Understanding Tattoo Pricing
How Much Does a Tattoo Cost?
INTRO
This is the number one most googled question related to the tattoo industry and I get why! Tattoo pricing can be confusing. It makes sense that people would have questions. Every tattoo artist answers this question differently. Even in the same tattoo shop artists will often have different pricing structures based on a handful of different reasons. So it’s ok to be confused and want some clarity. I’ll do my best here to clear things up first by breaking down my personal pricing structure, and then by sharing five principles that most tattoo artists consider when setting their own prices. Lastly I’ll share a few common factors that could affect the price of a tattoo unexpectedly.
MY PRICING
Ok, so I would say my prices are currently pretty average for my area. Some people charge more, some charge less, I’m in the goldilocks zone right now, for me this current method is just right. Keep in mind that my prices are subject to change, and after reading this you’ll understand how/why they might change. As of the time of writing this I have a minimum charge, an hourly rate and a separate day rate for large scale work.
MINIMUM CHARGE - $100
This is for small pieces that typically take under 30 minutes to tattoo.
Sometimes people get a little bit of sticker shock at paying $100 for a heart or an initial that takes 5 minutes to tattoo. Keep in mind that there is also a whole set up process that has to be done right so that your artist isn’t spreading infections all over town. Also remember that you're paying for expertise, not just time, and the simple stuff is the least forgiving. If a tattoo is only two little lines, those lines better be perfect or the tattoo is ruined!
HOURLY RATE - $170
For most tattoo sessions this is how I charge. For me this is usually the most fair way to price tattoos. Sometimes a client sits really well and has ideal, healthy skin that takes the ink very well and we fly through a tattoo. Sometimes a client’s skin will need more tlc and a tattoo will take longer. This way neither myself or the client gets short changed.
The clock starts once the stencil goes on, so this does not include the time spent designing or setting up for the tattoo. But I personally try to be more than fair with how I track this. For example if I place the stencil and I don’t like it and decide to spend thirty minutes trying out different placements I don’t charge for that because that is something extra I am electing to do. However, if I place the stencil and the client spends thirty minutes trying out other placements that we did not previously decide on I would charge for that extra thirty minutes. The same goes for breaks. I typically will have a 5 minute break every couple hours and a longer 20 minute break every 3 hours or so. I don’t charge for that time and if I spend another 30 minutes tuning my machines or stopping for lunch I won’t charge for that time either. But if the client wants a 10 minute break every thirty minutes I will typically charge for that.
DAY RATE - $850
For large scale pieces that take multiple days I only charge $850 for the full day. This is pretty much a “bulk” discount. A day session is at least 7 hours of work, not including breaks. All the same considerations that I mentioned above regarding my hourly rate apply here as well.
DISCOUNTS
I don’t have firm rules or systems regarding discounts, but I definitely do give clients discounts often under certain criteria! I design new flash very regularly and often will post special prices on new flash on social media. Also I give discounts a lot based on return business and referrals. So the more you come in and the more you tell your friends the more I start knocking off that total. I appreciate the support of my regular clientele and it’s my pleasure to give back a little bit in this way.
Also we have occasional events at the shop where you can get cool tattoos for a steep discount. A big one is Friday the 13th. We have small pieces starting at $69 on Friday the 13th events that happen on special months. We will often do events around holidays or collaborations with other small businesses. Keep checking on social media or subscribe to my newsletter for more on that.
HOW DO WE COME UP WITH THIS SHIT!?! - 5 PRINCIPLES FOR SETTING PRICES
LOCATION - Just like everything else in this world the cost of living in your area is going to affect what tattoo artists charge. There are amazing artists in Mexico City for example that are charging less than equally talented artists in St. Petersburg, FL. We have to be competitive and also afford a living.
TENURE - How long an artist has been tattooing is a big factor in what they decide to charge. Someone who has been tattooing for ten years has a perspective that a younger tattooer cannot have regardless of how talented they may be. Seeing how your tattoos look over 5, 10, 15 years is invaluable information and tattooers may decide to charge a premium for that experience.
EXPERIENCE - So we talked about the experience of the artist, but what about the experience for the client? I started my career at a dirty shop on the Venice boardwalk in LA where we had people doing drugs all day in the bathroom and all the equipment at the shop was falling apart. Fights would break out randomly, the owners would go around and yell at artists to tattoo faster and we’d listen to the radio through shitty speakers all day. Now I am at a beautiful shop with a cosy lobby, beautiful original artwork decorating the walls, a killer sound system, top quality equipment and a really great team of artists with excellent rapport. The experience I can provide my clients at the current place allows me to charge more than I would be able to for the same tattoo at that boardwalk shop.
SKILLSET - You can break skillset down into two categories. The first category is fundamental skills. How is your artist at pulling clean lines, packing solid color and applying a tattoo that looks good fresh, healed and after years of wearing it? The better an artist’s fundamental skills are the more they can charge. The second category is specialised skills. The way I learned to tattoo (which is pretty typical of most tattoo artists) is to become proficient at everything, then exceptional in a few things. Some artists have put in extra work and study to master niche styles like lettering, portraiture, large scale japanese or american traditional. Artists will often charge more for a specialized skillset. For example, I charge a $500 minimum for portraits even though my regular minimum is $100.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND - Just like everything else supply and demand sets prices. The supply for a single tattoo artist is only as many hours as they have during the day but the demand can be anything! As tattoo artists we are all entrepreneurs as well as artists running our own individual businesses. Some artists have done incredible jobs building a brand that drives a lot of demand for their work allowing them to charge higher rates. Just keep in mind when looking for artists that demand doesn’t necessarily equal quality. Some artists are booked out a year for very simple tattoos. There’s nothing wrong with that! But it’s just something to consider when looking for an artist.
UNEXPECTED PRICE ADJUSTMENTS
A lot of times a tattoo artist will quote one thing and then charge another. This is probably due to something unexpected affecting the price. Here’s just a few common factors that could change the price from what you were quoted:
THE SKIN - everyone has different skin and that can affect how long a tattoo takes to create. Clients with very fair skin often take longer to tattoo than clients with very melanated skin. Other considerations are hydration, elasticity, sensitivity and how much a client tends to bleed.
BREAKS - some clients need a lot of breaks and some clients and just sit still as a stone for 8 hours straight.
COMMUNICATION - Sometimes we’ll do a consultation, the client will describe what they want, I’ll draw a design and the client loves it and we start right away. Other times we’ll do a consultation, I’ll draw a design and then the client will change their mind completely at the last minute.
Hopefully this helps clear some things up in regards to tattoo pricing. It can be confusing and that is (normally) not because tattooers are scumbags trying to rip you off, it’s because there’s just a lot of subjectivity involved in pricing tattoos and art in general. My advice is to ask your tattooer what their rates are and assume it’ll cost more. Also if you are on a tight budget don’t be afraid to communicate that to your artist. If money is a non issue I may make a design that is huge and incredibly detailed but if I know a client has only $300 to spend and not a dime more I can remove some detail and shrink it down a little and still make a really cool piece they’ll be proud to wear.
