Things like materials, size, location, and type of tattoo affect the price. On average you can expect to charge $50-100 for a small tattoo, up to $200 for a medium tattoo and over $250 for a large tattoo.
-Medium Tattoos
Medium-sized tattoos, including half-sleeves or designs covering a significant portion of a body part, can cost between $200 and $800, sometimes more.
So even if you choose a tiny, single-needle tattoo, no bigger than a pea-size, you may still be required to pay anywhere from $50-$250 for that tattoo. This minimum range will also vary depending on your geographic region (see geographic cost ranges below).
The very basic running rate these days is at $160- $180 an hour. So for someone who has been denoted in a Tattoo magazine, a television show, has awards at shows etc. $200-$250 per hour is what we shall be looking at for those with exceptional skills or fame.
Average Tattoo Prices
The average cost for a small tattoo, like a flower or an anchor, is $70 to $300. For a medium-sized tattoo like a portrait of an animal or person, expect to spend between $300 and $700.
A standard size hip or thigh tattoo (about 1ft in length) will run you about $500 for outline only, or anywhere from $1500-$2000 for full color.
$50 tattoos are approximately one inch by one inch in black ink on arms or legs.
Extra Large Tattoo Cost: £700 +
With very large tattoos, half sleeve an larger, start at £700 and keep adding up, depending on the design, size of your arms, and other factors. The cost of a full sleeve tattoo will be in the £1500 – £3000 range, depending on all the before mentioned factors.
As with tipping waitstaff, 20-25% percent is a good standard. An easy way to include tipping in your budget is to add it in when getting the estimated costs for having your work done. So, if your tattoo is expected to cost $200, with a 20-percent tip, that's $240.
On average, smaller tattoos may cost around £60 to £200, while larger or custom designs can range from £200 to £1,000 or more. Tattoo prices in the UK can vary depending on size, design intricacy, and artist experience.
Tattoo pricing generally follows these rules: the bigger the tattoo, the longer it takes, and the more experienced the artist, the more expensive it will be. You're paying for an artist's creativity, skill, and time, so you can walk away with the tattoo you wanted.
Most tattoo artists charge an hourly rate that varies from $75 to $150 an hour. A more elaborate tattoo like an elephant on the forearm or upper back that takes 2.5-6 hours typically costs $200-$600 with an average cost of $316.
But it is unethical to tip tattooers a few dollars as their service usually costs hundreds of dollars. It is generally accepted to tip 15-20% of total price to your tattoo artist. It means that from a $250 tattoo, you will tip $37.5-50.
A full day is no defined set amount of hours tattooing. It purely means you are the only client booked in on that day, all day. It is a discounted session that gets a large tattoo or portion of an ongoing tattoo done, an artist won't recommend a day sitting if you will not benefit, time wise, from the day session.
But optimally, four to six hours is the limit. For one thing, you, as the person being tattooed, is going to run out of adrenaline and all those lovely chemicals the brain makes that are "natural opiates" which keep you from feeling pain clearly.
There are no rules or regulations on how many tattoos you can get in a day, but we have our recommendations here at HUSH. One recommendation is that you don't do more than what is necessary and realistic. Multiple tattoos in a session can cause a whole lot of stress to your body.
Every artist work with different styles, techniques and prices. Not every artist charges their work per hour, but when they do it will be only for big tattoos of 3 hours or longer. Hourly rate: £80-£120 per hour (depending on the tattoo artist). Day Session: £500-£750 (depending on the tattoo artist).
Because tattoo artists do such sensitive work, some locals require artists to carry tattoo licenses. This usually entails a test on hygiene and cleanliness as well as a fee. Studios may also need to be registered and own a certain level of health insurance in order to operate.
That being said, a tip is always appreciated. The below recommendation of £50 is a good idea, or just a standard 10%…but anything would be appreciated simply because it's not the norm.
Typically in the $100 to $200 range, depending on the size and other factors. If you're looking for a piece of flash, you can often walk into a shop and find out right away what the tattoo costs.
Hourly Rates: The Norm
For example, an experienced and highly skilled tattoo artist may charge anywhere between $150 and $250 per hour for their services, while a less experienced artist may charge between $50 and $100 per hour.
Small tattoos usually take under an hour to make. Palm-sized tattoo would take from one to three hours to make. Hand sized tattoo can take up to 5 hours to make. Full sleeve tattoo can take 6-10 hours to make.