Tattoo jobs, apprenticeships, and chair rentals

What does it cost to rent a tattoo chair?

Chair rent is quoted by the week or by the month, and the number moves with the city, the shop's walk-in traffic, and what the seat comes with. Weekly rent in the US commonly runs about 150 to 400 dollars, and monthly rent about 600 to 1,500 dollars. Ask what the rent covers before you compare two shops: some include a station, an autoclave, front desk booking, and supplies, and some cover the room and nothing else. Each rental on this board carries the rate the shop set, and the minimum commitment where the shop gave one.

How do tattoo shop percentage splits work?

A split is the other way a shop charges for a seat. Instead of fixed rent, the shop keeps a share of what you take in, so a slow week costs you part of a smaller number rather than the same rent either way. 60/40 in the artist's favor is a common starting point, 50/50 is normal for an artist still building a book, and 70/30 or better usually goes to artists who bring their own clients. Some shops run both: a lower base rent plus a smaller percentage. Pay is written in the shop's own words on every listing, so read the pay line before you write to one.

What does a tattoo apprenticeship involve?

An apprenticeship is how most artists learn the trade. Expect one to three years under a working tattooer, starting with shop duties, sterilization, and drawing long before you touch skin. You need bloodborne pathogens certification and whatever license your state or county requires, and those rules come from the health department rather than from the shop, so they differ from one state to the next. Terms differ too: some apprenticeships pay, some are unpaid, and some charge tuition. Ask which one you are being offered early, and get the answer in writing.

What is the difference between a guest spot and a chair rental?

A chair rental is an ongoing seat you rent and run your own business from, paying the shop rent, a percentage, or a mix of the two. A guest spot is a short residency at a shop that is not yours, usually a few days to a few weeks, with terms agreed per visit. The rental is where you work; the guest spot is somewhere you visit.

Guest spot, position, apprenticeship, rental, or booth?

Five arrangements with five sets of terms. The tabs above filter the board by which one you want.

Open position

A job at the shop. The shop books the work and pays you, most often on a commission split rather than an hourly wage. Full time and part time both appear here.

Apprenticeship

A training place rather than a job. You learn under a working artist, and the shop sets what it pays or what it costs.

Chair rental

You rent the seat and run your own business from it: your prices, your clients, your schedule. You pay the shop rent, a percentage, or a mix of the two.

Guest spot

A short residency at a shop that is not yours, usually a few days to a few weeks. Terms are agreed per visit.

Convention booth

A table at a show for the run of the weekend, sold by the convention rather than by a shop.