How to become a tattoo artist

As with launching any new business, tattoo startups have plenty of factors to consider to ensure you’re setting yourself up for success, from premises to payment systems.

But tattooing is also a heavily-regulated industry, which means there’s lots of safety factors to consider. The UK government is currently investigating the health risks posed by tattoo inks, after the EU introduced a ban on some pigments last year.

Luckily, our experts are here to help. We’ve been working with small businesses for over twenty years, and we know all the tips, tricks, and hidden costs associated with starting a tattoo business.

We’ve done all the research, spoken to industry insiders, and come up with the below, easy-to-follow guide for becoming a tattoo artist. So take a seat, choose a transfer, and let’s turn your idea into a reality.

How much can you earn as a tattoo artist in the UK?

The amount you can earn as a tattoo artist in the UK varies depending upon a whole host of factors, making it somewhat difficult to determine your potential earnings.

Your earnings will typically depend upon things such as your level of experience and skill, whether you work for a studio or own your own studio, and what level of commission you agree to.

When you first start out as an apprentice, you can expect to earn very little.

Some studios offer their tattoo artists a basic rate of pay, plus commission from the tattoos they do. Other studios will require artists to rent a chair and essentially run on a self-employed basis.

If you work for a studio, your hourly rate will typically be split between you and the shop owner – varying from 50/50 split to 40/60 split in the studio owner’s favour.

Market analysis shows that the average salary for a tattoo artist in the UK is around £29.19 per hour, that’s £21,821 per year. Experienced tattoo artists can earn upwards of £30,000 to £60,000 a year.

Of course, well known and celebrity artists can charge up to £325 per hour for their artwork and tattooing services.

Also keep in mind that if you start your own tattoo studio, you’ll be able to set your own rates.

For tattoo studio owners the average annual salary is between £21,533 to £36,725, slightly more than their employees.

Other benefits of owning your own tattoo studio are that you can retain 100% of your hourly fees, as well as up to 70% for each of your employees. However, you must also absorb the cost of running the studio.

Tattoo artists usually work five or six days a week, including Saturdays, in order to facilitate when customers are available. Tattooists tend to schedule their work into short sessions throughout the day due to the levels of concentration and attention to detail involved.

As tattooing has become incredibly popular over the past few years, more apprenticeships have become available. However, competition for these apprenticeships has also increased significantly.

During your apprenticeship, you’ll be given all the necessary training you need to become a tattoo artist. This usually starts with spending the first few months cleaning and sterilising the equipment. You’ll also learn about design, human biology, preventing infections, and how tattooing physically works. Be prepared to wait some time before you’re allowed anywhere near the needles!

Apprenticeships usually last around three years, depending on your skill levels and, of course, how quickly you learn. Once you’ve finished gained the necessary skills and experience, you can then think about starting up on your own.

If you’re looking for a tattoo artist apprenticeship, it’s worth consulting the government’s Find an Apprenticeship website for opportunities.

Design a portfolio

Another important step in your tattoo artist education is to design a strong portfolio to showcase your work to potential clients.

It’s a good idea to host your portfolio digitally, as this will make it easier for potential employers, or clients, to view.

Websites can be a great way to present your work in its best light, and exemplifies your keen eye for design.

Many of the best website builders for SMEs offer templates and features that are tailored to the needs of artists and designers. These tend to have smarter, more aesthetically-pleasing templates – good for showcasing work.

Below is our list of the top website builders for building a portfolio:

Swipe right to see more

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Squarespace	SmugMug	Format	Weebly	Adobe Portfolio
BEST FOR Design flexibility & businesses looking to scale	BEST FOR Building a photography portfolio	BEST FOR Opening an online store	BEST FOR Value for money	BEST FOR Adobe Creative Cloud users
Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 4.7	Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 3.9	Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 3.8	Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 3.7	Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 3.3
Try Squarespace	Visit	Visit	Try Weebly	Visit

However, if you’d prefer to think a bit smaller, then you don’t necessarily need a professional website to build a portfolio.

Many of today’s most popular tattoo artists use social media as their portfolios, such as a Instagram account like Barber DTS’ below. These platforms already have huge audiences, so it will also be easier for potential customers to find you.

Barber DTS Instagram account

Meet health and safety regulations

As part of getting your license, you must also follow any local byelaws relating to staff hygiene and the safety and cleanliness of your premises, furniture and equipment. Your premises will usually be inspected before you get your license, to make sure that you are complying to these regulations.

Remember that the local environmental health department will carry out regular inspections of your business premises and equipment, so it’s important that you keep everything up to scratch.

Another important consideration when becoming a tattooist is your own health and safety, as well as your customers.

When you become a tattooist, you’ll also be required to get vaccinated against hepatitis and other vaccinations, which will need to be topped up with a booster shot every 10 years or so. Speak to your GP for further information.

For a more in-depth look at regulations surrounding becoming a tattoo artist and some great advice visit the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

Get insurance

There is a lot that can go wrong with body art. Just look at the famous story of teenager Kimberley Vlaminck, who made international headlines after she apparently fell asleep in her tattoo chair. Kimberley claims she woke up with 56 stars permanently inked onto her face – after supposedly asking for 3. She’s now suing the tattoo artist who completed the job.

There’s no way of knowing whether Kimberley was telling the truth in this scenario. That’s why, although most local councils don’t require a tattoo shop or artist to carry business insurance coverage, many professional shops and artists choose to be insured with liability insurance.

Professional liability insurance can help protect the artist if there is a mistake or issue that leads to a lawsuit where the customer sues the business for malpractice.

You can take a look at our business insurance category to see what other insurance services you might want to consider before opening your parlour.

How much does it cost to become a tattoo artist in the UK?

When you initially become a tattoo artist, you’re likely to be an apprentice. Some tattooist apprentices get paid a small amount, whilst others are required to pay their mentors.

It’s definitely worth looking in to this and ensuring you have a full understanding of what you’ll be required to pay (if anything) before you embark on your apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist.

Of course, with many more people looking to get a tattoo, and the industry continuing to grow markedly, there is an increasing demand for body art. This means you should be able to recoup your investment relatively quickly once you establish yourself as a tattoo artist.

To become a tattoo artist, you’ll need to consider the following costs:

• Supplies – If you want to tattoo, you’ll need equipment such as a power supply, a tattoo machine, various needles, and inks. You’ll also need additional supplies such as razor blades, stencils, rubber gloves, and a portfolio.
• Furniture – Tattooists require specialised furniture and it’s always worth buying from companies that specialise in furniture for tattoo parlours.
• Other costs – Expect to pay for your tattooing license, as well as essentials such as insurance, You’ll also need to allocate a budget for promoting and marketing yourself as a tattoo artist, as well as office essentials such as a cash register, safe, phone, computer, internet, etc.
• Rent (if you’re planning on opening a tattoo studio) – This is a variable cost that will depend on where you plan to open your tattoo studio and how large the space will be. As a general rule, rents in city centres are more expensive than those in rural areas and suburbs. Many commercial landlords will ask you to sign a lease in advance – you’ll pay rent monthly and there’ll also be costs involved in the signing of the lease.

Generally speaking, your business plan for becoming a tattoo artist will need to cover the following:

• Type of tattoo business
  • Who will your customers be?
  • Where will your premises be?
  • Will you have more than one outlet?
  • What will your opening hours be?
  • Will you work by appointment only?

• Your services
  • Will you offer any additional services such as design, re-colouring old tattoos, cover-ups, cosmetic tattooing, semi-permanent tattoos, or piercing?

• Pricing
  • What will your pricing policy be?
  • How often will you review your prices?
  • Will you offer discounts, special offers, etc?

• Market summary
  • What does the tattoo market look like at the moment?
  • How will you fit into this market?
  • Market segmentation
  • Competition

• Marketing strategy
  • Who are your potential customers?
  • How will you reach them?

• Sales strategy
  • How will you sell your services?
  • Sales forecast
  • Milestones

• Management summary
  • Who will be running the studio?
  • What are their skills and experience?
  • Will you be employing any other members of staff?

• Financial plan
  • Break even analysis
  • Projected profit and loss
  • Projected cash flow
  • Projected balance sheet

For more information on becoming a tattoo artist, visit the Tattoo Club of Great Britain and the National Careers Service