Here’s where I get a little preachy. Please don’t hunt for a bargain. Cheap tattoos are not good, and good tattoos are not cheap.
An apprentice or a new artist might charge $100 to $150 per hour. That’s fine for simple stuff! But a celebrity-level artist with a two-year waitlist? They can charge $300 to $500 per hour—or a flat day rate of $2,000 to $5,000.
You’re paying for their skill. You’re paying for their years of drawing, their insane attention to detail, and their ability to make your skin look like a living canvas. Plus, a good artist uses top-tier ink and sterile equipment. That costs them money, so it costs you money.
How Much Does a Small Tattoo Cost: Pricing Guide
Where Does That Hourly Rate Go?
Think your hour is actually an hour of tattooing? Nope. You’re paying for the whole darn experience.
That includes: consulting with you, drawing the design (and redrawing it when you say “can you make it a little more… you?”), setting up the sterile station, breaking down the station, and photographing the work. You’re renting their expertise, not just their time with a needle.
