Average Makeup Artist Salary

Average Makeup Artist Salary

Makeup artistry, like many other passions in life, offers those with creative talent and the inclination for such artistic favour to do this everyday for as long as they wish. For those with passion, it is not simply a job. However, at the base of the art it is a way of life as well as a way to make a living.

Many persons wonder how much a makeup artist makes on a monthly basis. Is it like a corporate position where the employee is dressed in shirt and tie and expected to be polished and put together to represent the company at all times? Or is it like a free day to day existence where the artist is responsible to no one and is expected to be a free spirit with eccentric habits? The answer is yes and no to each question. It all depends on which tangent of the cosmetic industry the makeup artist works in at the point in time.

A makeup fashion artist has the fluidity to serve in different sectors of the industry at differing points in his/her career or at the same time. It is this flexibility that would ensure that the artist maximises his/her talents, broadens his/her capabilities, expands his/her reputation and at the end of the day makes the most money. A makeup artist can work for a cosmetic firm as a full time beauty consultant, work on a photoshoot for a clothing line and do freelance jobs for bridal makeup all within the space of a week. And each job would require differing skills, working hours and remuneration.

Many young and budding makeup fashion artists can find jobs at cosmetic counters and in cosmetic store chains. Often the positions, especially the junior ones, require very long hours and are paid hourly rates of about US $ 15 per hour, plus commission. The advantage is once you work well within the firm, there is the opportunity to gain more experience and exposure and be promoted where the artist can command a higher salary.

Another avenue is working with photo studios, photographers and advertising agencies. These photoshoots sometimes demand a makeup artist to be on hand for half a day or for a full day of work. Depending on how many models requiring makeup and the type of look created, a makeup artist can expect to be paid anywhere from US $ 500 to $ 2,000 per shoot.

Work can also be found in theatre and operatic productions that demand makeup that is more elaborate and where there are hundreds of faces to be done. This will obviously require a whole team of individual makeup artists who can be paid around US $ 5000 for the full run of the production.

Make up artists working in Hollywood are well compensated for their skill and time on set and dealing with long hours and temperamental actors and directors. The top makeup fashion artists working in this field can make in the vicinity of a million US dollars a year. If the film or series is very successful, the artist can continue to secure work on sequential and other productions.

Makeup artistry can be a daunting career choice for those that are driven by money and not passion. It takes time to hone skills, make contacts and build a good reputation. The most successful make up artists are the personal artists for celebrities and famous clients and create their own lines of cosmetics which can continue to pay without limits.