Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
US occupation · SOC 39-5091
Job titles people report: Commercial Makeup Artist (Commercial MUA), Hair and Makeup Designer, Makeup Artist (MUA), Prosthetic Makeup Designer, Special Effects Makeup Artist (Special Effects MUA), Special Makeup Effects Artist, TV and Film Makeup Artist (Television and Film Makeup Artist)
Pay and outlook
- Median annual wage, May 2025
- $97,150
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Middle half earn
- $34,530 – $143,230
- 25th to 75th percentile
- People employed, May 2025
- 2,340
- Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)
- Projected change, 2025–35
- +6.1%
- At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)
- Openings a year (projected)
- 600
- New jobs plus replacing people who leave
- Typical education to enter
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- BLS
- All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
- Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
- Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.
What the work involves
Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.
Main tasks
- 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.
- Confer with stage or motion picture officials and performers to determine desired effects.
- Requisition or acquire needed materials for special effects, including wigs, beards, and special cosmetics.
- Study production information, such as character descriptions, period settings, and situations, to determine makeup requirements.
Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.
Getting in
- Typical education to enter (BLS)
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- O*NET Job Zone 3
- Medium preparation
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Interests it suits
The strongest of the six O*NET interest types for this occupation, highest first. The short glosses are ours.
- Artistic: creating, designing and self-expression
- Realistic: hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
- Enterprising: leading, persuading and making business decisions
Fields of study that lead here
From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 3 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.
Fields
Our college matcher doesn't offer this field as a major, so we can't suggest colleges for it here.
Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
- Make-Up Artist/Specialist
- Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup and Tattooing
Related careers
Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.
- Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
$35,790 median · +7.7% projected
- Skincare Specialists
$45,330 median · +8.8% projected
- Costume Attendants
$50,400 median · +5.9% projected
- Manicurists and Pedicurists
$35,760 median · +9.2% projected
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
$55,490 median · -2.9% projected
- Shampooers
$32,600 median · +5.6% projected
Sources
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CollegeMatcher has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0
Changes: we show the core tasks in the O*NET database with the highest importance ratings (up to eight, in that order), the top three O*NET interest types by score, and shortened Job Zone names. Titles, descriptions and task text are unchanged.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Projections, typical entry education and training: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Fields of study: NCES and BLS CIP 2020–SOC 2018 Crosswalk. All public domain. OEWS · Employment Projections · CIP–SOC crosswalk