The average salary for a tattoo artist in the United States is around $39,265 per year.
Avg Salary
Tattoo artists earn an average yearly salary of $39,265.
Wages typically start from $28,653 and go up to $97,284.
3% above national average Updated in 2018
Tattoo artist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level tattoo artist earnings begin at:
$46.77 per hour
$97,284 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level tattoo artist earnings begin at:
$27.65 per hour
$57,505 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level tattoo artist earnings begin at:
$18.88 per hour
$39,265 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level tattoo artist earnings begin at:
$15.20 per hour
$31,620 per year
10th percentile
Starting level tattoo artist earnings begin at:
$13.78 per hour
$28,653 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
How do tattoo artist salaries compare to similar careers?
Tattoo artists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than film directors but more than exhibit designers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Film director salary | $72K |
| Multimedia animator salary | $73K |
| Urban planner salary | $73K |
| Industrial designer salary | $67K |
| Film and video editor salary | $60K |
| Tattoo artist salary | $39K |
| Calligrapher salary | $65K |
| Cinematographer salary | $40K |
| Illustrator salary | $49K |
| Exhibit designer salary | $54K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)