Also called: Prosthetics Makeup Artist, Creature Effects Artist
Creates wounds, aging, monsters and alien faces using sculpted prosthetics, silicone and paint for film, TV and theme parks.
In the shop, she sculpts a werewolf nose in clay, molds it, and casts it in silicone. At 4 a.m. on set she spends three hours gluing it onto an actor and painting it so it looks real on camera.
Union film work pays well but is project-based.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 6 years after high school. Specialized makeup-effects schools, art or sculpture study, and years of work in effects shops; union membership for film.
Ways in: Trade school, Certification, On-the-job training, 4-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Theatre Arts, Fine Arts (Sculpture), Makeup Effects (certificate).
Growing about average. Concentrated in film and TV hubs.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Digital VFX and AI de-aging replace some practical effects, but sculpted prosthetics remain prized on set and in parks.
Classes: Art (sculpture), Theater tech crew, Chemistry.
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.