The artistry of nails, makeup, lashes and brows, from neighborhood nail salons to Broadway, film monsters and permanent makeup.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Nail Salon Owner: Owns and runs a nail salon or studio, managing techs, supplies, safety and customers. Typical pay $75k.
Celebrity Makeup Artist: Does makeup for stars, magazine covers, fashion shows and ad campaigns. Typical pay $100k.
Special Effects Makeup Artist: Creates wounds, aging, monsters and alien faces using sculpted prosthetics, silicone and paint for film, TV and theme parks. Typical pay $90k.
Theatrical Makeup Artist: Designs and applies makeup and wigs for theater, opera, ballet and live shows so faces read from the back row. Typical pay $70k.
Permanent Makeup Artist: Uses tattoo techniques to create long-lasting eyebrows, eyeliner and lip color. Typical pay $60k.
Bridal Makeup Artist: Travels to weddings to do makeup for brides and bridal parties. Typical pay $55k.
Editorial Nail Artist: Creates nail designs for magazine shoots, ad campaigns, fashion shows and celebrities. Typical pay $60k.
Cosmetics Brand Makeup Artist: Represents a makeup brand at stores and events, training staff and leading makeovers. Typical pay $56k.
Lash & Brow Educator: Teaches lash extension and brow techniques to new artists through classes and certifications. Typical pay $60k.
Broadcast Makeup Artist: Does camera-ready makeup and hair for TV news anchors, talk show guests and live broadcasts under strict time pressure. Typical pay $62k.
Starter: fastest way in
Beauty Content Creator: Builds an audience with makeup and nail tutorials and earns money from brand deals, ads and products. Typical pay $50k.
Nail Technician: Cleans, shapes and decorates fingernails and toenails, including gel, acrylic and nail art. Typical pay $35k.
Lash Extension Artist: Glues individual synthetic lashes onto clients' natural lashes, one by one. Typical pay $45k.
Brow Threading Artist: Shapes eyebrows and removes facial hair using twisted cotton thread. Typical pay $32k.
Medical Nail Technician: Gives safe nail care to people with diabetes, poor circulation or other conditions, often in medical offices. Typical pay $45k.
Henna Artist: Draws temporary designs on skin with natural henna paste for weddings, festivals and events. Typical pay $30k.
Cosmetics Counter Artist: Does makeup applications and sells cosmetics in department and beauty stores. Typical pay $35k.
Press-On Nail Artist: Hand-paints and sculpts custom sets of reusable press-on nails and sells them online, shipping them to customers who apply them at home. Typical pay $35k.
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.