What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Makeup Artist Occupational Licensing
License required in 37 states
57th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$173
What They Do
Makeup artists apply cosmetics to face or exposed body areas to improve or otherwise alter people’s appearances.[c]Adapted from http://www.occupationalinfo.org/defset5_3582.html[/c]
Makeup Artist Licensing Overview
Thirty-seven states (more than half of states) require a licence to work as a Makeup Artist. On average, these laws require $173 in fees, 128 days of education and about 2 exam. Makeup Artist Licenses have the 57th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied.
Where is a Makeup Artist the most regulated?
Out of the 37 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Makeup Artist has the highest burden in Kansas. Kansas requires $180 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 1000 clock hours education.
Where is a Makeup Artist the least regulated?
Out of the 37 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Makeup Artist has the lowest burden in Kentucky. Kentucky requires $50 in fees, no exams, no experience, and 3 clock hours education.
Where is a Makeup Artist license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Makeup Artist costs the most in Alaska. Alaska requires $450 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 350 clock hours education.
Where is a Makeup Artist license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Makeup Artist costs the least in Ohio. Ohio requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where does it take the longest to obtain a Makeup Artist license?
An occupational license for a Makeup Artist takes the longest to obtain in Alabama, Georgia, Kansas.It takes 233 days (0 years and 23 days).
Where is it fastest to obtain a Makeup Artist license?
An occupational license for a Makeup Artist takes the least time to obtain in Nevada, Ohio (0 days).
What states require exams for a Makeup Artist license?
To obtain an occupational license for a Makeup Artist there is at least one exam required in: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia. North Dakota, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia require 3 exams.
Forty-one states license makeup artistry. Two of these states, Louisiana and Nevada, issue a license specific to makeup artists. In the other 39 states, makeup application is interpreted as falling under the scope of other licenses administered by cosmetology boards (see Appendix B for details). On average, aspiring makeup artists must pay $169 in fees, complete 134 days of education and pass about two exams—the 58th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. Because most states license makeup artists, the occupation ranks as the 28th most widely and onerously licensed.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Alaska | 64 | $450 | 82 | 350 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Alabama | 63 | $235 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 15 | Arkansas | 72 | $110 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 18 | California | 75 | $115 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 17 |
| 20 | Colorado | 34 | $152 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | 61 | $175 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 18 |
| 10 | Delaware | 42 | $276 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 3 | Georgia | 41 | $139 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 14 | Hawaii | 64 | $182 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 16 |
| 21 | Iowa | 71 | $115 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 34 | Idaho | 66 | $214 | 23 | 100 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 17 |
| 6 | Illinois | 41 | $191 | 175 | 750 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 16 |
| 7 | Indiana | 37 | $88 | 163 | 700 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 17 |
| 1 | Kansas | 35 | $180 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 37 | Kentucky | 38 | $50 | 0.50 | 3 clock hours | None | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 27 | Louisiana | 77 | $75 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 24 | Maine | 46 | $231 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Michigan | 48 | $230 | 93 | 400 clock hours | None | 2 | 9 | 17 |
| 5 | Missouri | 33 | $135 | 175 | 750 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 17 |
| 8 | Montana | 32 | $284 | 152 | 650 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 25 | North Carolina | 66 | $193 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | North Dakota | 65 | $197 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 0 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 37 | $223 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 0 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 54 | $179 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 17 | New Mexico | 66 | $225 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| 35 | Nevada | 75 | $25 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 10 | 18 |
| 23 | New York | 41 | $70 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 36 | Ohio | 40 | $0 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 10 | 16 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 42 | $60 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 8 | 16 |
| 30 | Oregon | 69 | $90 | 110 | 484 clock hours | None | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | 50 | $121 | 70 | 300 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 16 |
| 28 | South Carolina | 60 | $210 | 105 | 450 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 22 | South Dakota | 32 | $100 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Tennessee | 69 | $200 | 175 | 751 clock hours | None | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| 26 | Vermont | 31 | $285 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 0 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | 42 | $383 | 105 | 450 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 9 | West Virginia | 67 | $221 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 18 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
View Report