How Much Money Does a Day Spa Owner Make?

Day spas serve multiple purposes, starting with addressing the aesthetic needs of individuals. Facials and massages are commonplace, along with total skin care and relaxation. As with other salon owners, day spa owners must retain customers and gain new ones to maintain their salaries. Thus, how much they earn is inconsistent and can depend heavily upon marketing and quality of service.

While the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not list the actual salary of day spa owners, it gives an indication as to what they might earn in a typical year, especially since some often work as technicians. The Bureau states that the average hourly salary of skin care specialists, which includes day spa workers, is $13.81 as of 2008. This figure includes tips. Earnings can be higher for those with experience, while those working in larger, well-known salons can earn higher salaries.

Tree.com states the average yearly salary of day spa owners is between $35,000 and $120,000, according to spa industry professional Skip Williams. In comparison, small day spa owners may earn between $80,000 and $100,000, compared to more than $100,000 for large resort spa owners, according to Fabjob's 2008 Guide to Becoming a Spa Owner.

Williams adds that salary may be affected by such factors as the spa's location (city versus country location), treatment costs and how much customers pay for service. Day spa owners with more than one spa can earn higher income, well in the six-figure range. No formal education is required for day spa owners, and they do not have to attend cosmetology schools.

What a day spa owner brings home in pay can be adversely affected by the expenses necessary to run their spa. These expenses may include salaries and benefits to employees, commissions to spa service providers and marketing and equipment costs. While reducing expenses may be an option for owners to increase their earnings, paying for expenses such as vacation pay, health insurance and paid education can help separate their spas from the competition.