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Massachusetts nail salons are mostly small, family-scale businesses run by former nail techs, many of them Vietnamese immigrant women. Workers and owners share the same roots and the same pressures, and they work to lift up the industry together.

The Massachusetts nail salon industry has its own character. It is made up largely of single, owner- operated salons rooted in tight-knit immigrant communities, and our findings reflect that local experience. Workers and owners see their futures as tied together. When customers come in less often, both earn less. Workers mentor and train one another, often sharing new skills and techniques on the job. Workers step in to translate for coworkers and customers so every client gets the service they want. This solidarity is the backbone of the industry, and it fills gaps that formal support systems have left open.

Nail work takes training, artistry and continuing education. Immigrant families, especially women, have built entire careers on it. Yet the public still treats it as “just a job,” and nail technicians are often underpaid and under appreciated. The nail salon has helped Massachusetts’ Vietnamese and broader Asian American and Pacific Islander communities build economic stability for generations. But, like any career, nail technicians needs ongoing investment: continuing education, training on new trends; and safer products.

Almost everyone gets their nails done, yet the work is consistently devalued by customers. Workers often put up with disrespectful or racist treatment to keep clients, and they take pride in their work despite it.

According to state labor market data, nail salon workers have the lowest wages among all personal care and service occupations.

Prices for nail services have barely moved in 15 years while rent and groceries keep rising. Most workers now struggle to cover basic expenses on wages that used to support a family, and owners are squeezed too. Now, federal cuts are shrinking the very programs that have helped these families get by.

Gentrification and rising prices make it harder to live in the communities where workers have long lived and worked. Commission- and tip-based pay and seasonal demand make income unpredictable. Owners are caught between rising rent and labor costs and the fear that raising prices will drive customers away.

The Massachusetts nail salon industry needs additional structural support to continue to serve as a bedrock for local communities state-wide. The national nail salon industry workforce consists primarily of low-wage Asian immigrant women with limited English proficiency. This mirrors the demographics of surveyed workers within the current study of Massachusetts nail salon workers. Nail salon workers serve as the foundation for strong immigrant communities as providers for their family members, friends, and community leaders. As a result, when the nail salon industry struggles, whole communities struggle as well. Focus group participants expressed a need for increased financial support for workers, continuing education in the field, and workforce development opportunities for limited English proficient workers. Surveyed owners also identified needing support in responding to market pressures while simultaneously handling cost calculations such as rent, labor, and client retention.

All stakeholders—including everyday customers, funders, government agencies, funders, and elected officials—have a role to play in ensuring the stability of the nail salon industry.

1. Promote income stability by encouraging government agencies to provide more outreach, advocacy, and services to workers with limited English proficiency; achieving policies enabling increased affordable housing and stability for low-income wage working households; and expanding legislation to provide a state-funded retirement plan for aging workers.

2. Further health and safety initiatives by providing multilingual, up-to-date educational resources for nail salon workers and owners to mitigate health risks through existing nail industry platforms; funding research focused on safer alternatives to common nail salon products; and prioritizing outreach to nail salons in business grants to promote use of safer alternatives and improved ventilation.

3. Build workforce power by including nail salon workers and owners in any critical decision-making and proposed regulations; sponsoring workforce development training through English classes for adult speakers of other languages; and establishing structures to further empower workers in the industry, such as a workers’ center or nail salon worker-owned cooperatives.