Do Tattoo Artists in San Antonio Make More Money Working in a Tattoo Shop or Opening Their Own?
Right now, there is a growing demand for tattoo artists as people are becoming more and more open to the art form. When you are interested in getting a tattoo yourself, it is best that you work with the best-rated tattoo shops in San Antonio. Today, we are answering the question: do tattoo artists in San Antonio make more money working in a tattoo shop or opening their own?
How profitable is owning a tattoo shop?
There are over 20,000 tattoo parlors and studios around the United States of America, and the tattoo industry has been expanding. There are some parlors that make about $1.35 billion yearly, especially if they offer other services like body piercings.
If you are a tattoo artist, then you would expect that you earn about %50,000 a year, and the revenue that tattoo parlors and tattoo studios are about $241,000.
When you are just starting out, then you could expect that you could start up your own shop with $27,000, and then get an average of 55 percent of your expenses for your profit margin.
Are tattoo artists in high demand?
Currently, tattoo artists are in high demand because there are a lot of people who are open to getting tattoos now. While a lot of people are wanting to get tattoos, a lot of people are also now choosing to go through the creative career route instead of having a corporate job.
If you want to become a tattoo artist, then here are some of the personality traits that you should possess:
- Consistent
- Determines
- Focused
- Gives attention to detail
- Good communication skills
- Passionate
- Patience
- Perseverance
- Understanding the requirements of the client
Here are some of the skills that you need to have when you want to become a tattoo artist:
- Artistic abilities
- Creative
- Good at drawing
- Good at sketching
- Illustrator
- Knowledge about anatomy
- Knowledge of art, history, and culture
- Making a stencil
- Photoshop
- Steady hand
How do tattoo parlors make money?
- Tattoo designs
- Starting your own blog
- Youtube channel
- Selling merch like t-shirts
- Selling artwork and jewelry
- Selling ink in bottles
- Become an affiliate
- Apprenticeships
- Tattoo conventions
How do you become a successful tattoo artist?
1. Learn how to draw
The most important thing in becoming a tattoo artist is knowing how to draw, so before anything else, make sure that you are pretty good at drawing.
2. Go and attend art school
Knowing how to draw is not enough sometimes, but attending an art school would help you hone your skills and master your craft. You would typically be able to get your degree from art school after 4 years, but you don’t necessarily have to finish to be a tattoo artist, all you are going to have to do is take courses to help you with your craft.
3. Keep on Practicing
Though you don’t necessarily need a degree to be a tattoo artist, you have to keep practicing. Especially when you are self-educated, you have to practice how to draw regularly so that you are comfortable in drawing, and develop some work habits.
4. Make a portfolio
Once you are sure that you have developed your skill, create a portfolio of some of your best drawings so that you would be able to showcase your strengths. You have to make the drawings in your portfolio diverse so that you could show other tattoo artists and possibly clients that you could bring in high-quality work while working with different styles.
5. Apprenticeship
When you are done making a portfolio, then you could look at other tattoo artists who are already masters in their crafts and get an apprenticeship. You would be able to learn everything in the job, from having to design some tattoos, to using machines and sterilizing the equipment.
6. Networking
Like every job, networking is important because the more connections that you have, the greater chance you have of being employed. You could do this by going to tattoo-related groups and becoming known in the community.
7. Get your license
You are going to have to obtain your license so that you would be able to work professionally because a big majority of the states in the country require you to get one.
If you are a person who is interested in becoming a tattoo artist, there are a lot of ways that you could attain your goal. But is it better to work with a tattoo shop or open your own parlor? Working with a bigger and more popular tattoo parlor would bring you more clients since they know that the people who are working there are trustworthy and reliable.
