Tattoo Statistics: Fascinating Facts About Tattoos and the Industry

Is it your goal to become a tattoo artist one day? Then there are some tattoo statistics that should definitely be on your radar.

For example, you should be aware of the fact that there are more than 30,000 tattoo artists working throughout the U.S. right now. You should also know that there are more than 20,000 tattoo parlors scattered all across the country that employ these tattoo artists.

But you shouldn’t stop there when it comes to finding out about the latest tattoo statistics. You should also set out to learn as many other fascinating facts about the tattoo industry as you can. It’ll give you a newfound appreciation for the prevalence of tattoos in this day and age.

Let’s take a look at some of the most eye-opening tattoo statistics around below.

Almost Half of Americans Under 40 Have Tattoos

Once upon a time, there weren’t many people walking around with tattoos. But over the last decade or two, it’s become very common for younger people to obtain tattoos.

How common? Well, one recent survey found that almost 50% of people under 40 have tattoos. This survey also found that more than 20% of Americans have at least two tattoos these days.

This is great news if your goal is to turn yourself into a tattoo artist. It suggests that you shouldn’t ever have trouble finding work once you get involved in the tattoo industry.

The U.S. Isn’t the Most Tattooed Country in the World

There is likely going to come a time when the U.S. will be the most tattooed country on the planet. As long as young people continue to get tattoos, the percentage of people in this country who have them will keep on rising.

But for now, the U.S. is somewhat surprisingly not the most tattooed country in the world. That distinction instead belongs to Italy.

Almost 50% of all Italian people have at least one tattoo. That puts Italy just ahead of the U.S. in terms of the total percentage of people with tattoos. There is also one country in between them, as Sweden is right behind Italy with about 47% of Swedes having tattoos.

The U.S. does come in third, though, ahead of other countries like Australia, Argentina, Spain, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. And it has a healthy headstart on most of these countries, which proves just how massive the U.S. tattoo industry already is.

Many People Prefer to Keep Their Tattoos Hidden

For years, people often abstained from getting tattoos because they were told it would make it too difficult for them to get jobs. But many people have found a way around this. They’ve chosen to get tattoos that are easy to hide.

One survey found that over 70% of people have tattoos that can be hidden when they’re at work. They often have these tattoos on their upper arms, backs, chests, and other body parts that can’t be seen when they’re wearing work attire.

That being said, tattoos in the workplace also aren’t as frowned upon as they used to be. Since so many young people have them, a lot of employers are changing their attitudes toward tattoos and permitting employees to have them as long as they aren’t offensive.

All this should bode well for you if you want to transform yourself into a tattoo artist. The more common tattoos become in the workplace, the more people will start to get them.

People Choose to Get Tattoos for Many Reasons

With so many people getting tattoos these days, there have been quite a few surveys done on why they’re deciding to get them. These surveys have shed so much light on people’s motivations for choosing to get inked up.

One survey showed that about 25% of those with tattoos get tattoos because they have strong personal meanings. These people have gotten tattoos to mark momentous occasions in their lives, like the births of their children or the deaths of their immediate family members.

This survey also showed that about 12% of people get tattoos because they believe their bodies should be an extension of their own stories. They get tattoos that represent the things they’re passionate about so that other people will be able to learn more about them without having to ask them a single question.

Whatever the case, it’s clear that many people are getting tattoos nowadays for any number of reasons. As a tattoo artist, it’ll be important for you to find out their reasons. It’ll help you give them the tattoos they’re looking for.

A Small Percentage of People Regret Their Tattoos

The vast majority of those who choose to get tattoos love them from the start and don’t ever stop loving them. But there are always outliers who experience tattoo regret.

A recent poll found that some people come to regret their tattoos for a number of reasons. Here are just a few of the reasons that these people listed for regretting tattoos:

Their tattoo includes the name of someone they’re no longer associated with
Their tattoo reflects an outdated belief or philosophy
Their tattoo doesn’t look as professional as they would like
Their tattoo doesn’t carry any special significance

When you’re working as a tattoo artist, you aren’t going to want to give anyone a tattoo that they’ll regret later on. It’s why you’ll need to work hard to design the best tattoos possible for your clients.

It’s also why it’ll be so important for you to communicate with your clients and help them to look ahead at how they might feel about the tattoos they want in the future. You can help them steer clear of having any regrets down the line.

Tattoo Artists Often Make $100 to $150 Per Hour

When you first came up with the idea to become a tattoo artist, you probably didn’t do it with money in mind. This idea likely came to you because you love art and you want to use your passion for it to provide people with great tattoos.

You should, however, be cognizant of how much money you can potentially make as a tattoo artist. It’ll help you decide if becoming a tattoo artist would be the right career move for you to make.

Generally speaking, you should be able to command anywhere from $100 to $150 per hour working as a tattoo artist. That seems to be the going rate at the moment for those working within the tattoo industry.

As you rise up the ranks, though, you might be able to bring in even more money than that. As you master your craft, you’ll get the opportunity to charge higher tattoo costs for each tattoo session you hold.

The sky is going to be the limit when you’re working as a tattoo artist. As long as you’re willing to put the right amount of work in, it can turn into a very lucrative career.

The Global Tattoo Market Will Be Worth $3 Billion Soon

Back in 2021, the global tattoo market was worth about $1.75 billion. The COVID-19 pandemic put a bit of a damper on the tattoo industry as a whole and slowed its growth down dramatically. But it isn’t expected to stay down for long.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, many people both in the U.S. and in other countries have started to run out to get tattoos. It has led to the tattoo industry bouncing back like never before, and it’s projected to help the industry grow at a rapid rate.

Within the next 5 years, tattoo industry analysts are prognosticating that it will be worth more than $3 billion. There is even hope that it might grow to be worth $3.5 billion by the time 2030 arrives.

Of all the tattoo statistics listed here, this one might end up being the most important one for those interested in throwing their hats into the ring and becoming tattoo artists. You’ve arrived at a great time getting involved in an industry that is trending in the right direction.

Remember These Tattoo Statistics as a Tattoo Artist

The tattoo statistics we’ve listed here should provide you with a nice overview of what’s happening within the tattoo industry. They should also show you why it would be a fantastic time for you to attend tattoo school.

Florida Tattoo Academy offers a variety of great tattooing courses for those interested in working as tattoo artists. Regardless of whether you live in Florida or another part of the country, we welcome you to take a tour of our tattoo school to see how it can help jumpstart your career.