Indiana Makeup Artist School and Requirements

Indiana makeup artists need an esthetician or cosmetology license except in narrow circumstances. Many choose the esthetician route, though cosmetology offers a different and broader skill set.

Browse our directory of makeup artistry schools in Indiana, or skip ahead to learn about the state's makeup artistry licensing requirements and job outlook.

Esthetics or Cosmetology: Which is Best for Indiana Makeup Artists?

Esthetician and cosmetology schools focus on different topics, with esthetics centering on skin and cosmetology focusing more on hair. However, cosmetology school does teach about makeup and skincare as well. The program you choose should come down to if you want to get up close and personal with people's faces and nothing else or if you want to provide more services than those related to skin.

If you go for esthetics, you'll spend at least 700 hours in school. Of these hours, 55 are spent on makeup. Another 70 cover hair removal, including eyebrow arching, a favorite of many makeup artists.

Cosmetology programs run for 1,500 hours, with 65 hours on makeup and facials and 15 on hair removal. While the number of schooling hours dedicated to makeup is higher in cosmetology programs than in esthetics programs, esthetics programs combine facials and makeup, while Indiana only requires cosmetology students to perform facials as part of their training. This doesn't mean your school won't let you work on makeup on live models; it's just that the state doesn't require it.

The pros of esthetics are the shorter training period and the higher focus on makeup. But you're limited to skincare treatments. Cosmetology training allows you to perform all types of beauty treatments, including hair and nails. However, school takes longer, and you may spend less time learning about makeup.

READ MORE: Learn About Cosmetology School in Indiana

READ MORE: Learn About Esthetician School in Indiana

Don't want a license to do makeup in Indiana? Unfortunately, your options are limited. You can work as a makeup artist without a license only in the following circumstances:

• treating sickness (Note: This may not apply to medical estheticians)
• for free
• only doing threading
• for selling products in a retail environment

Makeup Artist Salary in Indiana

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), cosmetologists earned an average of $31,220 annually in 2022. Estheticians averaged $35,920. However, the BLS only gets details from employers, so self-employed makeup artists aren't factored in.

ZipRecruiter found in October 2023 that makeup artists in Indiana made an average of $54,193 per year ($26 per hour). But this factors in comparatively few salaries, with most earning $15.72 to $32.61 per hour. They also focus on salaries from job postings, which means no self-employed makeup artists are considered here, either!

If you want to find out how much you could earn, talk to other makeup artists in your area and the field you want to work in. Self-employment versus working for someone else makes a difference, as do your location, years of experience, and more.

Contact the Indiana State Board of Cosmetology