Pricing
Ever wonder why you’re being charged what you’re being charged?
It’s important to research your artist not only to ensure you’re getting the quality work that you’re looking for but to make sure you’re being charged fairly. Tattoos are expensive and permanent, so do a little digging for yourself! I want to share some of the numerical ‘Whys’ behind tattoo pricing but also want you to keep in mind how precious people’s time, energy, and art are.
Why are tattoos so expensive?
You are getting a unique piece of art curated for you and tattooed on you forever. Period.
Not only are the supplies expensive, and mostly disposable, artists pay for these out of their own pocket. Money also goes toward renting a space or paying a shop fee, cleaning/medical supplies, business insurance, health insurance, taxes, etc…. and not to mention all of the bills every normal person has to pay in their everyday life. PTO or sick time? Doesn’t exist for us, if we don’t work we don’t get paid.
So let’s break it down, shall we?
Let’s say that you earn $70,000 a year doing tattoos, which means you make $1,300 a week and $250 a day. Pretty nice right? But then the shop takes 50%-60%, leaving you with $42,000. An okay yearly take home for a single adult.
Well, now we get into taxes.
From the $42,000 you take-home there is a standard deduction of about $12,400. So taxes are based on $29,600. Self employment tax is about 15.3%, federal tax is around 12%, and Oregon taxes are 5%. This means taxes take around $10,300 leaving you with $31,700.
What about deductions? Can’t you just write off everything you purchase?
Kind of, yea! The cool thing about self employment, is that anything you purchase for your work can be written off. That being said, you’re likely only going to get back around $2,000 for every $6,000 spent. Which brings your final take home to $33,000.
That final $33,00 is what you have left for mortgage/rent, food, utilities, family, emergencies, 401k, savings, health insurance, and literally everything else. An artist may be charging you $400 but they’re only getting a small portion of that.
Deposits
To make a tattoo appointment, I require a deposit of $100-$300, depending on the scope of work, which goes toward the final cost of your tattoo and is non-refundable. If you cancel or need more than one reschedule your deposit is forfeit and I will need another to secure a new appointment. Setting a reschedule date must happen within 48 hours of contacting me. Appointments are not confirmed until a deposit is made.
To reschedule or cancel an appointment, please do me the curtesy of contacting me least 48 hours before your appointment.
Payments
While cash and Zelle is always preferred for payments and tips;
Venmo, Card, Afterpay and Cashapp are also accepted forms of payment.
Pricing
Work is quoted on an individual basis because the price of your tattoo will depend on the size, complexity of the design, and the location on your body.
I typically book as follows depending on design:
$180/hr
2 hours at $300
3-4 hours at $600
5-7 hours at $1,000
There is a minimum charge of $150 for any tattoo session regardless of size.