Careers / Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$97,150
United States, 2025
Employment
2,340
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.
- O*NET code
- 39-5091.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Requisition or acquire needed materials for special effects, including wigs, beards, and special cosmetics.
- Study production information, such as character descriptions, period settings, and situations, to determine makeup requirements.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$23,360
25th percentile
$34,530
75th percentile
$143,230
90th percentile
$167,470
Most important skills
- Speaking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Active Listening3.5
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Coordination3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Time Management3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 12 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
12
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Speaking | 3.8 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.5 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Makeup Artists, Theatrical and PerformanceHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | $160,190 | 140 | 2025 |
| GA | $143,230 | 200 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $140,870 | 780 | 2025 |
| CA | $140,870 | 830 | 2025 |
| LA | $129,580 | — | 2025 |
| Orlando, FL | $108,520 | 160 | 2025 |
| NY | $97,150 | 190 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $97,150 | 180 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $95,730 | 70 | 2025 |
| DC | $95,730 | 60 | 2025 |
| FL | $82,400 | 250 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.