Make-Up Artist

Types of Degrees Make-Up Artist Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many make-up artist/specialist graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	209
Basic Certificate	158
Associate Degree	73

What Make-Up Artist Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, make-up artist majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Make-Up Artist Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Make-Up Artist Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to make-up artist:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Make-Up Artist Majors

As you progress with your make-up artist degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Make-Up Artist Major?

People with a make-up artist degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	13.0%	$24,730
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance	12.5%	$64,250

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Make-Up Artist?

This major is dominated by women with about 85% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of make-up artist majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	0
Black or African American	2
Hispanic or Latino	9
White	54
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	8

How Much Do Make-Up Artist Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $30,190 to $72,030 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to make-up artist. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Make-Up Artist

Some careers associated with make-up artist require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to make-up artist have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	9.0%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	14.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	61.4%
Some College Courses	6.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	6.7%

Online Make-Up Artist Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	14	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	3	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Make-Up Artist Worth It?

The median salary for a make-up artist grad is $30,190 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Trades Related to Make-Up Artist

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to make-up artist.

Major	Number of Grads
General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist	50,210
Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist	40,040
Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist	13,960
Barbering/Barber	9,893
Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist	2,907
Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts	2,184
Master Aesthetician/Esthetician	1,729
Hair Styling/Stylist & Hair Design	1,238
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor	1,230
Electrolysis/Electrology & Electrolysis Technician	354
Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager	336
Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup & Tattooing	90

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Tiffany Bumgardner under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.