For those of you entering the world of tattooing—whether you’re considering it as a career, planning to buy into an established studio, or building one from the ground up—there are fundamental truths you must understand.

The first, and most important, is this: although tattooing has advanced tremendously over the past two decades—with precision instruments that minimise trauma and allow skilled artists to create delicate works of art within the skin—the underlying business model remains deeply flawed.

The prevailing system of contractual artists is volatile and unproductive, trapping an already tarnished industry in a cycle of risk. This risk ultimately falls upon the artists themselves, who are left without an authentic, legitimate means of earning a living that is recognised by lending institutions. As a result, the tattoo industry—and the creativity within it—remains suffocated, held in the chokehold of an underworld that profits from its lack of formal recognition.

This course guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of all startup and ongoing costs associated with operating a tattoo studio. It includes hourly charge-out rates, realistic income projections, and the key factors that determine profitability — from the balance between tattooing and design time, to the importance of charging for design work, understanding the studio-to-artist revenue split, and identifying the artist’s true take-home pay.

We’ll also examine the real-world pitfalls that artists face daily, and question whether the constant turnover and volatility that plague the industry actually benefit tattoo studios at all. Through this, we’ll draw comparisons to more traditional employment models — where workers are provided with structure, resources, and support to genuinely develop their craft. Would a similar employment model, one that allows tattoo artists to grow their skill, refine their art form, and steadily build their client base, ultimately serve the studio better than the current contractual churn? After all, artists leave when they’re not being fairly compensated or consistently supported. This isn’t a local problem — it’s a global issue.

We’re going to explore the systemic model that governs the tattoo industry as it stands today, and ask whether there’s room — or even a pressing need — for a different approach. Who does the current system truly serve? What governs the way this industry functions, and how do these structures stifle creativity, encourage exploitation, and breed toxicity within studio environments?

We’ll also confront the uncomfortable truth about the lack of management, oversight, and accountability across many shops — and question whether this is acceptable given the nature of tattooing, a profession that permanently alters the human body.

While tattoo artists are undeniably skilled, the industry still lacks a recognised framework of training or competency assessment. There is no standardised pathway to validate skill level, protect artists, or ensure fairness. Worse still, many studios fail to provide honest evaluations of their staff’s work, often going so far as to discredit departing artists in order to protect their own reputation. This systemic pattern leaves artists with no real recourse — no legal standing, no industry body to turn to, and no safeguard against unfair treatment.

Lets explore the financial feasibility first, and unpack the pro’s and cons as we go along.

Financially, we must consider:

The variable costs involved in tattooing depend on several factors — the size and complexity of the design, whether it’s colour or black and grey, and the level of skill required for proper execution. There must be a structured tier system and chargeable rate levels in place for a studio to operate effectively and profitably — one that ensures a fair, win–win arrangement for both the artist and the shop owner, providing each with a meaningful return on investment.

For instance, small tattoos roughly half the size of a standard business card should be priced between $40–$60, plus any applicable design time — typically $10–$15 per design, plus tax. A full business card-sized tattoo should range from $75–$100, after which pricing should transition to an hourly rate based on the artist’s skill level.

It’s important to recognise the difference in execution time between artists. A design that might take me two hours to complete would, on average, take a less-experienced artist (with 1–3 years’ experience) around four hours. Therefore, stylists and all-rounder artists should be remunerated in proportion to their competency and speed. A defined framework needs to be developed to support fair compensation across the board, ensuring that the industry can move toward greater transparency and sustainability.

For our calculations, we’ll base the metrics on three artists working on a four-day rotation, with shop hours of 10 hours per day, six days per week. Artists operate on a 60% (artist) / 40% (shop) split — a common but often misunderstood standard.

Operational factors also need to be accurately reflected. On average, each tattoo requires 15–40 minutes of design time and around 10 minutes of cleaning and prep. Then factor in standard breaks — typically one hour per artist per day (including lunch or smoke breaks) — as well as standard GST fees in the overall calculations.

The daily mix of appointments should include a variety of time allocations: 30-minute, 1-hour, 2-hour, 3-hour, and 4-hour sessions throughout the week, with longer 6-hour day sessions on Saturdays. These figures form the basis of realistic, transparent income and productivity projections for both artists and shop owners — a crucial step toward creating a more stable and equitable tattoo industry.