Becoming a make up artist, beautician or cosmetologist is not an easy task. Though some may view the “beauty” industry to be base and superficial, fact of the matter is that being a make up artist who makes a good salary takes a whole lot of skill and know-how, a lot of which cannot be taught during basic make up classes in a beauty trade school. Aside from having a thorough knowledge of how to properly apply make up, an artist also needs to be aware of other aspects of the job that he or she is working in, such as:

• If you are working for a stage or television production, knowing what effects stage lighting or costumes will have on a performer’s appearance is imperative
• If you are working with a character who as been physically described in a script, a make up artist must be fully knowledgeable of that character and ensure that she or he makes that character look as they are meant to appear

If you are a make up artist or a make up artist in training who is really looking to boost his or her earning potential, some things you can do to increase your potential earnings include:

• Taking specialized courses apart from those specified for your beauty school diploma program, such as taking a course in media make up
• Volunteering for free for community theater events to really hone your skills
• Taking the time to work at a beauty counter
• Becoming an apprentice to a more experienced make up artist

So this leads to question, just how much can a make up artist make? The salaries differ greatly depending on what field and how much experience you have. A daily rate for a make up artist can range from $400 to $2000 a day (or more if you are one of the lucky few to be working on a Hollywood production). The annual salary for most make up artists tends to be around $35,000 a year for doing basic beauty jobs.

If you decide to work in theater, you can increase your earning potential from $45,000 to $75,000. Oftentimes theater production companies will also offer you full time work and medical benefits, retirement plans, and paid time off.

Hollywood make up artists tend to earn the most, some of them making as much as 1 million dollars a year. Though it is incredibly difficult to get into that side of the business, never give up! Those make up artists got there through connections and hard work.

It can be rather difficult to get past the beauty counter or freelance make up artist side of things, which is why it is ever so important to network, network, network! Make friends with those in your beauty schools and get to know who they know. Attend different events and volunteer for as much as you can – community theater, small fashion shows, or even host “make up parties” and show off your skills. Remember, you never know who you may run into or who other people know.