Career profile · 39-5091
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.
What the work can involve
- 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.
- Confer with stage or motion picture officials and performers to determine desired effects.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Fine Arts
- Communications and Media
- Design
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Thinking Creatively
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Getting Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 76.2%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Once a month or more but not every week | 38.1%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 61.9%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 52.4%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Less than half the time | 52.4%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Standing | Continually or almost continually | 38.1%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 71.4%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 75.0%08/2025 · sample 20 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Never | 33.3%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Work Schedules | Irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration) | 84.2%08/2025 · sample 19 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Accounting software: Clear Books, Intuit QuickBooks
- Calendar and scheduling software: Appointment scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software: Bookitlive, Client databases
- Electronic mail software: Email software, Microsoft Outlook
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Mudbox, DatInf DigiMakeup
- Instant messaging software: Twitter
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Web page creation and editing software: Blogging software, Facebook, Instagram
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for makeup artists, theatrical and performance
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 6 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140,870 | $67.73 | 830 |
| District of Columbia | $95,730 | $46.02 | 60 |
| Florida | $82,400 | $39.62 | 250 |
| Georgia | $143,230 | $68.86 | 200 |
| Louisiana | $129,580 | $62.30 | Not published |
| New York | $97,150 | $46.71 | 190 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 5 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists→
- Manicurists and Pedicurists→
- Shampooers→
- Skincare Specialists→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 39-5091.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.