Day Spas and Tanning Salons

The 30,900 day spas and tanning salons in the US provide personal care services to clients, including massages, indoor and sunless tanning, skincare treatments, and nail care treatments. Day spas and tanning salons also sell skincare and body care products, cosmetics, candles, vitamins and nutritional supplements, and other retail products. Some day spas also offer hair care services.

Competition for Services

Day spas face competition from other providers of massages and skin treatments, including hotel and resort spas, medical spas, fitness centers, independent masseuses, nail salons, and dermatology practices.

Indoor Tanning Health Concerns

Concerns over the health risks of using tanning beds threaten to reduce demand for tanning salons.

Jul 13, 2026 - Non-Membership Spas Gain Momentum

• Growth accelerated for non-membership spas in 2025, while membership-based operators lost momentum, according to Zenoti's 2026 Beauty and Wellness benchmark report, signaling changing customer behavior across the spa industry. Non-membership spas saw location growth accelerate from 4% to 13%, same-store revenue growth improve from 2% to 3%, and cancellation rates fall from 11% to 9%. By contrast, membership spas experienced same-store revenue growth slow from 5% to 2%, while existing guest visits declined 2%, highlighting the need to improve member engagement and retention. The report also found that spas using AI-powered customer service tools achieved 3%–4% sales growth, compared with about 2% for non-users, helping offset softer new client acquisition. For US day spas and tanning salons, investing in digital booking, proactive client engagement, and AI tools may help drive growth as competition for new customers intensifies.
• June's consumer surveys present a mixed outlook for the US day spas and tanning salon industry, where improving confidence may support discretionary spending, but high living costs continue to pressure household budgets. The University of Michigan reported the Index of Consumer Sentiment rose 10.5% from May to 49.5, the Current Economic Conditions Index increased 4.1% to 47.7, and the Consumer Expectations Index climbed 15.0% to 50.7, reflecting easing geopolitical concerns. However, sentiment remained 18.5% below a year earlier, and consumers continued to cite high prices as a financial burden. Separately, The Conference Board said its Consumer Confidence Index edged up to 91.2. Its Present Situation Index fell to 116.4 as labor market perceptions weakened, while the Expectations Index improved to 74.4. Consumers also became slightly more willing to increase spending on services, a positive sign for demand for spa and tanning services in the months ahead.
• A growing number of states are moving toward multi-state cosmetology licensing, a shift that could reshape hiring and workforce mobility for the US day spas industry, according to an American Spa report. Eleven states are expected to begin issuing multi-state cosmetology licenses in 2026, while additional states are considering similar legislation for cosmetology and esthetics professionals. Greater license portability may help spas and salons address staffing shortages, recruit workers more efficiently, and support employees relocating due to military transfers, economic conditions, or natural disasters. However, implementation will vary by state, and operators will still need to navigate differing local regulations and licensing requirements.
• Rising demand for menopause-focused treatments and nontoxic beauty services is creating new opportunities for the US day spa and tanning salon industry, according to a recent industry analysis. According to American Spa, women in their 50s represent a large share of day spa clients, driving interest in treatments that address menopausal symptoms and skin changes. Spas are expanding services such as hydrating, collagen-boosting facials, and treatments using hormone-balancing essential oils like clary sage and geranium. Retail offerings are also expanding to include skincare, bodycare, and sexual wellness products designed to manage menopause-related concerns. At the same time, nontoxic nail treatments that last up to 10 days are gaining traction as clients and technicians seek alternatives to traditional systems containing formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). These trends suggest spas may benefit from expanding wellness-focused services and clean beauty offerings.

Industry size & Structure

The average day spa has 16 employees and generates over $842,000 in annual revenue, while the average tanning salon has 6 employees and generates about $275,000 in annual revenue.

• The spa industry in the US has about 21,500 locations, employs 345,000 people, and generates about $18 billion in annual revenue. About 80% of locations are day spas, with the remainder consisting of hotel and resort spas, destination spas, and medical spas.
• Tanning salons in the US have about 9,400 locations, 60,500 employees and generate about $2.6 billion in annual revenue.
• US consumers made 182 million visits to spas in 2023, according to the International SPA Association.
• Most day spas and tanning salons are independently owned and operated. Franchise locations of large chains account for less than 5% of industry revenue.
• Day spa chains include Massage Envy, Woodhouse Day Spa, and Bliss.
• Tanning salon chains include Palm Beach Tan, Planet Beach Tan, Hollywood Tans, and LA Tan.