How much a makeup artist earns will vary from artist to artist depending on the industry they work in, the services they provide and their experience. Generally speaking, many makeup artists starting out in the profession will initially work for free or charge a small fee for their work in order to build up their portfolio, network and gain experience. For makeup artists who are self-employed or work on a freelance basis, they will be responsible for setting their own rates. Those that are self-employed and freelance makeup artists and are very well regarded in the industry are typically in high demand and can charge above the typical rates.
