How to Calculate Salary and Bonuses for Spa Employees in 2025

Calculating salaries and bonuses for spa employees is essential, as it directly impacts their motivation and commitment to the spa. A transparent and fair salary system helps attract and retain talent, contributing to the spa’s sustainable development.

1. Factors Affecting Spa Employee Income

Working in the spa industry not only provides opportunities to help clients enhance their beauty and well-being but also offers an attractive income. However, a spa employee’s earnings are not fixed and depend on various factors. Below are the key elements that influence their income.

#1 Job Position

Each role in a spa has different income levels depending on responsibilities, skills, and required expertise:

• Spa Technicians: Perform basic services such as relaxation massages, skincare treatments, and basic therapies. Their income typically includes a base salary, commissions, and customer tips.
• Therapists: Conduct more advanced treatments such as acupressure, therapeutic massage, scalp care, and specialized body treatments.
• Spa Nurses: Work at medical spas, assisting doctors with procedures such as laser treatments, melasma therapy, and injectable treatments like fillers and Botox.
• Dermatologists: Provide specialized aesthetic treatments such as acne treatment, melasma therapy, and skin rejuvenation using high-tech methods. This is the highest-paying position in the spa industry.
• Spa Managers: Oversee spa operations, manage staff, develop services, and ensure customer satisfaction. Their income usually includes a fixed salary along with a percentage of the spa’s revenue.

#2 Type of Services Provided

The services performed by spa employees also play a significant role in determining their income. The more advanced and high-end the services, the greater the value they provide, leading to higher earnings:

• Relaxation Massage Services: Various types of massages for relaxation and stress relief.
• Therapeutic Services: Specialized treatments for pain relief and body healing.
• High-Tech Treatments: Laser therapy, microneedling, filler injections, Botox, etc.
• Advanced Skincare Services: Chemical peels, vitamin C infusion, specialized acne treatments, etc.

#3 Experience and Skill Level

The skills, experience, and expertise of spa employees are key factors in determining their income:

• New Employees: Typically earn less as they have fewer regular clients and are still developing their skills.
• Experienced Employees: Capable of handling various services with better techniques, gaining customer trust, and increasing their earnings through commissions and tips.
• Experts or Masters: Highly skilled professionals with advanced certifications often earn significantly higher incomes, sometimes reaching thousands of dollars per month.

2. Common Salary Structures for Spa Employees

Several salary structures are commonly used in the spa industry, including:

• Fixed Salary: Some spas offer a fixed monthly salary, usually for new employees or positions that do not directly provide services.
• Service-Based Commission: Employees receive a percentage of the revenue from each service they perform. The more expensive the service, the higher the commission.
• Spa Tour Earnings: Employees earn a percentage of the revenue from service packages purchased by customers.
• Tips: Customers may tip employees if they are satisfied with the service quality. This income is not fixed but can be significant for highly skilled employees.

Now, let’s explore these salary structures in more detail with Yeswebook!

#1 Fixed Base Salary

This is a stable salary structure where employees receive a fixed monthly income, regardless of the number of clients or the spa’s revenue. It is commonly applied to full-time staff or newly established spas.

Advantages:

✅ Ensures a stable income, providing employees with financial security.
✅ Suitable for new spas looking to maintain a dedicated team.
✅ Reduces financial pressure on spa owners.

Below is the average salary for each position under the fixed base salary model:

#2 Commission Rates for Spa Services

In addition to a basic salary, many spas implement a commission-based pay system to encourage employees to boost revenue.

Commission is a percentage of the profit that employees receive from each service or product sold. This system motivates employees to provide better service, which in turn helps the spa increase its revenue effectively.

This is the most common pay structure, where employees earn a commission based on the number and value of services they perform. The commission rate varies depending on the type of service and the spa’s policy.

Below are the reference commission rates for some popular services:

Commission Based on Total Revenue

Some spas do not calculate commissions per individual service but instead base them on the total revenue an employee generates each month. This model is commonly applied to high-performing employees, providing them with a more stable income.

#3 Salary Based on Spa Tour

What is a Salary Based on Spa Tour?

In the spa industry, the term “tour” refers to the number of treatment sessions a client signs up for as part of a skincare or therapeutic regimen. Each tour typically includes multiple sessions, such as a 5-session skincare treatment, a 10-session weight loss program, or an 8-session acne treatment plan.

Salary based on Spa Tour means that an employee’s income is calculated based on the number of tours they successfully complete. This means that employees receive their commission only after completing the entire treatment plan for the client.

This compensation model helps spas ensure that clients complete their full treatment plans, while also encouraging employees to closely monitor clients’ progress and provide high-quality service.

How Salary is Calculated Based on Spa Tour

Typically, spa employees receive 2% – 5% of the total value of a treatment package after completing all the sessions included in the tour.

Example:

If an employee completes an 8-session acne treatment priced at 8,000,000 VND, they will receive 400,000 VND in commission after the client has completed all sessions in the package.

Pros and Cons of Tour-Based Salary

#4 What is Spa Tipping?

Spa tipping refers to the gratuity that clients voluntarily give to spa staff after receiving services. This is an essential source of income for spa employees, especially those with excellent skills and outstanding customer service.

Employees may receive tips directly from clients or through the payment invoice, depending on the spa’s tipping policy.

Spa Tipping Policies

Each spa has its own tipping policy, which serves as the basis for calculating employee wages. Some common tipping methods include:

✔ Employees Keep 100% of Tips – This is a common practice at many spas, encouraging staff to provide better service.

✔ Tip Pooling & Distribution – Some spas collect all tips into a shared pool and distribute them based on a specific ratio. For example:

• 70% for the service provider
• 20% for managers/supervisors
• 10% for the spa’s general fund

✔ Tips Added to Monthly Salary – Some spas collect all tips and include them in employees’ monthly paychecks.

💡 Note: It’s important to clarify the spa’s tipping policy to avoid misunderstandings and ensure employees can accurately calculate their total earnings.

3. Earnings from Bonuses & Other Incentives

Bonus and incentive policies play a crucial role in motivating spa employees and retaining top talent. Below are some common bonus structures that spas implement to enhance employee performance and engagement.

#1 Earnings from Personal Sales Bonuses

Employees who exceed their personal sales targets receive a percentage-based reward.

Example:
If an employee surpasses a 100 million VND monthly revenue target, they receive: 5% x 100 million VND = 5 million VND bonus

#2 Earnings from Team Bonuses

In addition to individual rewards, many spas implement team-based bonuses to encourage teamwork. If the entire team meets the collective revenue KPI, all employees share a percentage of the revenue as a bonus.

Team Bonus Calculation:

• Exceeding 500 million VND/month → 2% of total revenue distributed among the team
• Exceeding 1 billion VND/month → 5% of total revenue distributed among the team
• Exceeding 2 billion VND/month → 7% of total revenue distributed among the team

Benefits of Team Bonuses:

• ✔ Encourages collaboration between employees
• ✔ Prevents unhealthy competition
• ✔ Helps the spa achieve sustainable revenue growth

#3 Earnings from Employee Retention Policies

Beyond sales and KPI bonuses, many spas implement long-term benefits to retain top employees. When calculating salaries, it’s essential to check if the spa offers these policies.

Common Retention Policies:

• Year-End & Holiday Bonuses: Employees with 6+ months of service may receive 1–3 months’ salary as a Tet bonus, depending on their performance and the spa’s business results.
• 13th-Month Salary: Provides financial support at year-end, encouraging employee loyalty.
• Periodic Salary Increases: Employees receive salary reviews every 6 months or annually based on their performance and work attitude.

4. Automated Attendance & Payroll Management with Yeswebook

As you can see, this guide covers a detailed salary structure. Managing payroll and attendance is a significant challenge for spa owners, especially when employees have multiple salary components such as fixed salary, commission, tour-based wages, and tips.

To streamline this process, Yeswebook offers a comprehensive HR management solution, allowing spa owners to track employee work hours, calculate salaries accurately, and ensure fair compensation for staff.

Key Features of Yeswebook’s Automated Payroll System:

• ✔ Fixed Salary Calculation: The system automatically calculates fixed wages based on predefined salary structures.
• ✔ Commission-Based Earnings: Accurately computes commission percentages from service revenue, ensuring precision.
• ✔ Tip Management: Transparently tracks and distributes tips so employees clearly understand their earnings.

5. Conclusion

A fair and transparent salary and incentive policy not only motivates employees but also enhances long-term retention, ensuring stability for the spa.

Moreover, adopting automated payroll and attendance management technology allows spa owners to save time, optimize costs, and streamline operations professionally.