Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Also called: Hair and Makeup Designer, Makeup Artist (MUA), Special Effects Makeup Artist (Special Effects MUA), TV and Film Makeup Artist (Television and Film Makeup Artist)Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 21 rated tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 6.1% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 8.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other personal appearance workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in information, which employs about 69% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140,870 | $124,800 to $143,450 | 830 |
| District of Columbia | $95,730 | $68,560 to $95,730 | 60 |
| Florida | $82,400 | $32,910 to $150,280 | 250 |
| Georgia | $143,230 | $100,450 to $160,190 | 200 |
| Louisiana | $129,580 | $116,510 to $131,930 | not published |
| New York | $97,150 | $96,540 to $146,200 | 190 |
Nationally: $97,150. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 9 of its 21 rated tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not rated | Clean supplies such as makeup brushes. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply makeup to enhance or alter the appearance of people appearing in productions such as movies. | Not published |
| Not much | Alter or maintain makeup during productions as necessary to compensate for lighting changes or to achieve continuity of effect. | Not published |
| Not much | Duplicate work precisely to replicate characters' appearances on a daily basis. | Not published |
| AI + software | Analyze a script, noting events that affect each character's appearance, so that plans can be made for each scene. | Not published |
| Not much | Select desired makeup shades from stock, or mix oil, grease, and coloring to achieve specific color effects. | Not published |
See all 22 tasks
| Not much | Confer with stage or motion picture officials and performers to determine desired effects. | Not published |
| Not much | Assess performers' skin type to ensure that makeup will not cause break-outs or skin irritations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Study production information, such as character descriptions, period settings, and situations, to determine makeup requirements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Establish budgets, and work within budgetary limits. | Not published |
| AI + software | Evaluate environmental characteristics, such as venue size and lighting plans, to determine makeup requirements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Examine sketches, photographs, and plaster models to obtain desired character image depiction. | Not published |
| AI + software | Write makeup sheets and take photos to document specific looks and the products used to achieve the looks. | Not published |
| Not much | Requisition or acquire needed materials for special effects, including wigs, beards, and special cosmetics. | Not published |
| Not much | Cleanse and tone the skin to prepare it for makeup application. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide performers with makeup removal assistance after performances have been completed. | Not published |
| Not much | Attach prostheses to performers and apply makeup to create special features or effects, such as scars, aging, or illness. | Not published |
| Not much | Design rubber or plastic prostheses that can be used to change performers' appearances. | Not published |
| AI + software | Create character drawings or models, based upon independent research, to augment period production files. | Not published |
| AI alone | Demonstrate products to clients, and provide instruction in makeup application. | Not published |
| AI + software | Advise hairdressers on the hairstyles required for character parts. | Not published |
| Not much | Wash and reset wigs. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 22 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 22 tasks fall under 12 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #16 Create artistic designs or performances
- #25 Communicate with others about specifications or project details
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apply hygienic or cosmetic agents to skin or hair | |||
| Study details of artistic productions | |||
| Create artistic designs or performances | |||
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Manage budgets or finances | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas |
Show all 12 activities
| Evaluate patient or client condition or treatment options | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Groom or style hair | |||
| Train others on health or medical topics |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report29%
- A video or animation24%
- An explanation or answer12%
- A plan or strategy12%
- An analysis or summary6%
How they worked with Claude
53% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for makeup artists, theatrical and performance specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 19,766 moves out
- 1 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 7%
- 2 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 5%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 14,888 moves in
- 1 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 10%
- 2 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 5%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 10% less than high school
- 33% high school
- 29% postsecondary certificate
- 10% some college
- 5% associate's
- 10% bachelor's
- 5% professional doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 21 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 5% less than high school
- 32% high school
- 32% some college
- 7% associate's
- 21% bachelor's
- 3% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other personal appearance workers” · 210 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
3 programs: Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General, Make-Up Artist/Specialist and Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup and Tattooing.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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