manager

Photographer

Content creator

Accountant and so much more...

You deserve the same rates as anyone in a salon—maybe more. You don’t have a boss to fall back on. It’s all you.

Quick Story: My Friend the Handyman

He just stared as self employed handyman, not much experience just happen to be handy around the house. He came over to fix one end of a curtain pole.

20 minutes. Drilled into brick (which I can’t do).

Charged me £40. Didn't clean up mess, but hey ho.

And you know what? I paid it.

He provided a service I needed. He didn’t discount it because we’re friends. And I didn’t question it.

That’s business mindset.

He used his masculine energy and got paid what he felt the job was worth.

Us women? We tend to overthink it, discount it, explain it, justify it.

It’s time we think more like men in business.

No guilt, no apologies.

How to set your prices 💰

This really depends on where you live - but let’s break it down simply.

The average hourly pay in the UK (2025) is around £12.21.

Then you’ve got your product cost (about £5–8 per client) and energy cost (around £1–2 - more in winter, less in summer).

So if you’re doing a gel polish set that takes about an hour, you’re already at roughly £20 in costs.

Now add your profit on top:

✨ Trainee: around £20-£25

✨ Junior tech: around £30-£35

✨ Experienced tech: £35–£40+

(These are estimated to my location in Horsham, West Sussex)

Of course, it all depends on your skill. If your work isn’t quite at the level clients expect yet, it’ll be harder to sell yourself confidently - but that’s something you can change.

Eye-opening? Good. Because you need to make a living out of this - not just scrape by.

You need to sit down and work out your prices. Get inspired by other nail techs, but don’t copy them.

If the girl down the road charges £40 and her nails are… well, not great - and yours are top-notch?

Then charge £50 and own it.

Let’s look at it another way 👇

If you need £2000 a month (after tax), and you charge £30 per client, that’s about 67 appointments a month.

That’s 16 appointments a week, or 3 a day.

Now add your rent, products, tax… and you’ll quickly see it’s not sustainable - especially if you spend 3 hours per set.

And that's just what you make in a month - before taxes, product costs, training and other expenses. Add at least £500 to cover those (not even counting rent!). So how much extra work would you need to do just to break even?

That’s exactly why I keep saying education matters so much. Your skill is what sets you apart - and it’s what allows you to charge what you’re truly worth.

For example, I have around 40 clients on my books. Some come once a month, some twice, so I average about 55–60 appointments monthly.

I even take one week off each month, and because my sets take around an hour, I still have plenty of free time. So technically, I work around 70 hours a month - some people do that in just two weeks.

This setup works perfectly for me. I’m not chained to my desk - I have balance.

And that’s the goal, isn’t it? To enjoy what you do, charge fairly, and still have a life outside of work.

I’m not in this for money - I genuinely love doing nails.

But I also love getting paid what I’m worth. So you should too.

(I follow nail techs who charge £150 in UK for BIAB, $350-400 for dual form extensions in Miami, over $200 in Australia. UK are the most underpaid nail technicians).

Final Thoughts

Be strong. Stand your ground.

Don’t build a business based on being cheap.

Build one based on being skilled, valuable, and confident.

Let your pricing reflect what you do, what you’ve learned, and the service you’re proud of.

Grow your price with your skill.

And don’t look back.

Maya xx