One of the biggest (and most confusing) decisions med spa owners face is how to pay their providers and staff. Get it right, and you attract great talent, protect margins, and scale confidently. Get it wrong, and you deal with burnout, resentment, compliance risk, or unpredictable payroll.

Let’s break down the two most common models in med spas—and when each one actually makes sense.

Option 1: Straight Commission

How it works:

Providers are paid a percentage of the revenue they generate. No base hourly pay.

Typical commission ranges:

• Injectors: 30–60%
• Estheticians: 35–50%
• Sales-driven roles (depending on state): varies widely

Pros

• Strong incentive to sell and rebook
• Payroll scales with revenue
• Simple to understand on the surface

Cons

• Income instability for providers
• Can encourage over-selling or rushed care
• Risky if pricing, COGS, or cancellations aren’t tightly managed
• Harder to enforce standards around consult time, charting, or education

Best for:

High-volume practices with consistent demand, strong SOPs, and clear performance tracking.

Option 2: Hourly + Commission (Hybrid Model)

How it works:

Staff receive a base hourly wage plus a commission or bonus tied to performance.

Common structures:

• Hourly + % of services performed
• Hourly + tiered commission once revenue thresholds are met
• Hourly + bonuses for retail, packages, or memberships

Pros

• More predictable income for staff
• Encourages quality care, education, and compliance
• Reduces pressure to “sell at all costs”
• Easier to schedule slower days or training time

Cons

• Slightly higher fixed payroll costs
• Requires clear tracking and reporting
• Needs defined expectations to avoid complacency

Best for:

Growing med spas, multi-provider clinics, or owners prioritizing consistency, retention, and culture.

Which Model Is “Better”?

There’s no universal winner—but there is a smarter approach.

Most sustainable med spas eventually land on a hybrid model because it:

• Protects the business during slower seasons
• Keeps providers motivated without burning them out
• Supports compliance, charting, and client experience
• Scales more cleanly as the team grows

The key isn’t just how you pay—it’s how clearly and consistently it’s tracked.

Where Med Spas Get Into Trouble

We see the same issues over and over:

• Commission calculated manually (or inconsistently)
• Providers disputing pay because reporting isn’t transparent
• No visibility into service margins or true profitability
• Payroll decisions made without real data

When compensation isn’t tied to clean data, trust erodes—fast.

How Software Should Support Your Pay Structure

Regardless of the model you choose, your software should:

• Track revenue by provider automatically
• Separate services, retail, memberships, and packages
• Show real-time performance dashboards
• Support tiered commissions and bonuses
• Eliminate manual spreadsheets and guesswork

This is where modern med spa platforms like Reviva shine—giving owners and providers shared visibility into performance, without friction.

The “Rule of Thumb” Summary

If you want a quick gut-check:

• Provider pay + product COGS should not exceed 40% of service revenue
• Provider pay alone should typically land between 25–45% of net revenue
• If you can’t explain the formula in one sentence, it’s too complicated

Why Software Matters Here

Best-practice pay models fall apart without clean data.

Your system should:

• Track revenue by provider
• Separate services vs. retail vs. memberships
• Account for COGS
• Show real-time profitability per treatment

That’s exactly why platforms like Reviva are built around visibility — so compensation stays fair, transparent, and scalable.

Final Thought

Pay structure isn’t just payroll—it’s strategy.

The right model aligns:

• Provider motivation
• Client experience
• Profitability
• Long-term growth

And the right systems make it sustainable.