SALARY DATA — SOC 39-5091
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations
The 90/10 ratio for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance is 7.17× — the top decile earns $167,470 against the bottom decile at $23,360. That spread is 7.17× wide. The band is wider than employers typically represent; knowing where you sit in it is the whole game.
BLS OEWS reference period: May 2025. Employment: 2,340.
Wage distribution — the receipts
National OEWS annual wage percentiles. "vs. median" column shows each percentile relative to the occupation's own national median — this is where your position in the band lives. Source and series IDs: methodology page.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs. median | Hourly (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th pct — bottom decile | $23,360 | -76% | ~$11 |
| 25th pct — lower quartile | $34,530 | -64% | ~$17 |
| Median — 50th pct | $97,150 | — | $46.71/hr |
| Mean — average | $102,240 | +5% | $49.16/hr |
| 75th pct — upper quartile | $143,230 | +47% | ~$69 |
| 90th pct — top decile | $167,470 | +72% | ~$81 |
Source: BLS OEWS national estimates. Annual wage ÷ 2,080 hrs = hourly estimate. Hourly-median is direct from OEWS when available; others are estimates only.
Pay by metro area
BLS publishes May 2025 wage estimates for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance in 5 metro areas; the 5 with the most jobs are below, ranked by employment.
| Metro | Jobs | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 780 | $140,870 | $76,340 | $169,590 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 180 | $97,150 | $77,900 | $192,780 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 160 | $108,520 | $32,040 | $270,140 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 140 | $160,190 | $64,480 | $162,080 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 70 | $95,730 | $52,000 | $138,770 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — metropolitan area estimates (oesm25ma/MSA_M2025_dl.xlsx). Jobs are rounded to the nearest ten and exclude the self-employed; a dash means BLS suppressed that percentile.
Pay by industry
Across 5 detailed industries with a publishable estimate, the 5 that employ the most Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance are below, with the median wage each one pays.
| Industry | NAICS | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | 512100 | 1,140 | $140,870 |
| Employment Services | 561300 | 80 | $132,140 |
| Performing Arts Companies | 711100 | 60 | $66,890 |
| Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations | 516100 | 50 | $81,520 |
| Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers | 516200 | 40 | $95,730 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — national 4-digit NAICS industry estimates (oesm25in4/nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx), all ownerships combined. Industries where BLS suppresses the wage are omitted rather than shown as zero.
What it pays vs. what it buys
The wage is only half the number. Below, the metro median for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance is divided by that metro's BEA Regional Price Parity — the federal measure of what a dollar actually buys there. Nominal is what the job pays. Real is what it buys at local prices.
| Metro | Nominal | Prices | Real | Rank shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $160,190 | 96.7 | $165,636 | — |
| Los Angeles | $140,870 | 113.6 | $124,042 | — |
| Orlando | $108,520 | 98.9 | $109,686 | — |
| Washington | $95,730 | 102.3 | $93,597 | +1 |
| New York | $97,150 | 112.6 | $86,307 | -1 |
Top 10 of 5 metros by real wage. Rank shift = places gained or lost against the nominal ranking. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities (national = 100). Metros where BLS suppresses the estimate are omitted rather than shown as zero. Full data at /salaries-metro.json.
Is this job growing or dying?
BLS projects employment in Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance to move from 4,300 to 4,600 over 2025–2035 — +6.1% , with about 600 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted . Typical entry requirement: postsecondary nondegree award.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025–2035). Openings count growth and replacement need together, which is why a shrinking occupation can still hire. Full data at /employment-projections.json.
Salary FAQ
- What is the median salary for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance?
- The median annual salary for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance is $97,150, and the mean is $102,240 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025).
- What is the salary range for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance?
- Most Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance earn between $23,360 and $167,470 a year. The wage gap inside the occupation is a 7.17× ratio — workers at the 90th percentile earn 7.17 times those at the 10th (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- Where does pay for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance fall the most after adjusting for cost of living?
- Local prices reorder the ranking. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ranks #4 by nominal pay but #5 of 5 metros once local prices are applied (BEA Regional Price Parities).
- Is employment for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance growing or shrinking?
- BLS projects Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance employment to grow 6.1% over the 2025–2035 window, with about 600 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).
- How many Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance jobs are there in the US?
- BLS counts about 2,340 workers in Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Figures from this page's OEWS / Employment Projections / BEA data, above. Methodology at /methodology#oews-salaries.
Related occupations
Other Personal Care and Service Occupations whose national median wage is closest to that of Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance: same SOC major group, nearest median first.
- First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers $63,820
- Embalmers $58,780
- Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers $55,010
- Costume Attendants $50,400
- First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers $48,590
- First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services $48,560
- Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $47,160
- Skincare Specialists $45,330
The national wage distribution and the metro and industry tables above are BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance (SOC 39-5091): percentiles from the OEWS API series, metro and industry rows from the published bulk tables — how they are fetched, what OEWS leaves out (equity, bonuses, benefits) and how the 90/10 ratio is read are documented at /methodology#oews-salaries and #oews-breakdown. The other sections keep their own sources and periods: the cost-adjusted metro table divides OEWS metro medians by BEA Regional Price Parities (/methodology#burnout-index); the outlook and its FAQ entry are BLS Employment Projections for 2025–2035.
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