Petal Pink and Purple Ombre. Salary: $19,000

You're fashioning acrylics on bored housewives in a strip mall in Tulsa. You're the only one who doesn't speak Korean or Mandarin and none of the other nail techs will talk to you all. It's also mid-July, 104 degrees, and the air conditioner's broken. Not the best conditions for attracting customers.

Glitter-Flecked Purple Layered on Top of Russian Blue. Salary: $20,000

You've been working at a second-rate salon five days a week, ten hours a day for over a year but the place is a ghost town most of the time. Perhaps you should've picked a better spot than Supercuts to hang up your shingle.

Buff. Salary: $22,000

You have a job in a nice salon and a regular clientele. The pay's not great, but it's almost livable—provided as you stay in your parents' apartment. Your client base is building thanks to your savvy use of both social media and word-of-mouth.

Gold and Silver Tipped French Manicure. Salary: $30,000

You've got your first magazine spread and things are finally starting to take off for your nail tech career. You've landed a good agent who has you booked solid for the next month. You might finally be able to buy yourself a decent house.

Jewel-Encrusted Acrylics. Salary: $70,000+

JLo and Katy Perry both have you on speed dial. You're the most well-known nail tech in the biz. Your clients include all the top celebrities, you have your own nail salon, and you're about to launch your own line of specialty polish.