The average wage for a makeup artist in California is around $78.89 per hour.
Avg Wage
Makeup artists earn an average hourly wage of $78.89.
Salaries typically start from $29.77 per hour and go up to $82.77 per hour.
75% above national average Updated in 2021
Makeup artist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level makeup artist earnings begin at:
$82.77 per hour
$172,150 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level makeup artist earnings begin at:
$79.85 per hour
$166,090 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level makeup artist earnings begin at:
$78.89 per hour
$164,090 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level makeup artist earnings begin at:
$48.54 per hour
$100,960 per year
10th percentile
Starting level makeup artist earnings begin at:
$29.77 per hour
$61,930 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Makeup artist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Tennessee | $77,560 |
| Florida | $75,670 |
| Georgia | $58,000 |
| Hawaii | $47,720 |
| Colorado | $45,980 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,350 |
| Texas | $42,550 |
| New Jersey | $41,000 |
| Puerto Rico | $38,610 |
| Illinois | $30,100 |
| Louisiana | $28,620 |
| Nevada | $23,730 |
| California | $164,090 |
| New York | $129,500 |
| District of Columbia | $101,480 |
How do makeup artist salaries compare to similar careers?
Makeup artists earn 14% more than similar careers in California. On average, they make less than film directors but more than architects.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Film director salary | $107K |
| Filmmaker salary | $107K |
| Makeup artist salary | $164K |
| Naval architect salary | $100K |
| Detective salary | $104K |
| Police officer salary | $100K |
| Architect salary | $99K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)