Also called: Hyperrealistic Figure Sculptor, Wax Museum Artist
Sculpts life-size, lifelike wax or silicone figures of famous and historic people for wax attractions, museums, and films.
A wax figure sculptor studies hundreds of photos and measurements of a celebrity, sculpts the head in clay, and helps cast it in wax or silicone. Later they punch in real hair one strand at a time and paint thin layers of skin tone so veins and freckles show through.
Approximate; very few US jobs, at wax attractions and small studios that make lifelike figures for museums.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Usually a BFA in sculpture plus years of studio apprenticeship.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Fine Arts (Sculpture), Illustration, Theater Design.
Growing slowly. Tiny field; new figures are commissioned steadily but few studios exist.
Low risk for 10 years. 3D scans speed up the base sculpt; punching hair and painting real-looking skin stay slow, skilled handwork.
Classes: Art (sculpture or 3D), Biology or anatomy, Chemistry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1013.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.