Best degree programs for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance, ranked by enrollment
3 college programs and 1,356 schools train Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $97,150 median wage, 2,340 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
3 college programs at 1,356 schools train makeup artists, theatrical and performance, graduating 57,293 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General. The job pays a median of $97,150 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About makeup artists, theatrical and performance
Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
3 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 12.0401 | 56,828 | 99.2% | 1,353 | $17,113 | $10,000 |
| 2 | CIP 12.0406 | 374 | 0.7% | 20 | $17,113 | $10,000 |
| 3 | CIP 12.0411 | 91 | 0.2% | 2 | $17,113 | $10,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What makeup artists, theatrical and performance earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140,870 | 830 | 3.03× | 117 | 6,747 |
| Florida | $82,400 | 250 | 1.68× | 106 | 4,155 |
| Georgia | $143,230 | 200 | 2.67× | 44 | 3,692 |
| New York | $97,150 | 190 | 1.32× | 33 | 1,823 |
| Louisiana | $129,580 | — | — | 28 | 1,696 |
| District of Columbialimited | $95,730 | 60 | 5.90× | 2 | 53 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Alter or maintain makeup during productions as necessary to compensate for lighting changes or to achieve continuity of effect.
- Confer with stage or motion picture officials and performers to determine desired effects.
- Requisition or acquire needed materials for special effects, including wigs, beards, and special cosmetics.
- Study production information, such as character descriptions, period settings, and situations, to determine makeup requirements.
Skills
- Speaking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Active Listening3.5
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Writing2.9
- Learning Strategies2.8
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.4
- English Language4.1
- Fine Arts3.7
- Communications and Media3.5
- Design3.5
- Administration and Management2.9
Abilities
- Near Vision4.1
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Oral Expression3.9
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.9
- Visual Color Discrimination3.9
- Finger Dexterity3.8
Core activities
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.6
- Thinking Creatively4.6
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.4
- Getting Information4.4
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.2
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.0
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Makeup Artist
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 12.0401Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
- 12.0406Make-Up Artist/Specialist
- 12.0411Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup and Tattooing
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Makeup Artist?+
Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General, which awarded 56,828 degrees in 2024-25, 99.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Makeup Artist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services. Together they graduate about 57,293 people a year.
How much do makeup artists, theatrical and performance earn?+
The median is $97,150 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $23,360 at the 10th percentile to $167,470 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for makeup artists, theatrical and performance growing?+
BLS projects a +8.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 1,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
1,356 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do makeup artists, theatrical and performance work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Makeup Artist (MUA), Hair and Makeup Designer, Special Effects Makeup Artist (Special Effects MUA), TV and Film Makeup Artist (Television and Film Makeup Artist) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 39-5091.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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