Many salons and spas in New Mexico prefer to hire makeup artists with a cosmetology or esthetician license, which respectively require 1,600 or 600 hours of beauty school training. New Mexico is home to dozens of beauty schools and community colleges with makeup programs; there are at least 10 in Albuquerque alone.
There are several live theater production companies and movie studios in cities like Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces. In addition, the Land of Enchantment attracts multitudes of tourists to Carlsbad Caverns and Gila Cliff Dwellings national parks, prime ski areas like Taos, and centers of Native American arts and culture. Consequently there is an abundance of resorts, spas and fine hotels, as well as bridal boutiques and cosmetics stores that provide job opportunities for makeup artists.
New Mexico’s Makeup Artist Salaries
Makeup artists specialize in either personal appearance or theatrical/production. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nationwide salaries of personal appearance and theatrical makeup artists are as follows.
These figures do not include tips, which usually add 10 to 20 percent of the cost of the service, especially for personal care makeup artists.
Makeup Artist Salaries in Different New Mexico Cities
The following figures represent an aggregate of makeup artist annual salaries statewide and in various New Mexico cities.
- Statewide – $31,000
- Albuquerque – $32,000
- Carlsbad – $31,000
- Farmington – $38,000
- Las Cruces – $42,000
- Rio Rancho – $28,000
- Roswell – $45,000
- Ruidoso – $38,000
- Santa Fe – $39,000
- Taos – $38,000