Did you ever wonder how your favorite actor aged 30 years during that movie you saw or how they made all those people look like zombies for that tv show? Those effects may have been created by CGI (computer graphics imagery), but it is also likely that a makeup artist may be responsible for them. He or she uses cosmetics to enhance or alter the appearances of actors who are in movies or television shows. Makeup artists also work with live performers such as stage actors, singers, and dancers. While some use special effects and prosthetics to change someone’s appearance significantly, others just help people, for example, newscasters and talk show hosts, become camera-ready. Makeup artists are sometimes expected also to style hair and wigs.
Employment Facts
There were 3,000 makeup artists employed in 2012. Most were employed by the motion picture and television broadcasting industries. Over a quarter of the people who worked in this occupation were self-employed. Many jobs are short-term, sometimes lasting only a day or two, and makeup artists may experience long periods of unemployment between productions.
In the past, many jobs were centered around Hollywood, but that is no longer the case as productions move to places where costs are lower. According to a 2013 New York Times article the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild (Local 706), a union, actively encourages its members to find other work to do on the side (In Hollywood, Powderpuff Blues).
Educational Requirements
If you want to become a makeup artist, you will have to attend a school of cosmetology. Training will take between several months and a year. Most schools require a high school or equivalency diploma for admission.
Why Do You Need to Know About Educational Requirements?
Other Requirements
Makeup artists must have an aptitude for visual arts. In addition to that and the technical skills, you will learn by attending cosmetology school, certain soft skills, or personal qualities, will help you succeed in this occupation. For example, you need good speaking and listening skills. You must also have good decision making, critical thinking and time management skills.
Job Outlook
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of makeup artists to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through 2022. One cause of this decline could be that many movies now take advantage of CGI (computer-generated imagery) instead of using makeup artists to create special effects. There are experts in the field though who believe there is room for both in movie making.
Earnings
Makeup artists earned median hourly wages of $21.30 or a median annual salary of $44,310 in 2014. A Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild business executive quoted in the New York Times article said that many low budget productions paid hourly rates in the teens.
Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much a Makeup Artist currently earns in your city.
A Day in a Makeup Artist’s Life
These are some typical job duties taken from online ads published in a variety of sources:
Makeup Artist For:
Cable Television News: Understand the needs of each presenter/ guestCable Television News: Responsible for airbrush and manual application of makeup to enhance the features of anchors and guests in a manner that provides outstanding customer serviceMovie: Create waterproof workShort Film: Apply bruising detail, blood FX, and aging makeup/wrinkle highlightsShort Film Series: Create scars, burns, tattoos, and gunshot wounds with ease and speed
Occupations With Related Activities and Tasks
Description Hourly Salary (2014) Educational Requirements
Costume Attendant Select and fit costumes for performances, as well help performers change into them $20.03 High school or equivalency diploma
Cosmetologist or Hairdresser Care for clients’ hair, skin or nails $11.12 Completion of a training program at a state-licensed barber or cosmetology school
Embalmer Prepare bodies for viewing and burial $20.06 Associate degree in mortuary science
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Data for Occupations Not Covered in Detail: Makeup Artist, Theatrical, and Performance.Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Makeup Artist Theatrical, and Performance.
Home
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy
LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
Did you ever wonder how your favorite actor aged 30 years during that movie you saw or how they made all those people look like zombies for that tv show? Those effects may have been created by CGI (computer graphics imagery), but it is also likely that a makeup artist may be responsible for them. He or she uses cosmetics to enhance or alter the appearances of actors who are in movies or television shows. Makeup artists also work with live performers such as stage actors, singers, and dancers. While some use special effects and prosthetics to change someone’s appearance significantly, others just help people, for example, newscasters and talk show hosts, become camera-ready. Makeup artists are sometimes expected also to style hair and wigs.
Employment Facts
There were 3,000 makeup artists employed in 2012. Most were employed by the motion picture and television broadcasting industries. Over a quarter of the people who worked in this occupation were self-employed. Many jobs are short-term, sometimes lasting only a day or two, and makeup artists may experience long periods of unemployment between productions.
In the past, many jobs were centered around Hollywood, but that is no longer the case as productions move to places where costs are lower. According to a 2013 New York Times article the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild (Local 706), a union, actively encourages its members to find other work to do on the side (In Hollywood, Powderpuff Blues).
Educational Requirements
If you want to become a makeup artist, you will have to attend a school of cosmetology. Training will take between several months and a year. Most schools require a high school or equivalency diploma for admission.
Why Do You Need to Know About Educational Requirements?
Other Requirements
Makeup artists must have an aptitude for visual arts. In addition to that and the technical skills, you will learn by attending cosmetology school, certain soft skills, or personal qualities, will help you succeed in this occupation. For example, you need good speaking and listening skills. You must also have good decision making, critical thinking and time management skills.
Job Outlook
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of makeup artists to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through 2022. One cause of this decline could be that many movies now take advantage of CGI (computer-generated imagery) instead of using makeup artists to create special effects. There are experts in the field though who believe there is room for both in movie making.
Earnings
Makeup artists earned median hourly wages of $21.30 or a median annual salary of $44,310 in 2014. A Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild business executive quoted in the New York Times article said that many low budget productions paid hourly rates in the teens.
Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much a Makeup Artist currently earns in your city.
A Day in a Makeup Artist’s Life
These are some typical job duties taken from online ads published in a variety of sources:
Makeup Artist For:
Cable Television News: Understand the needs of each presenter/ guestCable Television News: Responsible for airbrush and manual application of makeup to enhance the features of anchors and guests in a manner that provides outstanding customer serviceMovie: Create waterproof workShort Film: Apply bruising detail, blood FX, and aging makeup/wrinkle highlightsShort Film Series: Create scars, burns, tattoos, and gunshot wounds with ease and speed
Occupations With Related Activities and Tasks
Description Hourly Salary (2014) Educational Requirements
Costume Attendant Select and fit costumes for performances, as well help performers change into them $20.03 High school or equivalency diploma
Cosmetologist or Hairdresser Care for clients’ hair, skin or nails $11.12 Completion of a training program at a state-licensed barber or cosmetology school
Embalmer Prepare bodies for viewing and burial $20.06 Associate degree in mortuary science
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Data for Occupations Not Covered in Detail: Makeup Artist, Theatrical, and Performance.Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Makeup Artist Theatrical, and Performance.
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
Did you ever wonder how your favorite actor aged 30 years during that movie you saw or how they made all those people look like zombies for that tv show? Those effects may have been created by CGI (computer graphics imagery), but it is also likely that a makeup artist may be responsible for them. He or she uses cosmetics to enhance or alter the appearances of actors who are in movies or television shows. Makeup artists also work with live performers such as stage actors, singers, and dancers. While some use special effects and prosthetics to change someone’s appearance significantly, others just help people, for example, newscasters and talk show hosts, become camera-ready. Makeup artists are sometimes expected also to style hair and wigs.
Employment Facts
There were 3,000 makeup artists employed in 2012. Most were employed by the motion picture and television broadcasting industries. Over a quarter of the people who worked in this occupation were self-employed. Many jobs are short-term, sometimes lasting only a day or two, and makeup artists may experience long periods of unemployment between productions.
In the past, many jobs were centered around Hollywood, but that is no longer the case as productions move to places where costs are lower. According to a 2013 New York Times article the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild (Local 706), a union, actively encourages its members to find other work to do on the side (In Hollywood, Powderpuff Blues).
Educational Requirements
If you want to become a makeup artist, you will have to attend a school of cosmetology. Training will take between several months and a year. Most schools require a high school or equivalency diploma for admission.
Why Do You Need to Know About Educational Requirements?
Other Requirements
Makeup artists must have an aptitude for visual arts. In addition to that and the technical skills, you will learn by attending cosmetology school, certain soft skills, or personal qualities, will help you succeed in this occupation. For example, you need good speaking and listening skills. You must also have good decision making, critical thinking and time management skills.
Job Outlook
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of makeup artists to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through 2022. One cause of this decline could be that many movies now take advantage of CGI (computer-generated imagery) instead of using makeup artists to create special effects. There are experts in the field though who believe there is room for both in movie making.
Earnings
Makeup artists earned median hourly wages of $21.30 or a median annual salary of $44,310 in 2014. A Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild business executive quoted in the New York Times article said that many low budget productions paid hourly rates in the teens.
Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much a Makeup Artist currently earns in your city.
A Day in a Makeup Artist’s Life
These are some typical job duties taken from online ads published in a variety of sources:
Makeup Artist For:
Cable Television News: Understand the needs of each presenter/ guestCable Television News: Responsible for airbrush and manual application of makeup to enhance the features of anchors and guests in a manner that provides outstanding customer serviceMovie: Create waterproof workShort Film: Apply bruising detail, blood FX, and aging makeup/wrinkle highlightsShort Film Series: Create scars, burns, tattoos, and gunshot wounds with ease and speed
Occupations With Related Activities and Tasks
Description Hourly Salary (2014) Educational Requirements
Costume Attendant Select and fit costumes for performances, as well help performers change into them $20.03 High school or equivalency diploma
Cosmetologist or Hairdresser Care for clients’ hair, skin or nails $11.12 Completion of a training program at a state-licensed barber or cosmetology school
Embalmer Prepare bodies for viewing and burial $20.06 Associate degree in mortuary science
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Data for Occupations Not Covered in Detail: Makeup Artist, Theatrical, and Performance.Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Makeup Artist Theatrical, and Performance.
Did you ever wonder how your favorite actor aged 30 years during that movie you saw or how they made all those people look like zombies for that tv show? Those effects may have been created by CGI (computer graphics imagery), but it is also likely that a makeup artist may be responsible for them. He or she uses cosmetics to enhance or alter the appearances of actors who are in movies or television shows. Makeup artists also work with live performers such as stage actors, singers, and dancers. While some use special effects and prosthetics to change someone’s appearance significantly, others just help people, for example, newscasters and talk show hosts, become camera-ready. Makeup artists are sometimes expected also to style hair and wigs.
Employment Facts
There were 3,000 makeup artists employed in 2012. Most were employed by the motion picture and television broadcasting industries. Over a quarter of the people who worked in this occupation were self-employed. Many jobs are short-term, sometimes lasting only a day or two, and makeup artists may experience long periods of unemployment between productions.
In the past, many jobs were centered around Hollywood, but that is no longer the case as productions move to places where costs are lower. According to a 2013 New York Times article the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild (Local 706), a union, actively encourages its members to find other work to do on the side (In Hollywood, Powderpuff Blues).
Educational Requirements
If you want to become a makeup artist, you will have to attend a school of cosmetology. Training will take between several months and a year. Most schools require a high school or equivalency diploma for admission.
Why Do You Need to Know About Educational Requirements?
Other Requirements
Makeup artists must have an aptitude for visual arts. In addition to that and the technical skills, you will learn by attending cosmetology school, certain soft skills, or personal qualities, will help you succeed in this occupation. For example, you need good speaking and listening skills. You must also have good decision making, critical thinking and time management skills.
Job Outlook
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of makeup artists to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through 2022. One cause of this decline could be that many movies now take advantage of CGI (computer-generated imagery) instead of using makeup artists to create special effects. There are experts in the field though who believe there is room for both in movie making.
Earnings
Makeup artists earned median hourly wages of $21.30 or a median annual salary of $44,310 in 2014. A Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild business executive quoted in the New York Times article said that many low budget productions paid hourly rates in the teens.
Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much a Makeup Artist currently earns in your city.
A Day in a Makeup Artist’s Life
These are some typical job duties taken from online ads published in a variety of sources:
Makeup Artist For:
- Cable Television News: Understand the needs of each presenter/ guestCable Television News: Responsible for airbrush and manual application of makeup to enhance the features of anchors and guests in a manner that provides outstanding customer serviceMovie: Create waterproof workShort Film: Apply bruising detail, blood FX, and aging makeup/wrinkle highlightsShort Film Series: Create scars, burns, tattoos, and gunshot wounds with ease and speed
Occupations With Related Activities and Tasks
Description Hourly Salary (2014) Educational Requirements
Costume Attendant Select and fit costumes for performances, as well help performers change into them $20.03 High school or equivalency diploma
Cosmetologist or Hairdresser Care for clients’ hair, skin or nails $11.12 Completion of a training program at a state-licensed barber or cosmetology school
Embalmer Prepare bodies for viewing and burial $20.06 Associate degree in mortuary science
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Data for Occupations Not Covered in Detail: Makeup Artist, Theatrical, and Performance.Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Makeup Artist Theatrical, and Performance.
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Data for Occupations Not Covered in Detail: Makeup Artist, Theatrical, and Performance.Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Makeup Artist Theatrical, and Performance.
Home
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy
LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
Home
Home
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy
About Us
Advertise
Careers
Privacy Policy
Editorial Guidelines
Contact
Terms of Use
EU Privacy
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
