Research Summary. Using a database of 30 million profiles, Zippia estimates demographics and statistics for tattoo artists in the United States. Our estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- There are over 6,382 tattoo artists currently employed in the United States.
- 25.0% of all tattoo artists are women, while 75.0% are men.
- The average age of an employed tattoo artist is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of tattoo artists is White (57.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (20.0%), Black or African American (9.3%) and Unknown (6.4%).
- In 2021, women earned 97% of what men earned.
- 6% of all tattoo artists are LGBT.
- Tattoo artists are 91% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
Tattoo Artist Statistics By Gender
25.0% of tattoo artists are women and 75.0% of tattoo artists are men.
- Male, 75.0%
- Female, 25.0%
Tattoo Artists By Gender
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 75.0% |
| Female | 25.0% |
Gender Pay Gap For Tattoo Artist
Women Earn 97¢ For Every $1 Earned By Men
![Tattoo Artist Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Tattoo Artists In The US (1)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw== "Tattoo Artist Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Tattoo Artists In The US (1)")
Male Income
$53,257
Female Income
$51,921
Tattoo Artist Gender Over Time
This data shows how men and women predominate in the tattoo artist position over time.
Male
Female
100
%
80
%
60
%
40
%
20
%
%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Tattoo Artist Gender By Year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 85.84% | 14.16% |
| 2011 | 87.88% | 12.12% |
| 2012 | 87.30% | 12.70% |
| 2013 | 87.03% | 12.97% |
| 2014 | 86.49% | 13.51% |
| 2015 | 74.27% | 25.73% |
| 2016 | 76.49% | 23.51% |
| 2017 | 75.82% | 24.18% |
| 2018 | 75.73% | 24.27% |
| 2019 | 77.60% | 22.40% |
| 2020 | 79.03% | 20.97% |
| 2021 | 75.04% | 24.96% |
Tattoo Artist Male to Female Ratio
We compared this job title with other job titles to see how gender percentages varied. As you can see, camp boss and valet have the biggest difference in gender.
| Job Title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Childcare Provider | 3% | 97% |
| Daycare Owner | 4% | 96% |
| Professional Nanny | 5% | 95% |
| Tattoo Artist | 75% | 25% |
| Intramural Director | 82% | 18% |
| Valet | 85% | 15% |
| Camp Boss | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Tattoo Artist Statistics By Race
The most common ethnicity among tattoo artists is White, which makes up 57.4% of all tattoo artists. Comparatively, there are 20.0% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and 9.3% of the Black or African American ethnicity.
- White, 57.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 20.0%
- Black or African American, 9.3%
- Unknown, 6.4%
- Asian, 5.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
Tattoo Artist Race
| Tattoo Artist Race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 20.0% |
| Black or African American | 9.3% |
| Unknown | 6.4% |
| Asian | 5.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
Tattoo Artist Race And Ethnicity Over Time
Using the Census Bureau data, we found out how the percentage of each ethnic category trended between 2010-2019 among tattoo artists.
- White
- Asian
- Hispanic or Latino
- Black or African American
Tattoo Artist Race By Year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.31% | 9.18% | 5.38% | 18.56% |
| 2011 | 62.84% | 7.31% | 4.63% | 20.18% |
| 2012 | 59.28% | 9.34% | 4.61% | 22.30% |
| 2013 | 60.47% | 9.51% | 4.85% | 21.71% |
| 2014 | 62.40% | 10.45% | 4.79% | 19.00% |
| 2015 | 59.09% | 12.57% | 4.94% | 19.47% |
| 2016 | 61.53% | 9.49% | 5.62% | 19.47% |
| 2017 | 61.16% | 8.83% | 5.60% | 19.74% |
| 2018 | 58.69% | 11.49% | 5.42% | 20.55% |
| 2019 | 58.98% | 10.02% | 6.11% | 21.38% |
| 2020 | 60.51% | 9.67% | 5.23% | 19.38% |
| 2021 | 57.40% | 9.31% | 5.86% | 20.02% |
Tattoo Artist Wage Gap By Race
$58,000
$56,000
$54,000
$52,000
$50,000
$48,000
$46,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $54,179 |
| White | $57,183 |
| Black or African American | $47,929 |
| Asian | $51,745 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $55,761 |
Browse Most In Demand Jobs
Tattoo Artist JOBS
Average Age of a Tattoo Artist
We determined the average age of tattoo artists based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Tattoo Artist Age By Race
| Race | Male Age | Female Age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 41 | 38 |
| White | 43.5 | 42 |
| Black or African American | 46 | 42 |
| Asian | 41.5 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 35 | 34 |
Tattoo Artist Age Breakdown
This chart breaks down the ages of tattoo artist employees. Interestingly enough, the average age of tattoo artists is 40+ years old, which represents 52% of the population.
40+ years
30-40 years
20-30 years
Tattoo Artist Age
| Tattoo Artist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 52% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 22% |
Types of Tattoo Artist Degree Levels
The most common degree for tattoo artists is high school diploma 39% of tattoo artists earn that degree. A close second is bachelor's degree with 23% and rounding it off is associate degree with 20%.
- High School Diploma, 39%
- Bachelors, 23%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 14%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Tattoo Artists By Education
| Tattoo Artist Degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 39% |
| Bachelors | 23% |
| Associate | 20% |
| Diploma | 14% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Tattoo Artist Jobs You Might Like
Tattoo Artist Wage Gap By Education
$64,000
$60,000
$56,000
$52,000
$48,000
$44,000
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,338 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,566 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $50,858 |
Tattoo Artist Employment Statistics
This section highlights information about where tattoo artists work. We found most tattoo artists work for a private company. In addition, the industry that employs the most tattoo artists is the manufacturing industry.
Company Size
We created this chart to show you the average size of companies that typically hire tattoo artists.
< 50 employees
50 - 100 employees
100 - 500 employees
500 - 1,000 employees
1,000 - 10,000 employees
> 10,000
Tattoo Artist Jobs By Employer Size
| Company Size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 19% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 32% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 35% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 2% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 7% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
The Types Of Companies Tattoo Artist Work In
Employees with the tattoo artist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most tattoo artists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Education
Public
Private
Tattoo Artist Jobs By Sector
| Company Type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 4% |
| Public | 5% |
| Private | 91% |
Top Industries Hiring Tattoo Artists
Just based on the number of employees within each industry, we were able to determine the most common industries that employ tattoo artists. Those industries include manufacturing, media and hospitality.
Manufacturing
Media
Start-up
Hospitality
Technology
Show More
Tattoo Artist Industry Statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 22% |
| Media | 15% |
| Start-up | 10% |
| Hospitality | 10% |
| Technology | 10% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Real Estate | 5% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Education | 3% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
Tattoo Artist Turnover And Employment Statistics
Tattoo Artist Unemployment Rate Over Time
The Bureau of Labor Statistics came in clutch when it came down to figuring out how the unemployment rate has changed over time. Between 2008 and 2018, this is how the number of tattoo artists changed.
- Unemployment rate
Tattoo Artist Unemployment Rate By Year
| Year | Tattoo Artist Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.30% |
| 2011 | 9.67% |
| 2012 | 9.93% |
| 2013 | 9.00% |
| 2014 | 9.06% |
| 2015 | 6.16% |
| 2016 | 6.01% |
| 2017 | 6.24% |
| 2018 | 5.94% |
| 2019 | 5.11% |
| 2020 | 9.61% |
| 2021 | 10.60% |
The Average Number of Years That Tattoo Artist Stay in a Job
By looking over 2,498 tattoo artists resumes, we figured out that the average tattoo artist enjoys staying at their job for 1-2 years for a percentage of 26%.
Less than one year
1-2 years
3-4 years
5-7 years
8-10 years
11+ years
Tattoo Artist Tenure
| Number or Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 17% |
| 1-2 years | 26% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 17% |
Comparing The LGBT Ratio of Tattoo Artists with Other Job Titles
After finding the gender ratio, we wondered if the percentages of LGBT persons were different as well. Using the data below, you can see how other job titles compare to tattoo artists.
Tattoo Artist LGBT Demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|
| Playground Attendant | 4.43% | 44,594 |
| Senior Caregiver | 6.73% | 67,227 |
| Activities Counselor | 8.12% | 31,248 |
| House Parent | 12.72% | 25,144 |
| Group Fitness Instructor | 13.13% | 38,457 |
Foreign Languages Spoken By Tattoo Artists
The most common foreign language among tattoo artists is Spanish at 64.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Portuguese at 5.4% and German is the third-most popular at 4.1%.
- Spanish, 64.9%
- Portuguese, 5.4%
- German, 4.1%
- French, 2.7%
- Greek, 2.7%
- Other, 20.2%
Tattoo Artist Languages Spoken
| Foreign Language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 64.9% |
| Portuguese | 5.4% |
| German | 4.1% |
| French | 2.7% |
| Greek | 2.7% |
| Other | 20.2% |
![Tattoo Artist Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Tattoo Artists In The US (2024)](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mP8/h8AAvMB+NzmkbcAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)