Tattoo Artist Salary

There are many people who go to a tattoo and body piercing shop to make crazy designs and piercings on their body. But have they ever thought how much money does the tattoo artist make?

Today, there is a trend of getting a variety of tattoos all over the body. People of all ages, from teenagers and youngsters, and adults to older people, are opting for making personalized tattoo designs on their body. In a typical tattoo store, you will find tattoo services as well as body piercing facilities. So, if you want to do a tattoo and also get your body pierced, you can go to a good store that provides both these services.

Job Description

Most of the duties and responsibilities of a tattoo artist are only limited to tattooing. The first duty he has to do is to greet clients and discuss regarding what kind of a tattoo they would prefer. He has to show the latest designs and patterns; and discuss the size, color, location, and cost of the tattoo to be made. He has to check if his clients need a customization to be done on a standard tattoo.

He has to make the design on a transparent paper with all the details of the customer for further reference. Before starting the procedure, he has to ensure that all the equipment is sterile and clean to prevent infections. After the tattoo is made, he has to inform his clients regarding tattoo care. In some studios, a tattoo artist may be responsible for body piercing as well.

Salary Range

The principal determinant of the salary is the amount of work he gets in a particular season. However, years of experience and location also matter a lot on the salary. If a tattoo artist has one to four years of experience, he may get a per annum pay of approximately $19,000 to $44,000. Body art professionals with five to nine years of experience can expect a salary from $24,000 to $51,000 per year.

A majority of the professionals are self employed, which is why they receive more income, that generally ranges from $23,000 to $50,000 per annum. If you are a tattoo artist in Florida, you may receive a yearly remuneration of $23,000 to $44,000; whereas in California, you can expect a per annum pay of around $24,000 to $69,000. Those providing body art services at the busiest places may even get paid more, as per the projects they get. Typically, summer is the time when there is a lot of demand for tattooing services.

Becoming a Tattoo Artist

In order for you to become a tattoo artist, you most importantly need to have a love for art and be good at drawing. There is no formal education or specialized training required as such, but you do have to get trained under an experienced tattoo artist. This apprenticeship training may be paid or unpaid, depending on the shop you are looking forward to be trained in. You may be required to get two to three years of training regarding all aspects of tattooing. After your training is complete, you can opt for working in a full-time paid position or even open up your own tattoo studio.

After reading the above article, you might have understood that the tattoo artist salary largely counts on the customers coming in for getting tattoos or body piercing done, and the location where the tattoo studio is located in.