Career
Makeup artists, theatrical and performance
Do makeup for stage, film and television.
$97,150
Median pay
+6.1%
Job growth, 2025–35
600
Openings a year
Postsecondary nondegree award
Typical education
Under 2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Clean supplies such as makeup brushes.
- Duplicate work precisely to replicate characters' appearances on a daily basis.
- Apply makeup to enhance or alter the appearance of people appearing in productions such as movies.
- Analyze a script, noting events that affect each character's appearance, so that plans can be made for each scene.
- Alter or maintain makeup during productions as necessary to compensate for lighting changes or to achieve continuity of effect.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on creation & expression, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Clean supplies such as makeup brushes.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
Under 2 years of education after high school (postsecondary nondegree award), for a median of $97,150 a year and 600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, GeneralCIP 12.0401
- Make-Up Artist/SpecialistCIP 12.0406
- Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup and TattooingCIP 12.0411
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists$35,790 · +7.7%
- Skincare Specialists$45,330 · +8.8%
- Costume Attendants$50,400 · +5.9%
- Manicurists and Pedicurists$35,760 · +9.2%
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers$41,600 · +1.3%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.