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How much does a theatrical makeup artist make?

Typical yearly pay for makeup artists, theatrical and performance in the United States.

$97,150

median pay per year, about $8,096 a month or $46.71 an hour.

That's more than 73% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #28 of 100.

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Where it ranks

Dental hygienist$98,100
Speech-language pathologist$97,870
Registered nurse$97,550
Theatrical makeup artist$97,150
MRI technologist$95,480
Power line worker$95,320
Ship captain or pilot$92,460

Similar jobs

How much does a theatrical makeup artist make per hour?

About $46.71 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.

Becoming a theatrical makeup artist

The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.

How to become a theatrical makeup artist

About this number

This is the national median wage for the occupation “Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance” (code 39-5091.00) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.