Introduction
Tattoo artists are artists who apply their designs to skin rather than other surfaces or materials. They use a specialized, non-toxic ink that creates permanent designs on client skin. In this article we have mentioned About Tattoo Artist Salary in US, their average base salary, best paying according to cites and states and many more.
To apply tattoos, tattoo artists must use a variety of tools. Additionally, they must ensure proper sanitation and care for tools to prevent the spread of disease and infection. Improperly sanitized, reusable tools can cause severe health issues, so it’s critical that tattoo artists always follow standardized sanitation protocols.
Many tattoo artists spend time creating their own designs. These designs are inserted into portfolios for clients to review when considering a new tattoo. Clients can choose tattoo designs from the tattoo artist’s portfolio, can bring in their own design, or can request a custom design from the artist.
Tattoo Artist Salary in US is averaged around $82,287 USD in the year 2022
Many tattoo artists are trained as artists—either self-taught or in school—and use their training and talents to create special designs that meet client specifications.
Tattoo Artist demographics
What Is A Tattoo Artist’s Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $108,000 | $9,000 | $52 |
| 75th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| Average | $51,867 | $4,322 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
Tattoo Artist Salary trends
Tattoo Artist Salary ranges
We already know that a Tattoo Artist can earn between 17,500 USD and 57,200 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.
The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.
How much does a Tattoo Artist make in USA?
$52,000/ Annual
Based on 51 salaries
The average tattoo artist salary in the USA is $52,000 per year or $26.67 per hour. Entry level positions start at $39,000 per year while most experienced workers make up to $100,000 per year.
Tattoo artist Average base salary
$82,271
The average salary for a tattoo artist is $82,271 per year in the United States. 115 salaries reported, updated at September 12, 2022.
Tattoo artist earnings by seniority levels
- Top-level tattoo artist earnings begin at:
$46.77per hour
$97,284per year
- Senior-level tattoo artist earnings begin at:
$27.65per hour
$57,505per year
- Mid-level tattoo artist earnings begin at:
$18.88per hour
$39,265per year
- Junior-level tattoo artist earnings begin at:
$15.20per hour
$31,620per year
- Starting level tattoo artist earnings begin at:
$13.78per hour
$28,653per year
Tattoo Artist Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $51,900 | $24.94 | +6.8% |
| 2021 | $48,400 | $23.25 | +6.9% |
| 2020 | $45,000 | $21.65 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | $44,600 | $21.42 | +1.9% |
| 2018 | $43,700 | $21.03 | +12.2% |
| 2017 | $38,400 | $18.45 | +3.6% |
| 2016 | $37,000 | $17.78 | +2.9% |
| 2015 | $35,900 | $17.27 | +1.3% |
| 2014 | $35,400 | $17.04 | +0.6% |
| 2013 | $35,200 | $16.93 | – |
Tattoo Artist Average Salary By cities
- New York, NY
$95,445 per year
10 salaries reported
- Boston, MA
$94,215 per year
6 salaries reported
- Seattle, WA
$92,540 per year
5 salaries reported
- Newark, NJ
$89,576 per year
8 salaries reported
- San Diego, CA
$88,356 per year
8 salaries reported
- Raleigh, NC
$83,519 per year
5 salaries reported
- Miami, FL
$81,680 per year
8 salaries reported
- Las Vegas, NV
$81,242 per year
7 salaries reported
- Glendale, AZ
$77,712 per year
7 salaries reported
Tattoo Artist Average Salary By State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $63,870 | $30.71 | 335 |
| 2 | New York | $64,522 | $31.02 | 67 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $55,855 | $26.85 | 61 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $58,088 | $27.93 | 10 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $64,311 | $30.92 | 22 |
| 6 | Indiana | $54,026 | $25.97 | 56 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $68,769 | $33.06 | 15 |
| 8 | Alaska | $66,941 | $32.18 | 1 |
| 9 | Maine | $59,334 | $28.53 | 3 |
| 10 | Delaware | $60,773 | $29.22 | 3 |
Tattoo artist Recently added salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microart Inc. | New Career With Training: Medical Tattoo Artist + | Beverly Hills, CA | 05/10/2022 | $100,000 |
| Kaman’s Art Shoppes | Face Paint and Henna Tattoo Artists To Work Inside The Nashville ZOO! | Nashville, TN | 04/01/2022 | $19,827 |
| Ink & Body Shop, LLC | Tattoo Artist | Cornelius, NC | 02/04/2022 | $41,080 |
| Ink & Iron LLC | Tattoo Artist | San Antonio, TX | 12/26/2021 | $43,890 |
| Tristan Medical Enterprises PC | Medical Tattoo Artist | Attleboro, MA | 03/12/2021 | $50,000 |
| Route 38 Tattoo Company | Licensed Tattoo Artist | Tewksbury, MA | 02/26/2021 | $35,000 |
| Type A Design LLC | Tattoo Artist | Cambridge, MA | 04/27/2020 | $57,000 |
| Skin FX, Inc. | Tattoo Artist | Columbus, OH | 09/10/2019 | $28,538 |
| Ink’d Society LLC | Tattoo Artist | Bridgewater, NJ | 05/15/2019 | $40,000 |
| Salt Lake Tattoo and Piercing Inc. | Tattoo Artist | Salt Lake City, UT | 02/03/2019 | $15,131 |
| Salt Lake Tattoo and Piercing Inc. | Tattoo Artist | Salt Lake City, UT | 01/26/2019 | $15,131 |
| Salt Lake Tattoo and Piercing Inc. | Tattoo Artist | Salt Lake City, UT | 01/20/2019 | $15,131 |
| Salt Lake Tattoo and Piercing Inc. | Tattoo Artist | Salt Lake City, UT | 01/10/2019 | $15,131 |
| Symbolic Ink | Tattoo Artist | Northport, AL | 06/04/2018 | $52,175 |
| Lombard Street Tattoo, LLC | Tattoo Artist | Portland, OR | 03/27/2018 | $30,470 |
| Lombard Street Tattoo, LLC | Tattoo Artist | Portland, OR | 03/09/2018 | $30,470 |
| Lombard Street Tattoo, LLC | Tattoo Artist | Portland, OR | 02/11/2018 | $30,470 |
| Top Shelf Art LLC | Tattoo Artist | Virginia Beach, VA | 08/08/2017 | $88,000 |
| Top Shelf Art LLC | Tattoo Artist | Virginia Beach, VA | 07/21/2017 | $88,000 |
| Guru Arts, Inc. | In-House Tattoo Artist | San Diego, CA | 07/14/2017 | $54,787 |
FAQ About Tattoo Artist Salary
How much do tattoo artists make USA?
Tattoo Artist Salary
Tattoo artists make $51,867 per year on average, or $24.94 per hour, in the United States. Tattoo artists on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $24,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $108,000.
Do tattoo artists make lots of money?
Some tattoo artists can earn as much as $300,000, while others earn as low as $12,000. To be more specific, currently, the highest-earning tattoo artists make annually around $260,000, while the lowest-earning tattooist in 2021 earns approximately $39,000.
Is a tattoo artist a good career?
One of the benefits of being a tattoo artist is that you have a high earning potential. Good and established artists with consistent clients can make well over a thousand dollars per week.
Where are tattoo artists paid the most?
Highest paying cities for Tattoo Artists near United States
Boston, MA. $155,943 per year. 6 salaries reported.
Miami, FL. $84,478 per year. 8 salaries reported.
Glendale, AZ. $65,961 per year. 7 salaries reported.
Seattle, WA. $57,066 per year. 5 salaries reported.
Raleigh, NC. $57,044 per year
Are tattoo artists in demand?
According to IBIS World analysts, the $1.4 billion tattoo artist industry is expected to increase its market size by 23.2% in 2021—a faster growth rate than that of the consumer goods and services sector as a whole.
Is tattooing difficult?
As a general rule, Tattooing IS one of the hardest skills to learn but it’s worth it. It’s an old industry that is really difficult to break into.
Is being a tattoo artist difficult?
You’ll have to learn to be extremely focused on tattooing only, for hours! Expect to start having back issues, pain in the arms, and neck after only a few years of tattooing! Becoming a tattoo artist will take a lot of hard work, and we’re talking about years of dedication and commitment!
Are tattoo artists happy?
Tattoo artists are one of the happiest careers in the United States. At CareerExplorer, we conduct an ongoing survey with millions of people and ask them how satisfied they are with their careers. As it turns out, tattoo artists rate their career happiness 3.8 out of 5 stars which puts them in the top 15% of careers.
How much do tattoo artists make a month?
The average salary for a tattoo artist is ₹21,345 per month in Karnataka.
Do tattooist need qualifications?
There are no formal qualifications: dogged persistence, humility, a proclivity for hard work and genuine artistic talent are requisite, but patience is also essential. “It’d be a year before they could even touch one of those machines, aside from cleaning it,” he says.
Which state is famous for tattoos?
1. California
| Total Tattoo Artist Jobs: | 335 |
| Average Annual Salary: | $63,870 |
| Lowest 10 Percent Earn: | $30,000 |
| Highest 10 Percent Earn: | $133,000 |
What is the most tattooed country?
| Rank | Country | People Who Have At Least One Tattoo (%) |
| 1 | Italy | 48 |
| 2 | Sweden | 47 |
| 3 | United States | 46 |
| 4 | Australia | 43 |
What skills do tattoo artists need?
The eight most common skills based on Tattoo Artist resumes in 2022.
- Customer Service, 28.3%
- Scheduling Appointments, 8.1%
- Body Art, 8.0%
- Sterile Environment, 7.4%
- CPR, 5.8%
- Communication, 4.0%
- Custom Design, 3.5%
- Other Skills, 34.9%
Is tattooing a good side hustle?
Tattoo artists often set their own schedules and are not forced to work traditional hours. In addition to having a large amount of flexibility, tattoo artists can have multiple occupations. This makes it the ideal choice for someone who wants to pursue multiple career paths at the same time.
How many tattoo shops are there in the United States?
21,000 tattoo parlours
There are an estimated 21,000 tattoo parlors in the United States. This number includes all licensed and registered body art studios where tattooing is practiced. The amount of registered parlors may not reflect the entire amount of working tattoo artists.
Are tattoo artists happy?
Tattoo artists are one of the happiest careers in the United States. At CareerExplorer, we conduct an ongoing survey with millions of people and ask them how satisfied they are with their careers. As it turns out, tattoo artists rate their career happiness 3.8 out of 5 stars which puts them in the top 15% of careers.
Conclusion
Another important role of the tattoo artist is educating clients on tattoos. First, they must ensure clients understand that tattoos are permanent. Second, they must teach clients how to care for their tattoos, particularly in the weeks after application where the risk of infection is more likely. In this article we have mentioned About Tattoo Artist Salary in US, their average base salary, best paying according to cites and states and many more.
Tattoo Artist Salary in US is averaged around $82,287 USD in the year 2022
Many tattoo artists also offer body piercing services and may be trained as piercers. These tattoo artists install tongue, ear, eyebrow, nose, and other piercings for clients and teach clients how to care for new piercings.
