Tattoos have been a part of our culture for ages. Even the tribal community used to make tattoos to identify their tribe members. Today, The tattoo industry is growing exponentially, and the trend is everywhere. People are curious about how much do tattoo artists make.
Tattoo artists are in huge demand, and this is a career that will never go out of trend. However, beginning a career as a tattoo artist requires a lot of practice, and getting a license can burn a hole in your pocket.
But all the efforts and hard work are worth it, as a tattoo artist can earn between $38,717 and $47,014. Additionally, there are various aspects in this field that you need to consider before starting your career in this field.
Here in this article, we will explore all the aspects of being a tattoo artist and how much tattoo artists make. Let us begin
Tattoo artist as a Career
There is a lot of demand globally for well-trained and professional tattoo artists. A person can earn a great living working as a tattoo artist. Many young people are quitting their corporate jobs and making this creative field their full-time profession.
With that being said, it requires years of hard work and practice. The work of a tattoo artist is very detailed and intricate. It needs complete focus and dedication.
However, there is no stability like a corporate job, the working hours are not fixed, and even the client base can take months to develop. If you are genuinely passionate about your art and can completely dedicate yourself to this profession, only then should you pursue this career.
Don’t take this profession as something you want to try your luck and hands in. your clients are trusting you with their bodies, and your art will last forever on them. So before stepping in, just make sure you have no doubts in mind, and this is your only goal.
The average income of a tattoo artist
On average, a well-renowned tattoo artist can make upto $51,867 per year. At the same time, an average artist can earn upto $16,000 and $49,000 annually. It totally depends on the quality of your work.
You might have to work for free initially to gain experience and build a client base. There are many tattoo artists who work in a studio on a commission basis. They have to give a certain amount of their income to the owner of the studio. The commission percentage can vary from 60 to 70 percent, depending on the work.
Other factors that can affect the income of an artist are years of experience, client base, and license. Additionally, with time as your experience increases, the value of your work and time will also increase.
Eventually, you can get paid according to your experience and skills.
Where to begin your journey from?
The most frequently asked question is how to become a tattoo artist. where to start this journey from?
Being a tattoo artist is not something we learn while studying in college or school. However, there are several institutes and training centers that offer training.
You can also start by joining a renowned tattoo studio as an intern, where you can actually learn what it is like to work in a professional setup. You can assist the senior tattoo artist and learn a lot from them.
Take some experience and knowledge from them, and then you can start practicing on dummies before actually working on a client. Furthermore, you can always take help from the internet and books to keep up with the ongoing trends and techniques.
After gaining enough experience and confidence in your art, only think about investing in your own studio or buying your professional kit, which can be expensive. So make sure you are in this career to stay.
Before taking this leap of faith, opening your own studio, make sure you have developed the required skills because a minor mistake can scar a client for life and even impact your reputation as a professional.
Why do some tattoo artists make more money than others?
A well-renowned artist can make between $260,000 to $300,000 per annum, while some make just $12,000. That’s a huge difference, but why so?
There are various factors that can affect the earning potential of a tattoo artist. These factors are reputation, work experience, location, and types of equipment used by the artist.
Some other factors that affect the income of an artist are:
- If a tattoo artist has a formal education related to their field.
- It depends upon the level of the artist, whether you are a beginner or a professional.
- If an artist is famous and has a good client base. This can effects your income the most.
- The locality of your studio has an impact on the amount of money you can charge.
- Whether you are working individually or under someone.
Plus, the maximum number of tattoo artists work for someone else, and they have to give a part of their income to the owner of the place as it is not feasible for a beginner artist to have his own studio.
Moreover, at the start of their career, making such a huge investment is not possible for a beginner. Initially, you might have to work for free to gain valuable experience and skills.
What can help you along this path?
The tattoo industry is highly competitive and booming. Many people are ditching their cooperative 9 to 5 jobs and looking for job satisfaction in this industry.
You can find a tattoo artist in every other market. However, your quality of work can stand out from the crowd. Your work will speak for itself; there is no better marketing than a good word of mouth.
Try getting your formal education in a related field so you can have an advantage over your competition. This will also increase your knowledge and enhance your craft.
Getting a professional license can be tough and even expensive, but it will help you attract the attention of your clients.
Many people out there have no skillset and just started tattooing as a hobby. Make sure you stand out from the crowd and develop a good client base.
There are so many risk factors involved while dealing with human skin. You need to gain proper knowledge of how the art looks on different skin textures and skin types.
Know the difference between a Hobby and a Profession
We all want to choose that profession that we enjoy doing. Thus, many times we decided to take our hobby as a profession. However, this profession requires you to be serious and completely dedicated.
There are many people who just have an interest in drawing, and they think tattooing is similar to that. However, there is a huge difference between sketching something on paper and working on real human skin.
Don’t get influenced by watching someone online. Moreover, don’t get into the profession of tattoo artist just to explore this while job hopping. Understand the difference between a temporary interest and a professional career.
This career is different from the rest of the jobs as it requires creative things and attention to detail. Learning tattoo-making is not something you can learn overnight. You need to dedicate yourself completely and focus on your aim.
Things to remember while choosing tattoo artist as a career
Being a tattoo artist is not just a cool career option but a series profession. This industry might look all glamorous but remember, the initial years will be full of struggle. You might have to work for free, and there are high chances that you will make errors.
But in the end, it will all be worth it. This profession needs you to be highly patient as many tattoos require you to sit for long hours and focus. Tattooing for long hours can cause a lot of strain on your eyes.
You need to make sure you are creative and never take your clients for granted. You have to see the vision of your clients and what expectations they have from you.
If you can bare all this, you can reach heights in this career and can make a good name for yourself. Even financially, there is a good scope in this profession if you are dedicated and passionate about it.
Conclusion
Being a tattoo artist means you have a lot of responsibility to keep up with your client’s expectations. A minor mistake can leave a scar permanently on someone’s body. So you need to understand the challenges and struggles as well before stepping into this career.
With the proper skill set and knowledge, one can earn a good living in this profession. In this industry, You can make a name for yourself globally. The tattoo industry is gaining popularity, and there is a huge demand for skilled tattoo artists.
If you are confident enough and want to pursue this as a full-time profession. Go ahead and give it your all.
Don’t worry about the income; with time and experience, it will keep on increasing. Instead, focus on developing your skills so you can stand out from the crowd.
Lastly, I hope now you have a better understanding of How Much do tattoo artists make and what factors impact their income.
