Makeup Artists build judgment and decision making, coordination and complex problem solving skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Fashion Designers (75%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fashion Designers | 75% | $80,960 | −17% | None |
| 2 | Art Directors | 67% | $114,850 | +18% | Bachelor's degree |
| 3 | Special Effects Artists and Animators | 65% | $102,030 | +5% | Bachelor's degree |
| 4 | Producers and Directors | 61% | $90,360 | −7% | Bachelor's degree |
| 5 | Talent Directors | 61% | $90,360Pay for the broader BLS group “Producers and Directors” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | 57% | $133,660 | +38% | Bachelor's degree |
| 7 | Music Directors and Composers | 56% | $73,710 | −24% | Bachelor's degree |
| 8 | Administrative Services Managers | 54% | $114,130 | +17% | None |
| 9 | Graphic Designers | 54% | $62,960 | −35% | Bachelor's degree |
| 10 | Costume Attendants | 54% | $50,400 | −48% | None |
Compared with Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance, median $97,150. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as makeup artists (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
75% skill match · $80,960 · −17% pay
Negotiation · Management of Personnel Resources · Instructing
67% skill match · $114,850 · +18% pay
Operations Analysis · Time Management · Systems Evaluation
65% skill match · $102,030 · +5% pay
Operation and Control · Programming · Systems Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Fashion Designers (75% skill match, median $80,960), Art Directors (67% skill match, median $114,850) and Special Effects Artists and Animators (65% skill match, median $102,030), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 9 pay more than makeup artists at the median. The biggest increases: Marketing Managers (+72%, $166,790), Public Relations Managers (+51%, $146,910) and Advertising and Promotions Managers (+38%, $133,660).
7 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.