What to tip a tattoo artist, with exact dollar amounts by tattoo price, when to skip the tip, and how to tip without cash.
You just sat through three hours in the chair. Your arm is wrapped, the piece looks incredible, and now you are standing at the front desk doing mental math. Is 15% enough? Is 25% too much?
Tipping your tattoo artist is weirdly awkward. Too little feels like an insult. Too much feels like overkill. Nobody tells you where the line is. Here is the no BS version, with real dollar amounts, so you never have to guess at the counter again.
Tip your tattoo artist 20% of the tattoo's price. On a $300 tattoo, that is $60. On a $500 tattoo, it is $100. You get the idea.
Anywhere from 15% to 25% is normal, and 20% is what most artists and clients consider standard. Go higher if your artist went above and beyond, like squeezing you in, redrawing the design a few times, or sitting with you through a rough session. Tipping is never mandatory, but in the US and Canada it is expected in most shops.
A few quick rules that clear up most of the confusion:
Find your tattoo's price, then pick a column. The standard is 20%. Generous is 25%, for when your artist really delivered.
| Tattoo price | Standard tip (20%) | Generous tip (25%) |
|---|---|---|
| $100 | $20 | $25 |
| $150 | $30 | $40 |
| $250 | $50 | $65 |
| $300 | $60 | $75 |
| $500 | $100 | $125 |
| $800 | $160 | $200 |
| $1,000 | $200 | $250 |
| $2,000 | $400 | $500 |
Amounts are rounded to the nearest $5 for easy mental math and also easy to hand over in cash. If your shop has a minimum charge (often $80 to $150 for a tiny piece), tip on that minimum, not on what you think the tattoo "should" have cost.
Yes. $50 on a $300 tattoo is about 17%, which sits comfortably inside the normal 15% to 25% range. If you want to hit the 20% standard exactly, the number is $60. Either way, no artist is going to be disappointed by a $50 tip on a $300 piece.
Tip $100 on a $500 tattoo. That is the 20% standard. If the session was long, the design was custom, or your artist was just great to sit with, $125 is a generous tip. If $100 feels like a stretch on top of the tattoo itself, $75 (15%) is still a solid, respectable tip.
The 20% standard on a $1,000 tattoo is $200. That said, percentage tipping gets heavy at this level, and plenty of people land somewhere between $150 and $200 (15% to 20%) on big pieces. Both are fine.
Large tattoos are often split across several sessions. In that case, most people tip at the end of each session based on what that session cost, rather than saving one big tip for the final day. It is easier on your wallet, and your artist gets thanked for each day of work. If you would rather tip once at the end of the whole project, that is okay too. Just make sure it actually happens.
Tip $50 on a $250 tattoo. That is 20%. A generous tip would be around $65, and $40 (about 15%) is still perfectly acceptable.
It helps to know where your money goes. In most shops, artists do not keep the full price of your tattoo. They typically split it with the shop, often somewhere between 40% and 60%, or they pay the studio a flat chair rent. Needles, ink, gloves, and all the drawing time before you ever sat down usually come out of the artist's side too.
Your tip is the one part of the payment that goes straight to the person who did the work. For a lot of artists, it is the difference between a good month and a tight one.
That is also why the size of the tattoo matters less than you might think. A small piece can still involve hours of drawing, a custom stencil, and a careful setup. Tip on the price and you will be in the right range, whatever you got.
Tipping is expected for most tattoo appointments, but there are a few situations where it is optional or skipped. Here is how the common ones shake out.
Consultations. No tip needed. A consult is a free conversation to plan your design, and nobody expects a tip for it. If your artist charges a paid consultation fee, you still do not need to tip on it.
Deposits. You do not tip when you pay a deposit. The deposit comes off the final price, and you tip on the full amount at the end of your appointment.
Shop owners. There is an old rule, borrowed from salons, that you do not tip the owner of the business. It does not really hold up in tattooing. Most shop owners are working artists who are tattooing you themselves, often with the same costs as everyone else. If the owner did your tattoo, tip them like you would any artist.
Touch ups. Many shops offer a free touch up within a few months of your appointment, to fix spots that healed patchy. When the touch up is free, a small tip of $10 to $20 is a kind gesture but not entirely required. If the touch up is paid, tip on what you paid like any other tattoo.
When the work was not good. If your tattoo came out badly or the experience was genuinely unprofessional, you are not obligated to tip. But talk to your artist or the shop first. Most artists want to make it right, and a lot of problems can be fixed with a touch up and open communication.
Outside the US and Canada. Tipping culture varies a lot around the world. In much of Europe, Australia, and Asia, tipping tattoo artists is appreciated but far less expected. When you are traveling, ask the front desk what is normal.
Cash is still the easiest tip for most artists, since it goes straight into their pocket with no fees. But plenty of people do not carry cash anymore, and artists know that. Here are your options.
Whatever method you use, the key is to do it the same day. A tip you meant to send is not a tip. A late tip is awkward.
A tip is the standard thank you, but it is not the only one. These cost nothing and mean a lot to artists, whether or not you are also tipping:
Getting your first tattoo? Our step by step guide to getting a tattoo walks you through everything from finding an artist to what to expect on the day.
Yes, if they did your tattoo. The old salon rule about not tipping owners does not really apply in tattoo shops, since most owners are working artists. Tip them 20%, just like any other artist.
If the touch up is free, a small tip of $10 to $20 is a nice gesture but not required. If you paid for the touch up, tip on the amount you paid, around 20%.
After. Tip at the end of your session, once the tattoo is done and you have seen it. For multi session pieces, most people tip at the end of each session.
In the US and Canada, skipping the tip is usually seen as rude unless something went wrong with the tattoo or the service. Tipping is not mandatory, but it is expected in most shops. If money is tight, a smaller tip is always better than no tip.
No. Your deposit is part of the tattoo's price, not a separate charge. Tip once, at the end of your appointment, based on the full price of the tattoo.
Tip 20% of the price, even on a small piece. On a $100 tattoo, that is $20. If your shop has a minimum charge, tip on the minimum.
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