Makeup artist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level makeup artist earnings begin at:

$82.77 per hour

$172,150 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level makeup artist earnings begin at:

$79.12 per hour

$164,560 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level makeup artist earnings begin at:

$64.78 per hour

$134,750 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level makeup artist earnings begin at:

$37.91 per hour

$78,850 per year

10th percentile

Starting level makeup artist earnings begin at:

$18.31 per hour

$38,070 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Makeup artist salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Tennessee $77,560
Florida $75,670
Georgia $58,000
Hawaii $47,720
Colorado $45,980
Pennsylvania $45,350
Texas $42,550
New Jersey $41,000
Puerto Rico $38,610
Illinois $30,100
Louisiana $28,620
Nevada $23,730
California $164,090
New York $129,500
District of Columbia $101,480

How do makeup artist salaries compare to similar careers?

Makeup artists earn 19% more than similar careers in the United States.

Career Median Salary
Art director salary $101K
Film director salary $79K
Filmmaker salary $79K
Naval architect salary $93K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)