Also called: Makeup Department Head
Leads the makeup team on a film or show, designing looks and doing the main actors' makeup.
A department head designs every character's look, from natural to zombie, then starts the day before dawn doing a star's makeup while managing a team of artists.
Approximate; heads of department on studio projects earn well into six figures.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Cosmetology or makeup school plus many years of set experience; IATSE Local 706.
Ways in: Certification, Trade school, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Cosmetology (trade school), Makeup Artistry.
Growing about average. Follows production levels.
Low risk for 10 years. AI previews looks, but designing and applying makeup to real faces and leading a team on set stays hands-on.
Classes: Art, Cosmetology CTE, Chemistry, Theater tech crew.
Official data: O*NET occupation 39-5091.
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.