As of August 01, 2025, the average annual salary for Makeup Artist in San Jose, CA is $77,495, equivalent to $37 per hour, $1,490 weekly, or $6,458 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Makeup Artist in cities like Santa Clara, San Jose, and Fremont.

Annually Salaries for Makeup Artist in San Jose, CA vary widely, spanning from $51,453 to $94,533. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($63,864) and 75th percentile ($86,413), while top earners (90th percentile) make $94,533 per year. This $22,549 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Customer Service or Credit Card, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, San Jose Makeup Artist often earn 14.4% higher than national averages. However, San Jose currently ranks 2 statewide for Makeup Artist job salary. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like Healthcare to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Makeup Artist Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Makeup Artist Salary $51,453 San Jose, CA August 01, 2025
25th Percentile Makeup Artist Salary $63,864 San Jose, CA August 01, 2025
50th Percentile Makeup Artist Salary $77,495 San Jose, CA August 01, 2025
75th Percentile Makeup Artist Salary $86,413 San Jose, CA August 01, 2025
90th Percentile Makeup Artist Salary $94,533 San Jose, CA August 01, 2025
25% $63,864 10% $51,453 90% $94,533 75% $86,413 $77,495 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
Change Search Criteria

What is a Makeup Artist ?

A make-up artist or makeup artist is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other similar productions including all aspects of the modeling industry. Awards given for this profession in the entertainment industry include the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and even several entertainment industry awards such as the Emmy Awards and the Golden Globes. In the United States as well as the other parts of the globe, professional licenses are required by agencies in order for them to hire t...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Makeup Artist.

Job Openings for Makeup Artist in San Jose, CA

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Makeup Artist, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
63864
86413
77495

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
64114
81516
71000
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Makeup Artist in San Jose, CA. The base salary for Makeup Artist ranges from $63,864 to $86,413 with the average base salary of $77,495. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $64,114 to $81,516 with the average total cash compensation of $71,000.

Discover how your pay is adjusted for skills, experience, and other factors

How much should you be paid?

For a real-time salary target, tell us more about your role in the four categories below.

63864
86413

 

About San Jose, California    San Jose is located at 37°20′07″N 121°53′31″W / 37.335278°N 121.891944°W / 37.335278; -121.891944. According to the United States Census Bureau, th....More

San Jose, California  area prices were up 2.9% from a year ago

Makeup Artist Salary in popular cities: Los AngelesSan DiegoSan Francisco

Jobs with a similar salary range to Makeup Artist : Cosmetic Consultant, Cosmetician, Adoption Caseworker