How much to charge as a nail technician
Nail pricing has the widest geographic spread of any beauty service in the UK, where the same gel manicure is half the price in one city that it is in another. Your menu has to be built for your own market, not copied from Instagram.
Quick answer
UK gel polish manicures typically run 25 to 50 pounds, rising to 45 to 75 in London, with regional cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh commonly at 30 to 50. Acrylic full sets are usually 45 to 75 outside London and 80 to 150 in premium London markets. Infills sit around 30 to 55, hard gel extensions about 45 to 80, and bespoke nail art from 60 to 150 or more. The spread between areas is extreme, with the same service often half the price in one city that it is in another, so the only prices worth benchmarking against are those of technicians working your actual town.
UK nail service prices, 2026
| Service | Regional UK | London and premium |
|---|---|---|
| Gel polish manicure | 25 to 50 | 45 to 75 |
| Acrylic full set | 45 to 75 | 80 to 150 |
| Infills | 30 to 55 | Top of range |
| Hard gel extensions | 45 to 80 | Higher |
| Bespoke nail art | 60 to 150+ | Higher |
Step-by-step
- 1
Benchmark locally, because national averages are useless here
A gel manicure in central London can be double the price of the identical service in a northern town, and both are correct for their market. Look at five technicians of comparable standard within a few miles of you. Any figure drawn from a national average or a London salon's Instagram will be wrong in one direction or the other.
- 2
Build the menu so add-ons carry the margin
The base manicure gets someone through the door. It's also the most price-compared thing you offer. The money is in what sits alongside it: art, extensions, hard gel, removals. Price the base competitively for your area and make sure the additions are properly priced rather than thrown in to be nice.
- 3
Price nail art by time, with a stated minimum
Bespoke art ranges from 60 to well over 150 for a reason: it can take minutes or hours. Charge by design complexity or by time with a clear minimum, and agree it before you start. Freehand work quoted casually and then taking ninety minutes is how nail technicians end up working for nothing.
- 4
Charge for removals, especially of someone else's work
Soak-off and repair take real chair time, and removing another salon's acrylic can take longer than the new set. Put removals on the price list, with a higher figure for work you did not apply, and apply it.
- 5
Work out your rate per hour of chair time
A 35 pound gel manicure in an hour and a 70 pound full set in two and a half hours are not the same business. Run every item on your menu through that calculation and you will usually find one or two services you should either reprice or stop offering.
- 6
Rebook in the chair, on the cycle
Gel and acrylic clients are on a natural two to four week rhythm. Booking the next appointment before they leave turns an occasional customer into a predictable one. A diary that fills itself does more for you than any single price rise.
Tips & best practices
- Compare only against technicians in your own town. The regional spread in this trade is larger than the difference between good and average work.
- Quote nail art before you start, never after. It is the one service where the time genuinely cannot be guessed.
- If your busiest service has your worst hourly rate, that is a pricing problem, not a popularity win.
Common questions
How much should I charge for a gel manicure?
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Typically 25 to 50 pounds across most of the UK, 30 to 50 in regional cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh, and 45 to 75 in London.
What should an acrylic full set cost?
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Usually 45 to 75 pounds outside London, and 80 to 150 in premium London markets. Infills generally sit at 30 to 55.
How do I price nail art?
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By complexity or by time, with a stated minimum, and always agreed before you start. Bespoke art runs from 60 to over 150 because the time involved varies enormously.
Should I charge to remove another salon's work?
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Yes, and usually more than for your own. Removing unfamiliar acrylic or hard gel can take longer than applying a new set, and absorbing it silently costs you an hour of unpaid chair time.
Why do nail prices vary so much around the UK?
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Local incomes, rent and competition density. The same gel manicure can be half the price in one city that it is in another, so local benchmarking matters far more than national figures.