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Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $97,150 Median per year · $46.71/hr Most earn $23,360–$167,470

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Apply makeup to enhance or alter the appearance of people appearing in productions such as movies.
  • Attach prostheses to performers and apply makeup to create special features or effects, such as scars, aging, or illness.
  • Evaluate environmental characteristics, such as venue size and lighting plans, to determine makeup requirements.
  • Confer with stage or motion picture officials and performers to determine desired effects.
  • Analyze a script, noting events that affect each character's appearance, so that plans can be made for each scene.
  • Clean supplies such as makeup brushes.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Self-employed (their own business)48.1%
  • Amusement parks and arcades3.2%
  • Photographic services2.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This isn't usually a straight-from-school job. Most people finish a makeup or cosmetology certificate or an apprenticeship, then spend about 1 to 2 years in related entry-level work before getting hired as theatrical or performance makeup artists.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build a base in art, drama, and people skills, and start practicing makeup on friends or in school shows. This gives you a foundation for training after graduation.

  2. Makeup or cosmetology certificate or apprenticeship

    6 months to 1 year

    Train in makeup application, skin care, and hygiene through a certificate program or hands-on apprenticeship, which teaches the techniques you'll need on set or on stage.

  3. Costume Attendant

    6 months to 1 year

    Work backstage or in a costume shop helping performers get dressed and keeping wardrobe organized. You'll learn how productions run and build the industry contacts that lead to makeup work.

  4. Makeup Artist, Theatrical and Performance

    Career goal after about 1 to 2 years of related experience

    Apply makeup to performers to match the period, setting, and story of their role, working in theater, film, television, or live events.

Where it can lead

  1. Key Makeup Artist

    3-5 years of experience first

    You lead makeup work for a main cast or a key group of performers and make creative decisions on the look, usually after building a strong portfolio and reliable work history.

  2. Makeup Department Head

    5+ years of experience first

    You manage the whole makeup team, plan schedules and budgets, and oversee the look of an entire production, which usually requires years of proven experience and leadership on set.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take art, drama, or theater classesThese teach color, shape, and character work, which are the core skills of makeup artistry.
  • Join the school theater or drama clubVolunteering on the makeup or costume crew gives you real backstage experience and practice on performers.
  • Practice makeup on friends and familyTry period looks, aging effects, and character styles to build skill and begin a photo portfolio.
  • Get a part-time job at a salon or cosmetics counterWorking with clients teaches you hygiene, product knowledge, and how to work with different skin types.
  • Volunteer at a local community theaterHelping with community productions shows you how professional shows run and gives you people to ask for advice.

In college

  • Enroll in a cosmetology or makeup certificate program at a community collegeA certificate covers the hands-on techniques, skin care, and sanitation training that employers expect.
  • Work on campus theater productionsJoining the makeup or costume crew for school shows builds real experience and connections in the performing arts.
  • Take courses in theater, film, or costume designThese classes help you understand how makeup supports a character, a story, and a production's visual style.
  • Seek a costume shop or theater crew jobPaid or volunteer backstage work teaches you how productions run and counts toward the experience employers look for.
  • Build a professional portfolio and online presenceDocument your best work with clear photos so you can show clients and production teams what you can do.

Tips for getting started

  • Keep a portfolio of photos showing before-and-after looks, period styles, and character work, even from school or community productions. Employers in this field often ask to see your work first.
  • Look for ways to get backstage experience early, such as helping with school plays or local theater productions. Hands-on time on a real show is hard to replace.
  • Practice on different skin tones, ages, and face shapes. Performance makeup needs to read well under stage and camera lights, so versatility is a big advantage.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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