Earn More MoneyNovember 22, 2019December 23, 2019

How Much Money Can A Makeup Artist Earn?

The cosmetic industry is a multi-billion dollar sector. However, it is extremely competitive. Regardless, there are many people who try their hand at becoming a makeup artist. This can be a lucrative career. However, before learning any skill, trade or job, you should know what your potential for earning is.

Being a makeup artist is a double edge sword. First, there is a high learning cap. Doing someone’s makeup takes knowledge, experience, and precision. Furthermore, the high competitiveness of the business means you’ll have people undercutting your prices where they can.

The caveat to this is that if you build a client base, become amazing at your craft, people will be willing to pay your prices. Put yourself in the shoes of the consumer. Would you rather pay $20 and get a mediocre job done? Or, would you rather pay $80 and have your clients satisfied? Therefore, we are going to take a dive into the cosmetic sector and see how much money you can potentially earn as an MUA.

What Do Makeup Artists Do?

Unsurprisingly, makeup artists do makeup and a wide variety at that. In many contexts, makeup artists are a necessity. Think of the entertainment industry. Every movie has a slew of makeup artists at their beck and call. These makeup artists do everything from contouring to creating stunning visual effects.

One thing many people forget is that makeup artists do more than just put on eye shadow. They’re artists. Therefore, a makeup artist can work on movie sets, weddings, events, etc. If you’ve ever seen the movie My Girl, actress Jamie Lee Curtis even puts makeup on corpses to make them look presentable.

There are many things that makeup artists do, it would be impossible for me to list off of their responsibilities. Therefore, if you know exactly what field you would like to go in, research the typical responsibilities. For example, a freelance MUA’s responsibilities are to acquire the customer’s desired look. Whereas, an artist who is doing makeup for a movie will need to work within the director’s vision.

How To Become A Certified/Licensed MUA

When you’re looking to become an MUA, you may need a certification or license. This can vary from state to state or province to province. From what I can find, it does not appear that you need any sort of certification to be a makeup artist. However, you do need one to be employed as a hairstylist.

Although you do not need a certification to become an MUA, this does not mean that you should not have one. Just like any profession, the most trusted people are those who went through some sort of formal training. This can be through schooling or other ways. There will be people who will take a certified MUA over one that is not certified but has had 5 years’ experience. People value formal knowledge, sometimes more than the actual experience.

This certificate shows that you’ve gained fundamental knowledge and have trained with mentors and teachers. Much like any schooling, you’re being taught by those who’ve spent years in the industry. Furthermore, you’ll have a certificate to back up your hard work and dedication. Having “certified MUA” on your website or business cards as a freelancer well help you gain people’s trust. This will ultimately lead to more customers.

Becoming certified is critical in your advancement within the workforce as well. If you want to become a makeup artist at a store or company, it would be advantageous to have that certification on your resume. It’ll separate you from those who don’t have it and make your time traversing the workforce much smoother.

There are many different ways to gain this certification. You can go to in-person classes near you or purchase a course online. The prices truly vary. Websites like Iapcollege.com have a makeup artist certificate course for $77. Whereas, some online classes can be nearly $1,000. There are also schools that specialize in makeup. CMU college gives a comprehensive 26-week course.

The course is approximately $15,000. However, you’re getting knowledge from professionals with over 30 years of experience. If you took a course like this you’d most likely be miles ahead of those who don’t. However, always chose the avenue that suits you.

Average Salary

The average salary for a makeup artist can vary greatly. The amount you earn can depend on experience, the field of work, customer service, freelance or workforce, and many other factors. According to Neuvoo.ca, makeup artists can earn an average of $79,000 a year.

There is a wide range of income levels in which makeup artists can hope to acquire. This income may seem high. However, it takes a lot of time, patience and effort to reach this goal. As a freelancer or working for a company, the goal of $79,000 a year is achievable. However, you need experience and skill. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. If you’re just starting out and have almost no professional experience, you can expect to earn around $30,000 a year.

If you want to make more money as a makeup artist, you need to hone in on your craft and develop a portfolio that is hard to look away from. Create an amazing portfolio, clients and companies will want to hire you. this of your professional portfolio as a resume.

The more you market yourself as a professional with unprecedented skill, the more people will notice. However, it is a very saturated market. Therefore, you need to be very consistent. At the start, you may not be making close to $20,000 a year, this is the harsh reality.

If you’re able to incorporate other avenues, your earnings potential can skyrocket. These days, it’s not enough to just do a couple of part-time gigs here and there. Therefore, its time to go through some revenue avenues that can help you bring your income up to the desired level.

Revenue Avenues

As a makeup artist, you’ll have a lot of options when it comes to earning money. Therefore, you should utilize every method of exposure to maximize your earnings. Building an empire can be slow. However, consistency and dedication is the key to becoming successful. Fortunately for us, the internet is a thing. This means that someone from cities away can see your face and work from the click of the button. Therefore, let’s dive into some ways to increase exposure and revenue.

YouTube/Influencer

Becoming a YouTuber and influencer can do wonders for your career. Not only will you earn money through the monetization of your videos. You will have the ability to connect with millions of people who’re able to see your skills. Many of them won’t be able to request your services because you’re going to be too far away. However, those who’re close to you will be able to request your services. This goes for posting pictures on Instagram as well.

Since you’ll have an active Instagram and YouTube channel, you’re open to sponsorships and affiliate marketing. A simple amazon associate link for a few of the makeup products you’re using can earn your hundreds to thousands of dollars a month. Mix this in with any sponsorships, jobs or gigs you may have and you’ll obtain several streams of income. For those who don’t know, possessing several streams of income is one of the keys to financial freedom.

Freelancer + Career

Above, I talk about earning money through either freelance or your career. However, there is nothing stopping you from doing both. Make makeup artists have their own side hustle while having a full-time job. This is a great strategy because you’re bound to have free time. This means you can hone in on your craft, earn more money and become a more valuable employee as you progress.

Create A Program

Once you’ve accumulated enough experience and have been in the industry for a long time, you may want to create a program. A program that’ll teach up and coming entrepreneurs how to be successful in the cosmetic industry. You can also teach them how to develop their makeup skills.

The best way to do this is by creating an online course with a ton of videos and hosting in-person workshops. The people who can’t make it to your workshops because of distance will be able to still learn through your teachings. Whereas those who’re within close proximity can gain hands-on experience.

You need to make yourself available to as many people as possible. However, selling information and knowledge has proven to be a very important and lucrative business. Incorporate this into your road map to success and you should see an increase in profit!

Hopefully, this article was useful and you’ve gained something out of it. See you next week for another blog!

Shameed Chris Khan

Shameed is just a man on a mission to help those around him gain financial success. Obsessed with writing about all things finance, this GTA native is constantly learning and sharing his experiences with others.