Becoming A Tattoo Artist Can Be Lucrative, Yet The Path Your Choose Will Make All The Difference 

 

Do you love tattoos? Do you love drawing and being creative? Maybe you’ve thought about becoming a Tattoo Artist before and are wondering what it takes to become a successful Tattoo Artist. It takes effort to become a Tattoo Artist, but the payout can be well worth it. 

There isn’t just one path to becoming a Tattoo Artist, however, there are some things that most Tattoo Artists have in common. All Tattoo Artists enjoy art, drawing, and design, but just because you’re good at drawing doesn’t mean you’ll be good at tattooing without a tattoo apprenticeship. 

One of the easiest ways to make a career change and become a successful Tattoo Artist is to attend a Tattoo School near you. Our Tattoo Apprenticeship Program at Ink Different Tattoo School’s Tattoo School secures you a Guaranteed Job Offer when you complete your training. As the only nationwide trade school for aspiring Tattoo Artists, here’s our advice on how to become a Tattoo Artist. 

If you have additional questions on what it takes to become a Tattoo Artist, please contact us. 

Why You Should Become a Tattoo Artist – Career Insight

• You do not need a degree
• You can make up to $500 per hour… sometime more
• You have more flexibility than a 9-to-5
• You can be creative and develop artistic abilities 
• You can work with interesting people and help them commemorate moments in their lives 

Becoming a Tattoo Artist does not require a degree, and yet you can make as much as people who get into mountains of debt going to college. The average Tattoo Artist makes just over $60,000 a year and it can go up from there. 

Tattoo Artists can choose where and when to work and have more freedom and flexibility than in a 9-to-5 job. Plus, as you make progress as a professional, you can define and create your own style, allowing you to express yourself creatively and raise your prices.

Looking for an apprenticeship right now? Call/Text 1-310-413-0709

There is a lot of room for growth in the tattoo industry. As long as we keep making people, and those people see other people who have tattoos, which makes them want tattoos, there will always be demand. 

After becoming a Tattoo Artist, you can always continue to grow and refine your skills throughout your career. As a Tattoo Artist, you will have the opportunity to work with tons of diverse people and hear their stories, while commemorating milestones in their lives with permanent art. Beware though – you will need good people skills as a Tattoo Artist because sometimes your shop will turn into storytelling or therapy sessions! 

What You Should Know Before Becoming a Tattoo Artist Career

• You should know how or at least love to draw first 
• You will need a license 
• It will take an investment in equipment, education, and licensing upfront before it pays off 

First of all, before becoming a Tattoo Artist you should already be familiar with drawing. If you show up to tattoo school expecting to learn how to draw, the beginning of your apprenticeship will take a while. To learn better illustration and drawing skills, practice drawing in a sketchbook and study art by both general artists and famous Tattoo Artists. Learn to develop your own style and get creative and comfortable with drawing for hours on end. 

While it’s true that you do not need a formal art education before becoming a Tattoo Artist, it doesn’t hurt to indulge in some form of formal art education by taking classes at a community college or a local art center. Most successful Tattoo Artists were art students of some kind first, even if just from taking art classes in high school. That’s because people who become Tattoo Artists, usually can’t help themselves from creating art. Going to tattoo school or getting a tattoo apprenticeship will help you learn how to transfer from drawing on paper with pens to human skin with needles. 

Additionally, you will need to have a Tattoo Artist license to trade tattoos for money in most states. We created a Definitive Guide to State-by-State Tattoo Laws if you need to check out the rules in the state where you live or for a state that interests you.

You will need to invest in equipment, licensing fees, and training costs before you can become a Tattoo Artist. The good news is, that the cost of entry in the tattoo industry is way, way less than in other fields. You can earn back what you put in within a year. After you become a successful Tattoo Artist, you will also need to maintain your skills and keep sharp with current trends, so don’t forget, that there is still a need for continual continuing education.

The 3 Paths to Become a Tattoo Artist 

Once you already know why you want to become a Tattoo Artist and what it takes, then you can dive into how to become a Tattoo Artist. 

You essentially have three options for becoming a Tattoo Artist:

1. Self-taught
2. Find a Traditional Apprenticeship
3. Attend a Tattoo School 

1. Become a Tattoo Artist: Be Self-Taught 

The first, and absolute worst option to learning to tattoo, is to be self-taught. Several years ago, before we created Ink Different Tattoo School’s Tattoo School, this was one of the only ways to become a Tattoo Artist in some cities, as there were not many apprenticeships available. However, teaching yourself is a slow process and peppered with all kinds of potential disasters. Not only can you be teaching yourself the worst habits that will then become permanent, you also risk spreading and GETTING infectious diseases. It is completely NOT SAFE.

It will also be difficult to find clients if you are self-taught because in all likelihood, you won’t be that good and clients do not, and should not, trust a self-taught newbie to do their tattoos. 

Pros:

• None

Cons:

• Extremely slow path to becoming a Tattoo Artist 
• Difficult to find clients 
• You’ll develop terrible habits
• Your reputation will be tarnished
• You’ll probably spread infectious diseases
• You’ll probably catch infectious diseases

2. Become a Tattoo Artist: Find a Traditional Apprenticeship 

If you are in a city where Ink Different Tattoo School’s Tattoo School does not exist, and there is no way to relocate to us for your training, then seeking a traditional apprenticeship to become a Tattoo Artist is your second best approach. If you can secure a local tattoo apprenticeship, you will gain real-world experience in a shop and can become a Tattoo Artist in a much more responsible way, compared to trying to learn on your own. Just like an internship, once your apprenticeship is over you can usually transition to working at the same shop, assuming your apprenticeship went well. However, apprenticeships are coveted positions that are difficult to get, and most artists take on one apprentice at time, if that. Of course, you will need to purchase your own equipment and most tattoo apprenticeships cost money. You are never paid for the apprenticeship, rather in reality, you have to pay for the apprenticeship. Even if it cost you $15,000, when you compare it to the cost of a college degree, it’s a steal!

Looking for an apprenticeship right now? Call/Text 1-310-413-0709

Make sure when choosing a mentor that they are at a reputable shop and have experience guiding people through an apprenticeship. Spend time familiarizing yourself with the shop and the artists there. If some are hostile… no bueno. 

Pros:

• Learn from a seasoned mentor if you can find one 
• Better the learning on your own from online courses or destroying yourself and your friends 
• More likely to get a full-time offer after completion 

Cons:

• Can be extremely difficult to get an apprenticeship where you are not exploited for free labor, and then told to leave if you don’t kiss the right butts
• You may need to pay for tattoos from the artists in the shops, whether you want their tattoos or not.
• There is never really a job offer guarantee
• You may be required to buy your equipment from the shop at marked-up prices

3. Become a Tattoo Artist: Tattoo School

Finally! Now that we are out of the dark ages, you can become a Tattoo Artist by attending a Tattoo School. A Tattoo School in Oregon, or at one of Ink Different Tattoo School’s Tattoo School locations, is a great way to learn from experts in a structured and proven program. 

If accepted at Ink Different Tattoo School, you will start one-on-one in a virtual classroom and move on to the in-studio phases of your apprenticeship once you pass the initial requirements. You will end with a guaranteed job offer at the completion of your apprenticeship. 

The right Tattoo School, either at Body Art & Soul or in the state of Oregon, are extremely effective because they have been proven to work for hundreds of tattoo artists, and remove the indentured servitude and harassment phases that often come with a traditional apprenticeship. 

At the right Tattoo School, you will simply learn how to tattoo. That’s not. Not how to scrub toilets and order the perfect latte. That you can do on your own.

Pros:

• Receive formal training in a formal training designed to accelerate your learning
• Train to pass the local licensing requirements
• Certification from Ink Different Tattoo School is recognized nationwide
• Professional oversight on the pacing of your career expansion
• Guaranteed portfolio development
• Network with established and developing Tattoo Artists
• Learn sanitation and cross-contamination prevention at the highest standards
• Exit with the ability to secure a position at a local tattoo studio
• Guaranteed Job Offer if you attend Ink Different Tattoo School’s Tattoo School
• Opportunity to run your own shop with Ink Different Tattoo School 

Cons:

• It’s not free.

Learn to Tattoo  – Start Your Training Today

At Ink Different Tattoo School’s Tattoo School, we can help you train to become a highly successful Tattoo Artist. You can apprentice with our professional and experienced team of Tattoo Artists and secure a guaranteed job offer when you complete your apprenticeship. 

Take the pressure off of yourself to fail on those first two paths of either teaching yourself, or begging for an apprenticeship, and learn how to become a successful Tattoo Artist right now

If you are serious about a career as a Tattoo Artist, let us help you make the career change into a career you love, right now. 

Talk to an advisor to see if you qualify for the Tattoo Apprenticeship Program and Ink Different Tattoo School’s Tattoo School. 

Call or Text 1-310-413-0709 to move to the front of the line and interview for an apprenticeship today.