Personal Care39-5091.00Specialization

Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.

$47,390
Median Pay
Less than 6 months
Training
🟑
AI-Augmented

This is a specialization of

Personal Appearance Workers

Career Overview Video

AI Impact Assessment

AI Resilience Score

Score 4/6: growing job demand means AI will assist but humans remain essential

🟑AI-Augmented

How we calculated this:

AI Exposure
Medium+1

34% of tasks can be accelerated by AI

Job Growth
Growing+2

+8% projected (2024-2034)

Human Advantage
Moderate+1

EPOCH score: 18/25

Total Score4/6
Methodology: v2.0 - GPTs are GPTs / BLS / EPOCH Additive ScoringUpdated: 2026-01-09

Key Responsibilities

  • 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.
  • Establish budgets, and work within budgetary limits.
  • Select desired makeup shades from stock, or mix oil, grease, and coloring to achieve specific color effects.

Education & Training

Typical Entry Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Time to Job Ready

1-3 years

Based on Job Zone 3. For formal education duration only, see education_duration.

Technology Skills

Adobe PhotoshopAppointment scheduling softwareAutodesk MayaAutodesk MudboxBlogging softwareBookitliveClear BooksClient databasesCustomer relationship management CRM softwareDatInf DigiMakeupEmail softwareFacebookInstagramIntuit QuickBooksMicrosoft Excel

Key Abilities

Near VisionOral ComprehensionOral ExpressionArm-Hand SteadinessVisual Color DiscriminationFinger DexterityVisualizationManual DexterityWritten ComprehensionFluency of Ideas

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Compensation Details

$21,540
10th Percentile
$47,390
Median
$141,060
90th Percentile

Based on 4,130 employed workers

Also Known As

Beauty AdvisorBeauty SpecialistBeauty StylistBeauty TherapistBody Make-Up Artist (Body MUA)Character ArtistCommercial Makeup Artist (Commercial MUA)Eyelash Technician (Eyelash Tech)Hair and Makeup ArtistHair and Makeup Designer

Data from O*NET 30.1 and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics

O*NET Code: 39-5091.00