Makeup Artist job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$97,150

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance (O*NET-SOC 39-5091.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Clean supplies such as makeup brushes. importance 5.0 of 5
2. Duplicate work precisely to replicate characters' appearances on a daily basis. importance 4.9 of 5
3. Apply makeup to enhance or alter the appearance of people appearing in productions such as movies. importance 4.9 of 5
4. Analyze a script, noting events that affect each character's appearance, so that plans can be made for each scene. importance 4.8 of 5
5. Alter or maintain makeup during productions as necessary to compensate for lighting changes or to achieve continuity of effect. importance 4.8 of 5
6. Confer with stage or motion picture officials and performers to determine desired effects. importance 4.7 of 5
7. Requisition or acquire needed materials for special effects, including wigs, beards, and special cosmetics. importance 4.7 of 5
8. Study production information, such as character descriptions, period settings, and situations, to determine makeup requirements. importance 4.6 of 5
9. Establish budgets, and work within budgetary limits. importance 4.6 of 5
10. Select desired makeup shades from stock, or mix oil, grease, and coloring to achieve specific color effects. importance 4.5 of 5
11. Write makeup sheets and take photos to document specific looks and the products used to achieve the looks. importance 4.5 of 5
12. Assess performers' skin type to ensure that makeup will not cause break-outs or skin irritations. importance 4.5 of 5
13. Attach prostheses to performers and apply makeup to create special features or effects, such as scars, aging, or illness. importance 4.3 of 5
14. Examine sketches, photographs, and plaster models to obtain desired character image depiction. importance 4.3 of 5
15. Cleanse and tone the skin to prepare it for makeup application. importance 4.2 of 5
16. Evaluate environmental characteristics, such as venue size and lighting plans, to determine makeup requirements. importance 4.1 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Thinking Creatively, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information and Making Decisions and Solving Problems.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Advise hairdressers on the hairstyles required for character parts.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Fine Arts, Design and Communications and Media.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Adobe Photoshop, Facebook, Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a makeup artist.

The most common answer among O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation is a high school diploma or equivalent (33%).

Job title: Makeup Artist
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Makeup Artist to apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in speaking, reading comprehension and active listening
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Adobe Photoshop or Facebook]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $97,150 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $46.71. BLS estimates about 2,340 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 600 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full makeup artist salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real makeup artist posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Clean supplies such as makeup brushes”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only makeup artist work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (speaking and reading comprehension).