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Makeup Artist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a makeup artist is $49,400 per annum, before tax, up $10,200 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- How you work shapes the pay more than anything else: a counter or salon job pays a wage, often with commission on product sales, while freelance work is priced per booking and rises with your client list.
- Wedding and event season bunches the work into warmer months, and screen work is usually negotiated per production.
- Brushes, products and sanitising supplies come out of your own money in either case.
The median salary rose by $10,200 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than makeup artist
The largest typical pay rise is $34,800 a year, moving into Store Manager.
- Store Manager+$34,800/yr
- Beauty Therapist+$11,900/yr
- Dermal Therapist+$10,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher makeup artist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time makeup artist salary is $49,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Personal care services and Hair and beauty services tend to command a premium over general makeup artist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Store Manager pays a typical $34,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Makeup Artist salary questions
How much do makeup artists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a makeup artist is $49,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is makeup artist pay rising or falling?
The median makeup artist salary is up $10,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than makeup artist?
Store Manager pays a typical $34,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to makeup artist.
Related salaries
- Beauty Therapist salary
- Eyelash Technician salary
- Nail Technician salary
- Dermal Therapist salary
- Store Manager salary
- Hairdresser salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.