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The differences between makeup artists and hair stylists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a makeup artist, becoming a hair stylist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a makeup artist has an average salary of $41,026, which is higher than the $38,221 average annual salary of a hair stylist.
The top three skills for a makeup artist include customer service, product knowledge and store events. The most important skills for a hair stylist are cosmetology, clips, and kids.
| Makeup Artist | Hair Stylist | |
| Yearly salary | $41,026 | $38,221 |
| Hourly rate | $19.72 | $18.38 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 4,620 | 49,578 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | High School Diploma, 31% |
| Average age | 34 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A makeup artist is a beauty enthusiast offering makeup services depending on the clients' needs and event purposes. Makeup artists must have a broad knowledge of the beauty and fashion industry to provide recommendations and create the best aesthetic looks for clients. Makeup artists also need to have an understanding of colors and styles, as well as extensive options on long-lasting makeup materials and cosmetic toolkits. A makeup artist in a professional setting often works alongside other stylists to manage the right looks for clients.
A Hair Stylist's role is to provide services such as haircuts, treatments, coloring, styling, and even maintenance. Most of the time, the clients choose which style or treatment they would prefer, which is why a Hair Stylist must have extensive knowledge and keep up the current trends in Hair Styling. Moreover, a Hair Stylist can also recommend styling and treatments that would suit the client, even sell Hair Care products. Aside from providing quality service, it is also essential for a Hair Stylist to build rapport with clients to ensure customer satisfaction and have a robust client base.
Makeup artists and hair stylists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Makeup Artist | Hair Stylist | |
| Average salary | $41,026 | $38,221 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $77,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Scottsdale, AZ |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a makeup artist and a hair stylist in terms of educational background:
| Makeup Artist | Hair Stylist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | High School Diploma, 31% |
| Most common major | Cosmetology | Cosmetology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between makeup artists' and hair stylists' demographics:
| Makeup Artist | Hair Stylist | |
| Average age | 34 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.8% Female, 88.2% | Male, 9.2% Female, 90.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 13.6% White, 51.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |