How to become a Theatrical and Performance Makeup Artist
Official title: Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Also called: Commercial Makeup Artist (Commercial MUA), Hair and Makeup Designer, Makeup Artist (MUA), Prosthetic Makeup Designer, Special Effects Makeup Artist (Special Effects MUA), Special Makeup Effects Artist, TV and Film Makeup Artist (Television and Film Makeup Artist)
Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.
Main 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.
How to become one
Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award
Ways in
- Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General; Make-Up Artist/Specialist; Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup and Tattooing
- Licence: A licence is required in 13 states.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $97,150 a year The middle half earn $34,530 to $143,230.
- About 4,300 people work in this job now, and about 4,600 are projected by 2035. (+6.1%)
- People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Theatrical and Performance Makeup Artist?
Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award.
How much does a Theatrical and Performance Makeup Artist earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $97,150 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $34,530 to $143,230.
Is a Theatrical and Performance Makeup Artist a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 4,300 to about 4,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Theatrical and Performance Makeup Artist?
Usually not. Only 21% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award.
Will AI change the work of a Theatrical and Performance Makeup Artist?
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.