Average Makeup Artist Salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2026
A makeup artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina earns about 18,780 BAM a year. That's 28% below the national average of 26,100 BAM.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Bosnia and Herzegovina sit around 8,420 BAM a year, while the very top stretches to 26,100 BAM. Everything on this page is in Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark (BAM, symbol ), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Bosnia and Herzegovina, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a makeup artist make in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
A typical makeup artist working in Bosnia and Herzegovina brings home around 1,565 BAM a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 8,420 BAM, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 26,100 BAM for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior makeup artist working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How makeup artist pay ranges in Bosnia and Herzegovina
A good way to think about salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all makeup artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina earn less than 20,120 BAM a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 12,200 BAM (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 23,360 BAM (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of makeup artists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 8,420 BAM. The highest stretch to 26,100 BAM, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Makeup artist pay by experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a makeup artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical makeup artist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years7,800 BAM
- 2-5 Years+62% from previous12,620 BAM
- 5-10 Years+49% from previous18,780 BAM
- 10-15 Years+25% from previous23,520 BAM
- 15-20 Years+1% from previous23,660 BAM
- 20+ Years+16% from previous27,380 BAM
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 62%. That is the point at which a makeup artist typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Makeup artist pay by education in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving makeup artist pay in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average makeup artist salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- High School12,020 BAM
- Certificate or Diploma+36% from previous16,400 BAM
- Bachelor's Degree+76% from previous28,820 BAM
Makeup artist gender pay gap in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is no exception. Male makeup artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina earn an average of 17,540 BAM a year, while female makeup artists earn around 19,640 BAM. That works out to a 11% gap in favour of women, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Makeup Artist gender pay gap
11%
Men earn this much less than women on average in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Pay raises for a makeup artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Bosnia and Herzegovina sees a raise of about 7% every 28 months, which works out to roughly 3% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the national average raise is around 4% every 29 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Makeup artist bonus rates in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
15% of makeup artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a makeup artist a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 85% of makeup artists reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Makeup artist: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Bosnia and Herzegovina is about 27% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
21%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina on average.
Makeup artist salary by city in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Makeup artist pay is not even across Bosnia and Herzegovina. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Sarajevo
- Tuzla
- Medjugorje
- Banja Luka
- Zenica
- Mostar
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarajevo | City | 19,220 BAM | 19,860 BAM | 8,780-27,480 BAM |
| Tuzla | City | 17,560 BAM | 18,780 BAM | 8,780-26,500 BAM |
| Medjugorje | City | 17,100 BAM | 17,260 BAM | 6,440-25,220 BAM |
| Banja Luka | City | 16,140 BAM | 20,120 BAM | 8,780-29,540 BAM |
| Zenica | City | 15,920 BAM | 18,780 BAM | 7,240-26,660 BAM |
| Mostar | City | 14,820 BAM | 14,660 BAM | 10,100-23,480 BAM |
Makeup Artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina: FAQs
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How much does a makeup artist make per month in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
A makeup artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina earns about 1,565 BAM a month before tax, based on an annual average of 18,780 BAM.
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What's the salary range for a makeup artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Entry-level makeup artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina start near 8,420 BAM. Top-end pay reaches around 26,100 BAM. The middle 50% of earners sit between 12,200 and 23,360 BAM.
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Is the median makeup artist salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina higher or lower than the average?
The median is 20,120 BAM, higher than the average of 18,780 BAM. Half of makeup artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for makeup artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Men working as a makeup artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina earn around 11% less than women on average (17,540 vs 19,640 BAM a year).
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Do makeup artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina get bonuses?
About 15% of makeup artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.
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Do makeup artists earn more in the public or private sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the public sector pays a makeup artist about 27% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do makeup artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina get a pay raise?
A makeup artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina sees a raise of around 7% every 28 months, equivalent to roughly 3% a year.