Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

Median salary

$97,150

Average salary

$102,240

Employment

2,340

Projected growth

8.1% growth

Annual openings

1,100

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

What Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance Do

Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 50.3%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.4/5
English Languageimportance 4.1/5
Fine Artsimportance 3.7/5
Designimportance 3.5/5
Communications and Mediaimportance 3.5/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.9/5
Psychologyimportance 2.9/5
Sales and Marketingimportance 2.8/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Physical Proximity5.0/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
E-Mail4.8/5
Contact With Others4.6/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
Time Pressure4.5/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Dietitians and Nutritionists95% skill match
Fashion Designers94% skill match
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary94% skill match
Pharmacists93% skill match
Curators93% skill match
Floral Designers93% skill match
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers93% skill match
Art Directors92% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Persuasionimportance 2.9/5
Management of Financial Resourcesimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Appointment scheduling software
Autodesk Maya
Autodesk Mudbox
Blogging software
Bookitlive
Clear Books
Client databases
DatInf DigiMakeup

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Innovation
Dependability
Social Orientation
Adaptability
Cooperation
Achievement Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ArtisticHigh
RealisticMedium
EnterprisingMedium
ConventionalMedium
SocialMedium
InvestigativeLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where makeup artists, theatrical and performance make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).