A workable hourly rate does not come from comparing the market, it comes from your own calculation: target net income plus social security and tax plus fixed costs plus supplies, divided by the hours you genuinely spend tattooing. Out of a 40 hour week that is realistically only 20 to 25 hours. In German speaking Europe hourly rates usually sit between 120 and 250 CHF or euros, with minimum charges between 80 and 150.
- Calculate backwards: target net income plus taxes plus fixed costs plus supplies, divided by real tattooing hours.
- Out of a 40 hour week only 20 to 25 hours are usually spent on skin. Using 40 halves your rate.
- A minimum charge covers setup, supplies and preparation time, no matter how small the piece is.
- Price range in the first reply, fixed price only after the sketch and placement are settled.
- Review every session afterwards: planned hours against actual hours, or you never see where you lose money.
Contents
The most common pricing strategy in this industry is a look at the studio next door. That is understandable and still risky: your colleague may pay no chair rent, work part time, or have been living off savings for years. Take their hourly rate and you take their cost structure, not yours. Market comparison is the sanity check at the end, not the calculation.
Why is looking at the competition not enough?
An hourly rate has to carry four things at once: your life, your taxes, your business and your unpaid hours. The price at the studio next door says nothing about any of those four. It only tells you the price bracket of your city, and that is the range you eventually have to move within.
That is why the order matters: calculate first, compare with the market second. If your calculated rate lands far above the local bracket, either your fixed costs are too high or your tattooing hours are too few. If it lands far below, you are giving money away.
How do you calculate your hourly rate?
The calculation runs backwards, from your life to the price. Four blocks, one division.
- Target net income: what do you want in your account each month, after everything? Times twelve.
- Social security and tax: whatever applies where you work. Use an estimate from your accountant, often roughly 30 percent of profit as a rough guide.
- Fixed costs: studio or chair rent, insurance, software, marketing, training, accounting. An overview of the items is in the article on business expenses.
- Supplies: needles, inks, film, gloves, disinfectant. Estimate per year, not per session.
The sum of those four blocks is the turnover you need in a year. Divide it by the hours you genuinely spend working on a client.
How many hours do you really tattoo?
This is where the biggest error happens. A 40 hour week does not mean 40 hours on the machine. Drawing, answering enquiries, scheduling, ordering supplies, cleaning the studio, bookkeeping, Instagram: all of it is work, but unpaid work. In practice 20 to 25 hours on skin are what remain.
Add holidays, illness, conventions and gaps in the calendar. Four to eight weeks a year without turnover is normal. Anyone calculating with 48 weeks and 40 hours arrives at 1,920 hours and therefore at a rate that never works out in reality.
A worked example with numbers
| Item | Amount per year in CHF or euros |
|---|---|
| Target net income (4,500 per month) | 54,000 |
| Social security and tax, estimated at roughly 30 percent | 23,000 |
| Fixed costs (chair rent, insurance, software, marketing, accounting) | 18,000 |
| Supplies | 6,000 |
| Turnover needed | 101,000 |
| Tattooing hours (40 weeks at 20 hours) | 800 |
| Calculated hourly rate | 126 |
In practice 126 becomes 130. That sits at the lower end of the usual bracket of 120 to 250 CHF or euros, so it holds up. Run the numbers with your own figures: five more hours a week or 3,000 less in fixed costs already shift the result noticeably. How to make your utilisation visible in the first place is covered in the article on revenue planning.
Why do you need a minimum charge?
Every session costs you time and supplies regardless of how small the piece is: setting up and disinfecting the station, preparing the stencil, going through information and consent, opening needles and ink, then breaking everything down again. That preparation often takes 30 to 45 minutes and simply gets given away on small tattoos.
- What the minimum charge covers: setup, supplies, stencil, aftercare briefing and the admin time around the appointment.
- Usual bracket: 80 to 150 CHF or euros, depending on city and studio.
- Communicate it clearly: the minimum belongs in your published prices, not in a conversation at the end.
- Bundle small pieces: several minis in one session are cheaper for both sides than three separate appointments.
Hourly rate, fixed price or price range?
| Model | Works for | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | large projects, cover ups, freehand, multiple sessions | the client does not know the final price in advance |
| Fixed price | clearly defined pieces once the sketch is done | overruns are on you |
| Price range | first enquiries, before sketch and placement exist | the range has to be tight enough to feel binding |
| Day rate | full day sessions, backs, sleeves | only pays off with realistic day planning |
In practice a combination works best: a price range in the first reply, a fixed price or hourly rate once the sketch exists, and a minimum charge always. The client knows early where they stand, and you only commit once you know the piece.
Communicating and raising prices
Prices rarely become a problem because of their level, they become a problem because of surprise. Give the range in your first reply to an enquiry, take a deposit that counts towards the price, and do a short review after every session: planned hours against actual hours, planned price against what you charged. After ten sessions you will see exactly which sizes you keep underestimating.
Announce a price increase with notice, factually and without a long justification. Two to three months of lead time is fair, and so is finishing existing bookings at the old rate.
Hey everyone, from 1 January 2027 my prices are changing. The hourly rate will be 150 CHF and the minimum charge 120 CHF. Why: supplies, rent and insurance have become noticeably more expensive over the past two years, and I want to keep planning enough time per client instead of working faster. Every appointment that takes place up to 31 December 2026 runs at the current price. Projects we have already started will also be finished at the old rate. If you want something done this year, message me and I will see what the calendar allows. Thanks for the trust, [your name]
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my hourly rate as a tattoo artist?
Add your target annual net income, your estimated social security and tax, your annual fixed costs and your supplies. Divide the total by the hours you realistically spend on a client, which is usually 20 to 25 per week across about 40 working weeks. The result is your minimum hourly rate, which you then compare against the local market.
How much does a tattoo cost per hour?
Usual hourly rates in German speaking Europe sit between 120 and 250 CHF or euros, depending on city, style, waiting time and experience. That is a bracket, not a rule: a specialised artist with a long waiting list charges more, someone starting out in a small town charges less. Your own cost calculation stays decisive.
How high should a tattoo minimum charge be?
The minimum has to cover setup, supplies, stencil and admin, even when the piece itself takes twenty minutes. Minimum charges commonly sit between 80 and 150 CHF or euros. State it together with your hourly rate so small enquiries are assessed realistically from the very first message.
How many hours a week can a tattoo artist actually tattoo?
Out of a 40 hour week, 20 to 25 hours on a client is what usually remains. The rest goes on drawing, enquiries, scheduling, ordering, cleaning, bookkeeping and social media. If you do not account for those unpaid hours, you will systematically set your hourly rate too low and wonder where the money went.
Fixed price or hourly rate for a tattoo?
A fixed price works once motif, size and placement are settled after the sketch, and it gives the client certainty. An hourly rate works for large projects, cover ups and freehand pieces whose duration cannot be estimated seriously in advance. For a first enquiry, give a price range and commit only once the sketch exists.
How do I announce a price increase?
With two to three months of notice, in a short message to regulars and on your channels. Name the new hourly rate and minimum charge, the effective date and a factual reason. Finish already booked appointments and running projects at the old price, which is fair and saves you a lot of discussion.
By the Taddoo team, built by artists and booking managers for artists. Published September 9, 2026, last updated September 9, 2026.
