Ever wondered what someone else is making on their job? Well, the answers are out there. If you are considering becoming a make-up artist, here are the figures.

A make up artist is as the name suggests an artist. It is their job to apply the make up used by models or performers. It is not just the applying of beauty aids, but they also apply special effects make up that can be anything from showing aging to creating a monster. It is not a field that one can prepare for with normal schooling. Although some college preparation can help, it is more often trade school type education and on the job training that is more the norm.

The most prestigious area of the make up artist field is the Hollywood motion picture industry. It is a highly competitive field with very few openings. It was estimated by one magazine that if no new make up artists were hired for the next ten years, every motion picture made during that time could be handled by the existing artists. Although this might be discouraging for someone considering this field, it is similar to professional sports. In other words, when a new artist wins a job in the industry, another one gets “cut.” Make up artists in Hollywood can be very well paid, too. Earning in excess of a million dollars a year is not unheard of it for the top artists.

Another area where make up artists can work is the much more diverse modeling and photography field. It is not quite as hard to get into this field and some people even begin to do it on a free lance basis. It takes sometime to build up a good relationship with the agencies and photographers, but the rewards justify the effort. A junior free lance make up artist can earn between $400 and $600 per day, while an experienced one could earn between $1200 and $2000 a day.

One report that covered estimated salaries for make up artists listed their income potential as being between $24,000 and $50,700 per year. This was an average for several different groups of artists including those working in the theater industry.

The make up artist field is exciting and can be extremely profitable. Sadly, it is also difficult to prepare for it and harder still to find employment in it. Many artists have had to hold other related jobs, like in beauty salons, while they slowly and carefully gain experience and make contacts. Some are willing to take on jobs without pay to gain the experience and to fill out their resumes. If you are successful, you can expect to be more than amply compensated.