Beauty & Personal Care

How to become a Makeup Artist

From no experience: every step, how long it takes, and the credential it earns.

Time to get there

2–9 months

Typical pay

$34k–$60k

Starting from

No experience

Pay is an estimate of typical US entry-level pay for this role and varies by state, employer and shift. The timeline assumes you are starting from no experience and includes any licence or programme legally required, not just course length.

The route

1. 1

   2–6 months

   Learn on real faces

   Formal school is optional in most states for makeup alone — check whether yours requires a licence.

2. 2

   3–6 months

   Build a portfolio

   Varied skin tones and ages, photographed properly. This is the entire hiring decision.

3. 3

   2–6 months

   Get retail or bridal work

   Counter work pays a wage and builds speed; bridal pays best per booking.

4. 4

   1–2 years

   Decide on a niche

   Bridal, editorial or film. Film and television need union membership for the better work.

5. ✓

   Destination

   Makeup Artist

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