TATTOO PRICING EXPLAINED

How much for a tattoo? read on for everything you need to know about the cost of tattoos (and why there is never a simple answer to this question).

When comparing the cost of different tattoo artists, you may wonder why all tattooers can’t just charge the same rate. What a lot of people don’t realise however, is that the pricing of a tattoo is extremely variable, which is why we all appear to charge so differently. 

If you start a conversation with me by asking, ‘how much for a tattoo?’, there is no possible way I could give you an answer because there’s so much information I need in order to do so. Additional to that, when I do have the required information it’s likely that whatever price I do quote would be different to what’s quoted to you by another artist down the road or in another country.

If you’re wondering why, read on. Try to take these factors into consideration when sourcing quotes for your next tattoo.

TIME

The cost of your tattoo is influenced by the amount of time the artist spends tattooing you, which is why most artists charge either an hourly rate or a day rate.

But it’s important to appreciate that the time they take tattooing you is NOT the only time they spend on your tattoo.

Before you walk through the door on the day of your appointment with me, I’ve already spent 4 or more hours on you. This includes consulting with you by email and/or in person, finalizing a design idea, searching for reference material and creating the design. Because I tattoo during the day, this is all done after hours (often my day starts at 8am and finishes after 10pm). I’d love to have a personal assistant to help me out, but that means paying a wage – and therefore charging more for my work.

Obviously the more large and intricate your design, the longer it will take. And if you want it done properly, it really is worth the time.

The artist also needs to consider the area of the body being tattooed and the quality of your skin to determine how long is required for your tattoo. Everyone’s skin is different, so just because two people get the same design on the same part of their body, it doesn’t mean it will take the same amount of time for each one.

Tip #1: If you are told by an artist that your design will take 2 full days to tattoo and then told by another that it will only take half of that, you should question the second (or simply run away from them). It is likely that the first artist wants to take the time needed to get it perfect, with every single tiny detail included and your tattoo vision perfectly translated onto your skin. This is the artist more invested in your tattoo, and this is the approach I definitely take. 

Tip #2: If you would like a large, detailed design but have a tight budget, it is worth holding out until you have enough money to get it done properly by allowing for the time and skill that it deserves.  

SKILL

You get the level of skill that you pay for. This is why budding young apprentices charge cheap rates and increase their rate as their skill set grows. This is like any other profession - take a lawyer for example. If you needed a defence lawyer (which I’m sure you wouldn’t because you’re clearly an angel), who would you trust to win your case: the lawyer that charges a higher rate or the one that charges a low rate? Tattooing is the same – just like choosing the lower skilled lawyer probably increases your chances of spending your life in prison, choosing the lower skilled tattoo artist may increase your chances of spending your life imprisoned with a mediocre tattoo.

TIP #3: Consider that just because an artist has a load of followers on Instagram, it doesn’t always mean they are more skilled than everyone else. They may just be good at marketing… and great at editing their photos. 

country HEALTH STANDARDS

Tattoo artists operating in Western Australia are required to adhere to strict regulations and follow a Code of Practice. This regulates how we operate and the procedures that we must follow. Let me tell you, sterilisation equipment and procedures aren’t cheap! Artists such as myself also ensure we use top quality products (such as inks and needles) to ensure maximum safety, reduce the risk of damage to the skin and to promote the highest quality tattoos possible.  

Tattoo health and safety requirements differ in each country and even each state of Australia. While many tattoo studios in other countries strive to be on par with Australian safety standards and equipment quality, the fact of the matter is that some of them (particularly developing countries) don’t have any regulations of this nature that they are actually required to follow, nor are there any inspections carried out. This opens the door for shortcuts to be taken, which means less operational cost and therefore a lower amount charged.

An example of the difference these regulations make to operational costs is the simple requirement for Australian tattoo artists to wrap their tattoo beds in plastic to avoid cross-contamination. By simply sidestepping this procedure an artist could save a few hundred bucks a year.

I’m not suggesting that all tattoo studios in non-regulated countries take these shortcuts, I’m simply reiterating that Australian tattoo artists must spend money to adhere to strict regulations that don’t exist in other countries.

OPERATIONAL COSTS

As mentioned above, safe and high quality products cost money. And it’s not just health equipment, needles and ink we need to cover – it’s leasing the space we tattoo in, upgrading our tattoo machines to improve the tattooing process, contracting graphic designers for marketing content, purchasing and maintaining tattoo beds, travelling to events, subscribing to design software such as Photoshop, paying our accountant at tax time…. I could go on and on. All of these costs seriously add up and therefore influence how we set our price.

COST OF LIVING VS INCOME

Tattooing is like any other profession – tattoo artists need to make a profit, and that profit needs to be comparable with their country’s cost of living.

I’m going to use Bali as an example here, because I’ve had a few clients struggle to realise why there is such a vast difference between Australian and Balinese tattoo prices. 

At the time of writing this article, the average cost of living (excluding rent) for a single person in Bali is approximately $800 per month, while in Perth it’s $1,300 – that’s almost a 40% difference. If you were to rent an inner-city apartment, you’re looking at a massive 66% difference in cost (numbeo.com).

Trust me, if I only needed about $1000 to get by each month I would of course charge much less. But to expect me and every other Australian artist to price our tattoos on par with countries like Indonesia is unrealistic and ignorant of the social and economical differences between Australia and other countries.

So there you have it, tattoo pricing explained. I hope this has helped! If you would like a quote on your tattoo idea, you can contact me by completing the contact form on my website.