Highest-paying Cities for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

The top 24 highest paying cities for makeup artists, theatrical and performance (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of makeup artists, theatrical and performance in those cities are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with a annual salary of $126,670, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New York is the highest paying city for makeup artists, theatrical and performance. It is followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California (average annual salary $106,590). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of makeup artists, theatrical and performance in a specific city, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 24 Highest-paying cities/areas for Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance

Rank	City/Area	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New York	$126,670	$63,250	220
2	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California	$106,590	$52,800	50
3	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California	$97,860	$50,660	1,390
4	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, Tennessee	$96,430	$39,350	30
5	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, District of Columbia	$93,810	$31,820	130
6	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, West Virginia	$83,360	$39,570	60
7	New York-White Plains-Wayne, New York	$82,300	$33,120	430
8	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California	$67,440	$21,970	1,750
9	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California	$62,290	$19,940	970
10	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia	$52,580	$26,790	320
11	San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo, Puerto Rico	$51,800	$21,900	50
12	Urban Honolulu, Hawaii	$48,670	$34,120	50
13	Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colorado	$46,460	$41,680	n/a
14	Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Florida	$45,910	$36,150	30
15	Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas	$45,710	$27,300	60
16	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida	$43,800	$29,000	40
17	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas	$41,710	$21,580	110
18	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida	$38,820	$37,670	250
19	Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas	$37,810	$20,860	60
20	Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California	$35,240	$31,320	30
21	Chicago-Joliet-Naperville (IL-IN-WI Area), Illinois	$31,570	$31,200	70
22	Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada	$27,490	$18,780	40
23	New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, Louisiana	$23,410	$17,530	n/a
24	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	$21,420	$16,750	n/a

See also: 💰 Highest paying industries for makeup artists, theatrical and performance.