A professional makeup artist’s salary largely depends on the reputation and clients he gets. It is believed that the median pay of these specialists come to around $52,000 per annum…
“I was getting to be around people that I would pay to hang out with, but I was getting paid for it. It was really fun.” – Dyana Aives, a professional makeup artist
There are many interesting and well paid jobs in the commercial industry. One of such career is that of a professional makeup artist. As the name suggests, a professional makeup artist is a person well trained in cosmetics and their application on the face of an individual. He is also an expert in altering the facial appearance of a person using wigs, prosthesis, and cosmetic items.
The work of these experts is evident in the beautiful and attractive faces as seen on TV, in magazines, fashion shows, award ceremonies, and other glamorous concerts. Since this job demands a great deal of expertise and hard work, the professional makeup artist salary comes to around a decent $52,000 per annum on an average.
Professional Makeup Artist Job Description
- Discussing with the creative team regarding what type of makeup is required.
- Preparing skin for makeup and informing clients about the application.
- Arranging for and using wigs, hairpieces, fake beards, masks and prosthetics on clients for theoretical or TV appearance.
- Applying makeup as per the appearance needed such as aging, sickness, scars, bruises, stains, and so on.
- Performing hairdressing as per the character required for the act.
Professional Makeup Artist Salary
The primary determinant of the income range of professional makeup artists is the type of employment. If a person is employed by a professional company, he may only receive a basic pay. On the contrary, if the same person provides services on a self-employed basis, he may earn a lot depending on the number of clients. More the number of clients, more would be the income and vice versa. The type of projects is also a notable criteria for finding out the earnings of these creative personnel.
Those working on local or theater projects might be limited to a certain salary. But those who take international projects for TV and magazine artists can earn a really good amount. After you have worked with well-known artists, you can ask for an increased salary as per your previous projects.
The years of experience also matters a lot in how much these makeup artists earn. A beginner in the field can expect anywhere from around $25,000 to $38,000 per annum. The pay range increases with the experience and improvements in the skill. For example, those holding a five to nine years of experience can look at a scale of about $23,500 to $50,000 each year. This range may rise from $30,300 to $58,300 for those bringing along 10 to 19 years of experience in the makeup industry.
In the state of New York, a professional makeup artist can receive an income up to $85,000 annually. The range drops down to about $19,000 from $66,000 in Florida. On the other hand, Massachusetts has a decent pay scale of $38,600 to $60,500 for these artistic professionals. In California, professional makeup artists can expect an income from $30,000 to $58,500 on a yearly basis. The pay range is somewhat less in Texas and Pennsylvania starting from about $20,000 to $40,000 per annum.
Along with the financial remuneration, some professional makeup artists get a chance to spend time with famous personalities from TV, movies, and the modeling world. This is an aspect that adds a lot of excitement to the career. Hopefully, the above information might have given you good information about the income of professional makeup artists.
If you are thinking of becoming a makeup artist, you more preferably need to do a course in cosmetology. However, formal education and certification is not required. A majority of people start out in a theater group, acquire the needed skills, network with people, and then end up with big projects.