SOC 39-5091 · Personal Care and Service Occupations
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, makeup artists, theatrical and performance earned a median of $97,150 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 2,340 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.
National pay distribution
Pay by state
Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
| State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $143,230 | $68.86 | 200 | 0.0 |
| California | $140,870 | $67.73 | 830 | 0.0 |
| Louisiana | $129,580 | $62.30 | Not published | Not published |
| New York | $97,150 | $46.71 | 190 | 0.0 |
| District of Columbia | $95,730 | $46.02 | 60 | 0.1 |
| Florida | $82,400 | $39.62 | 250 | 0.0 |
Pay by metro area
All 5 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $160,190 | $77.01 | 140 | 0.0 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $140,870 | $67.73 | 780 | 0.1 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $108,520 | $52.17 | 160 | 0.1 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $97,150 | $46.71 | 180 | 0.0 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $95,730 | $46.02 | 70 | 0.0 |
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.