What is the Average Salary of a Makeup Artist?

A theatrical makeup artist career can take you all over the world. The performing arts are an integral part of nearly all cultures, practiced everywhere from Broadway to Bangkok to your own backyard. A makeup artist may work to enhance, distort or conceal the human features altogether; he or she is skilled in making the young look old, the old look young, covering imperfections or creating elaborate wounds. In addition to a mastery of the various paints, creams and oils that make up makeup (get it?), many theatrical makeup artists also need to know how to create elaborate facial prostheses (such as false noses) and incorporate them seamlessly into an overall look. It is an art with a living canvas, the fruits of which are washed away each night to be painted anew the next day.

While the idea of makeup artistry may call to mind the elaborate designs of Cirque du Soleil and the Lion King, there is also a good living to be made simply making people look like people. Nearly all performing arts require some sort of makeup so that audiences can see the performers' faces. A skilled makeup artist can have a career with plenty of variety, but a makeup artist salary can be just as variable. Makeup artists may have to work their way up, taking the projects they can get and earning lower salaries, before they hit the big time. This spurs many people to ask, "What is the average salary of a make up artist?"

Unfortunately, finding an average salary for make up artists isn't that easy. Because the performing arts are conducted at such a wide variety of levels, with such a wide variety of budgets, a makeup artist salary can be hugely different based on a number of factors. When conducting your makeup artist salary research, it's helpful to remember that a makeup artist career is most likely carried out on an independent contractor level. Unless you land a steady job working for a theatrical or dance company for their entire season, chances are that you will move from production to production, taking jobs that may last only weeks or, in the case of large Broadway or Las Vegas shows, may last for years. Either way, in a makeup artist career you're likely to be paid by the hour, rather than earning a yearly makeup artist salary.

Cost of Living and Salary for Makeup Artists

You may feel that, as an artist, you should move to New York or California in order to advance your career and earn a higher makeup artist salary. The Makeup Artist Salary by City report does show that New York and Los Angeles offer a higher median salary for make up artist than some other cities, but keep in mind that the cost of living in these cities is also quite high, not to mention the fact that you're probably not the only makeup artist considering a move to these arts-intensive cities. To get an idea of just how far a makeup artist salary will go in New York and Los Angeles, take a moment to get a Cost of Living Comparison between cities. You can also use the Makeup Artist Salary by State chart to find alternate locales. As you take on more jobs, you'll learn more about your craft, but you'll also build essential contacts who may call you for work later in your makeup artist career. In show business, it's all about who you know. The Salary for Makeup Artist by Years Experience chart shows that the more experience one has, the higher the makeup artist salary, so hang in there.

Makeup Artist Salary Story

Professional Makeup Artist Wendy York has over 20 years of experience in the field. After a lot of hard work, she has managed to create a successful freelance makeup artist career. In her makeup artist Salary Story, Wendy shares insight on how to break into the business, what to expect from a makeup artist salary, and how to maintain a fulfilling makeup artist career. You can read her interview, "Makeup Artist Salary & Job Description" over in the Salary Stories blog.