Social Services
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.
Median salary (BLS)
$97,150
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$23k – $167k
Job outlook
+8% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $87,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Education
Typical entry: Associate degree
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateLicense requiredCost to qualify
$8,200–$23,000
Time to qualify
3 yr
Renewal
$75/yr
- 1
Associate degree (community college)
DegreeTwo years at in-district rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $4,050/yr, plus ~$1,200/yr books & supplies.
$8,000–$22,000 · 2 years source
- 2
State license — supervised hours + exam
LicenseMost counseling and social-work roles (LCSW/LPC pattern) require supervised experience hours and a state exam.
$200–$1,000 · 12 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source
Estimated typical U.S. route for "Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.
Typical progression
Junior Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Entry / Junior
$23,360
~2 yrs to advance
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Established
$97,150
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Senior
$132,310
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Social Services
Explore all- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
- Columbia University4% admit · $103,000 grad pay
- University of Wisconsin–Madison49% admit · $72,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.