Personal Care and Service

Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

29/100
#152 of 825
$97,150
median pay, U.S.
2,340
employed (2024)
+8.1%
growth, 2024–34
1,100
openings per year
Postsecondary nondegree award
typical entry education

Is makeup artists, theatrical and performance a good career?

It scores 29/100 and ranks #152 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.

Advantages

  • Pays well above the U.S. median wage ($97,150 vs $61,390)
  • Faster-than-average projected growth (+8.1% through 2034)

Possible tradeoffs

  • No notable tradeoffs stand out in the wage and projection data.

What makeup artists, theatrical and performance earn

Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025

Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. makeup artists, theatrical and performance earn between $34,530 and $143,230 a year.

Best-paying states

Georgia statewide
$143,230
California statewide
$140,870
Louisiana statewide
$129,580
New York statewide
$97,150
$95,730
Florida statewide
$82,400
$20k $120k $220k

Best-paying metros

01 Atlanta, GA $160,190
02 Los Angeles, CA $140,870
03 Orlando, FL $108,520
04 New York, NY $97,150
05 Washington, DC $95,730

Strongest employment concentration

01 California 830
02 Florida 250
03 Georgia 200
04 New York 190

Live makeup artists, theatrical and performance jobs

No live makeup artists, theatrical and performance openings yet

When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified makeup artists, theatrical and performance openings will appear here — each shown against the $97,150 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.

No placeholder listings · nothing invented

How to become a makeup artists, theatrical and performance

Typical education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Related occupations

Postsecondary nondegree award · $35,790 median
Postsecondary nondegree award · $35,760 median
Postsecondary nondegree award · $45,330 median
Questions about becoming a makeup artists, theatrical and performance
How much do makeup artists, theatrical and performance make?

The national median wage is $97,150 a year, with the middle half earning between $34,530 and $143,230 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Is makeup artists, theatrical and performance a good career?

On the Jobs.best index it scores 29 of 100 and ranks #152 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +8.1% through 2034.

What education do you need to become a makeup artists, theatrical and performance?

The typical entry-level education is postsecondary nondegree award.

Where do makeup artists, theatrical and performance earn the most?

Among states, Georgia pays the highest median ($143,230). Local pay for every state and metro is below.

U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWages: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Projections: BLS EP 2024–34
Sources: OEWS-M2025 · EP-2024-34. How we score careers →