Theatrical makeup artists prepare actors for live performances.
Without the work of theatrical makeup artists, theater performers would not look like stars. These makeup artists apply makeup to those who perform live on stage in front of an audience. In 2010, 2,240 of these makeup artists worked as part of the American workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries for these individuals tend to vary by employer and location.
Average Salary
Theater makeup artists earned an average salary of $63,040 per year, as of May 2010, according to the BLS. This salary was higher than the average salary for all makeup artists nationwide. The national average salary for makeup artists in general was $50,980, as reported by the bureau. This salary was also significantly lower than those made by other makeup artists in other industries such as the motion picture industry where makeup artists made an average of $80,250 per year.
Pay Scale
Placing the salary of these makeup artists within the larger pay scale for all makeup artists nationwide can provide some additional context. The median salary for makeup artists nationwide was $38,130 per year in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those comprising the middle 50 percent of the pay scale made between $22,200 and $74,160 per year. The highest paid makeup artists made salaries of $102,450 or more per year, while those at the bottom end of the pay scale made $17,740 or less.
Location
Location also provides some indication of how much a theater makeup artists can expect to make. The highest paid makeup artists worked in California and made an average salary of $75,870 per year in 2010, according to the BLS. Those employed in Ohio averaged $42,860 annually, while those employed in Nevada earned $39,210 per year.
Job Outlook
The number of jobs in the field of makeup artistry is expected to grow at a faster-than-average rate through 2018, according to the BLS. The bureau indicates that the number of jobs in this field should increase by about 17 percent from 2008 to 2018. The increased popularity and demand for entertaining in the form of movies, television and live performance should necessitate the creation of more jobs for makeup artists.
