Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Personal Care and Service · SOC 39-5091
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 39-5091 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 55/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $97,150
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 600
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +8.1%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 744 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~34.1% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.
Common titles: Commercial Makeup Artist (Commercial MUA), Hair and Makeup Designer, Makeup Artist (MUA), Prosthetic Makeup Designer, Special Effects Makeup Artist (Special Effects MUA), Special Makeup Effects Artist
Representative Tasks
- •Clean supplies such as makeup brushes.
- •Duplicate work precisely to replicate characters' appearances on a daily basis.
- •Apply makeup to enhance or alter the appearance of people appearing in productions such as movies.
- •Analyze a script, noting events that affect each character's appearance, so that plans can be made for each scene.
- •Alter or maintain makeup during productions as necessary to compensate for lighting changes or to achieve continuity of effect.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Clean equipment or supplies.
- •Clean tools or equipment.
- •Apply makeup to alter or enhance appearance.
- •Review production information to determine costume or makeup requirements.
- •Collaborate with others to determine production details.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 2.1% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 52% Bright |
| Median Salary | $97,150 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |