Does any one know the average salary of a tattoo artist?

Question

I need to know the average salary of a tattoo artist, it's for a school project. Would any one happen to know?

Answer 1

all tattoo artists get paid cash. there are no corporate tattoo headquarters sending out checks. you probably already knew this, but i was just refering to the guy who said "coming from a tattoo artist who gets paid under the table". we aren't washing dishes, that's just how it works, we get paid cash.

like everyone else is saying, there is no standard. there are so many factors that go into it, like how busy the shop/artist is and how many tattoos (if any) they did that day. sometimes the weather affects the customer average, stuff like that. some artists charge by the hour, and some by the size and detail of each piece. but keep in mind that not all that money goes to the artist. and no, not every artist gets paid 60/40 like some other guy said. it all depends on how long the person has been working as an artist. i've seen people getting paid as low as 20% (which was really wrong anyway) and some people getting paid as high as 70, 80%. i would guess the only way you get 100% of the money you make is if you own the shop, however in that case you're responsible for paying all the bills of the shop so in a sense you don't get all your money.

so in short, there is no such thing as a tattoo artist "salary". good luck with your project.

Answer 2

there is no industry standard. some artists who work at shops get paid a percentage of the piece that they do. some get paid by the hour by the shop and some charge the customer for the tattoo by the hour. my tattoo artist charges $100 per hour some charge $50 an hour some $150 or more per hour. it all depends on the talent of the artist and the competitiveness of the town they are in. so as you can see there really is no industry standard. plus, how often they tattoo plays a factor too. 8 hours a day? or just one or two tattoos a day?

Answer 3

It depends on how busy the shop is and how established you are. There is no real base pay, you get paid by how many tattoos you do, really. So if you don't do any tattoos in a day, you don't get paid for that day. Kinda like waitressing, it is hit or miss. I really don't know if this helps, but the world of tattooing and body mods is a strance one, and I know I sure as hell don't rely on my money from the shop to put food on the table!! :)

Answer 4

most charge $100 per hour for the work..If it's not their shop they split 60-40 with the owner. Tips are usually 15-20%

Answer 5

From Rutherford County, North Carolina.
$300.00 on a bad day
$3000.00 on a good day
This is from a guy who works under the table.

Answer 6

in Dallas anywhere from 25k - 55k