The Monetary Value of Tattoos
As a tattoo apprentice, I put countless hours into learning my craft because I care deeply about this art form. Even as a fully-fledged artist, I still devote the majority of every day to tattooing, thinking about tattooing, drawing, and learning more about how I can improve my skills and continue to offer even higher-quality work to my clients. I grind for this career, and that’s because I love it.
But just because I love what I do—and I’d do it for free if I was a millionaire—doesn’t mean I don’t care about making money. At the end of the day, I recognize how much work I put into each and every project I start, and I do think I deserve to be paid well. Not only do I take great pride in hand-illustrating every tattoo I do, but I also take on the responsibility of permanently (and painfully) marking someone for life, which I believe requires an extremely high level of skill, compassion, and mental fortitude. In my opinion, the paycheck should reflect that.
When it comes time to charge my clients for my work, however, I often lower the total fee to present a number that feels comfortable to me to verbalize. Even if I spent three hours designing a tattoo (I don’t charge for design time), an hour prepping my station and the client’s skin, and four hours actually tattooing, I’ll often knock off a substantial amount of money so that I don’t feel I’m overcharging for my work. My hourly rate is $150, so if I tattooed for four hours, I should charge my client $600, right? But I find it so hard to say that out loud, especially if I just spent four hours doing something I love, connecting with someone new, etc. I think most tattoo artists have this issue. Should the palm-sized tattoo I just did really cost $600?
Yes!
Yes it should. Not only do I know that my work is high-quality, but I also know that I provide a comfortable, clean, welcoming environment to my clients in an industry where those qualities aren’t guaranteed. On top of that, I am CPR-certified, AED and first-aid-certified, and have an active Bloodborne Pathogens certification. These are extra steps I took to be as prepared as possible for my clients, and I haven’t met many other artists who do the same.
Beyond the quality of my work and the environment of my shop, I often remind myself of the staying power of tattoos. I remind myself that I paid over a thousand dollars for my phone, which I’ll have for a few years at best. A tattoo—if applied and cared for correctly—can last a lifetime. Something that permanently and positively alters one’s appearance for the rest of their life is definitely worth $600! And that doesn’t include the hours it took me to design the tattoo either.
The juxtaposition of the permanence of tattoos and the ephemeral nature of many similarly-costing purchases brings me to a conclusion that I try to remind myself of every day: tattoos are expensive, and that is fair and healthy. I get to be a visual artist and make good money, and my clients get to spend whatever their budget allows and walk away with something they will treasure for the rest of their life. It’s a win-win. And that’s what I love about tattooing as a career. It’s a victory for those of us who are artists but don’t want to starve. And it’s a serious but attainable investment for people who are interested in body modification and art. The relationship between tattoo artist and client is totally financially symbiotic if it’s approached in the right way.
I’d like to remind my fellow tattoo artists that if you truly put the effort in, approach work with honesty and authenticity, and deliver excellence to your clients in every facet of this business, what you charge is likely reasonable. And to tattoo clients, I’d urge you to take extra care when choosing an artist to tattoo you. Tattoos are expensive everywhere, for the most part. But if they’re expensive, they should be providing value and quality equal to the expense.
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