Makeup artist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level makeup artist earnings begin at:

$78.38 per hour

$163,030 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level makeup artist earnings begin at:

$64.28 per hour

$133,700 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level makeup artist earnings begin at:

$62.26 per hour

$129,500 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level makeup artist earnings begin at:

$50.09 per hour

$104,190 per year

10th percentile

Starting level makeup artist earnings begin at:

$47.49 per hour

$98,780 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 12% more than similar careers in New York. On average, they make more than detectives.

Career Median Salary
Makeup artist salary $130K
Filmmaker salary $99K
Film director salary $99K
Film and video editor salary $99K
Detective salary $100K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)