Personal Care and Service Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 39-5091

Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

The published band from $23,360 to $167,470 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Embalmers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance: Embalmers ($59K) , Animal Trainers ($40K) , Costume Attendants ($50K) , Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers ($55K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 39-5091 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Clean supplies such as makeup brushes
  2. 2. Duplicate work precisely to replicate characters' appearances on a daily basis
  3. 3. Apply makeup to enhance or alter the appearance of people appearing in productions such as movies
  4. 4. Analyze a script, noting events that affect each character's appearance, so that plans can be made for each scene
  5. 5. Alter or maintain makeup during productions as necessary to compensate for lighting changes or to achieve continuity of effect
  6. 6. Confer with stage or motion picture officials and performers to determine desired effects
  7. 7. Requisition or acquire needed materials for special effects, including wigs, beards, and special cosmetics
  8. 8. Study production information, such as character descriptions, period settings, and situations, to determine makeup requirements
  9. 9. Establish budgets, and work within budgetary limits
  10. 10. Select desired makeup shades from stock, or mix oil, grease, and coloring to achieve specific color effects
  11. 11. Write makeup sheets and take photos to document specific looks and the products used to achieve the looks
  12. 12. Assess performers' skin type to ensure that makeup will not cause break-outs or skin irritations

Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance: O*NET ranks Speaking first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 39-5091 - lead skill Speaking at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Speaking 3.8
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.6
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.5
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.3
  5. 5. Judgment and Decision Making 3.3
  6. 6. Active Learning 3.1
  7. 7. Monitoring 3.1
  8. 8. Coordination 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.4
  2. 2. English Language 4.1
  3. 3. Fine Arts 3.7
  4. 4. Design 3.5
  5. 5. Communications and Media 3.5
  6. 6. Administration and Management 2.9
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$23,360 to $167,470
median $97,150 · ~7.2× spread
$97K
National median
↑ +8%
Growth 2024-2034
1,100
Annual openings
2,340
Estimated US jobs
Embalmers
Highest-pay peer · $59K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Top Paying States for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

1. Florida $82,400
2. New York $97,150
3. California $140,870
4. Georgia $143,230
5. Louisiana $129,580
6. District of Columbia $95,730

Other Personal Care and Service Occupations titles

  1. 1. Embalmers $58,780
  2. 2. Costume Attendants $50,400
  3. 3. Animal Trainers $39,990
  4. 4. Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers $55,010
  5. 5. Skincare Specialists $45,330
  6. 6. Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $47,160

The OEWS band for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance runs from $23,360 (10th) to $167,470 (90th), about 7.2× wide, with median $97,150. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +8% change between 2024 and 2034 (much faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,100 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Florida at $82,400. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Embalmers at $58,780. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance pay-rank #1 in Personal Care and Service Occupations

Among 32 detailed Personal Care and Service Occupations with a published OEWS median, Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance is pay-rank #1, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 39-5091

Florida · top state for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

$82K published median

New York · #2 state pay

$97K · behind Florida

Embalmers

Highest-pay peer vs Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance · $59K

Animal Trainers

Lower-pay peer beside Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance · $40K

Compare Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Personal Care and Service Occupations titles sit near Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance at the top of the pay table? ▼
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance is pay-rank #1 of 32 detailed Personal Care and Service Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers ($64K), Embalmers ($59K), Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers ($55K), Costume Attendants ($50K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do makeup artists, theatrical and performance do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for makeup artists, theatrical and performance? ▼
For SOC 39-5091, O*NET importance scores lead with Speaking (3.8), Reading Comprehension (3.6), Active Listening (3.5), Critical Thinking (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Fine Arts. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $23,360 and the 90th at $167,470 for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance (7.2× spread). The national median is $97,150. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance is +8%. Projected annual openings: about 1,100. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: much faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance? ▼
BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance? ▼
Florida ($82,400), New York ($97,150), California ($140,870) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 39-5091. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics