Solo Tattoo Artist vs. Shop Owner: The Honest Comparison

I spent six years as a solo artist before opening my shop. Best six years of tattooing I’ve ever had. I could do what I wanted, when I wanted, with zero management headaches.

Then I opened a shop with four artists and discovered that running a tattoo business is an entirely different job than being a tattoo artist. I tattoo about 60% as much as I used to. The rest of my time goes to managing schedules, resolving disputes, ordering supplies, handling bookings, marketing, accounting, and dealing with the building landlord. My income is higher. My stress is also higher.

Neither path is better. They’re just different. Here’s the real comparison so you can decide which one is right for you.

The Solo Artist Path

What It Looks Like

You rent a station at a shop (on commission) or you have your own private studio. Your income comes entirely from your own chair time. You manage your own bookings, clients, and creative direction.

The Financial Reality

Income range: $40,000-150,000/year depending on experience, pricing, and booking efficiency

At a shop on commission (50/50):

• You charge $175/hour
• You tattoo 25 hours/week billable
• Weekly gross: $4,375
• After 50% commission: $2,188/week
• Annual (48 working weeks): ~$105,000 gross
• After taxes and expenses: ~$70,000-80,000 take-home

In a private studio (100% yours):

• Same $175/hour, 25 hours/week
• Weekly gross: $4,375 (keep it all)
• Monthly overhead: $2,000-3,000 (rent, insurance, supplies, software)
• Annual gross: ~$210,000
• After overhead ($30,000/year): $180,000
• After taxes: ~$120,000-135,000 take-home

The private studio math is compelling — you keep much more. The trade-off is that you handle everything yourself and lose the walk-in traffic a shop provides.

What You’re Responsible For

• Your own bookings and schedule
• Your own marketing (Instagram, website, Google)
• Your own supplies (in a private studio)
• Your own taxes (quarterly estimated payments)
• Your own insurance
• Your own creative direction

What You’re NOT Responsible For

• Other artists’ problems
• Landlord/building issues (the shop handles this if you’re on commission)
• Staff management
• Shop-wide marketing
• Business overhead decisions
• Commission tracking and payouts

Who Thrives as a Solo Artist

• Artists who value creative freedom above all
• Introverts who prefer working alone
• People who hate management and admin
• Artists with strong personal brands who don’t need shop traffic
• People who want maximum work-life balance
• Artists who want location flexibility (guest spots, travel)

The Shop Owner Path

What It Looks Like

You own and operate a tattoo studio with 2-6+ other artists. You tattoo some of the time and manage the business the rest. Your income comes from your own tattooing PLUS commission from other artists’ revenue.

The Financial Reality

Income range (owner of 3-artist shop):

Compare to the solo private studio at $120,000+ take-home… the shop owner isn’t necessarily making more, especially when factoring in the management stress.

Where shop ownership really pays off: When you have 4-6+ productive artists and your commission income exceeds your personal tattooing income. At that point, you’re building a business that generates revenue beyond your own labor.

4-artist shop with strong artists:

Now the numbers get more interesting. And the scaling opportunity is real — every additional productive artist adds commission income with relatively modest incremental overhead.

What You’re Responsible For

Everything the solo artist handles, PLUS:

• Managing 2-6+ artists (schedules, commissions, disputes, performance)
• Lease and landlord relationship
• All business overhead (rent, utilities, insurance, supplies)
• Shop-wide marketing
• Hiring and firing
• Health department compliance
• Legal and accounting
• Building maintenance
• Cash flow management

The Time Split

Most shop owners I know, including myself, report this approximate time allocation:

You will tattoo less. That’s the trade-off. If tattooing is what makes you happy, be aware that shop ownership reduces your chair time significantly.

Who Thrives as a Shop Owner

• Natural leaders who enjoy building teams
• Business-minded artists who find management interesting (not draining)
• Artists who want to build something bigger than themselves
• People with high risk tolerance
• Those who want to create a legacy or brand
• Artists who want to eventually step back from tattooing and run the business

The Hybrid Options

Private Studio with Occasional Guest Artists

Best of both worlds for many artists. You have your own space, keep 100% of your revenue, and occasionally host guest artists (taking 30-40% commission for the week). Low management overhead, supplemental income.

Chair Rental Model

Instead of commission splits, artists pay you a flat monthly rent for their station ($800-2,500/month). You get guaranteed income regardless of how much they tattoo, and they keep 100% of their earnings.

Pros: Predictable income, less management (artists are truly independent) Cons: You make less during boom times, artists have less incentive to support the shop’s brand

Partnership

Two or more artists co-own the shop, sharing management responsibilities and profits.

Pros: Shared workload, shared financial risk, complementary skills Cons: Decision-making friction, potential for conflict, complicated exit if one partner wants to leave

The Decision Framework

Ask yourself these questions honestly:

Do you enjoy managing people? If the thought of mediating an argument between two artists makes you want to quit, don’t open a shop.

Do you want to tattoo more or less? Shop ownership means less chair time. If tattooing is your primary joy, stay solo.

Are you willing to take financial risk? A shop lease is a $50,000-150,000+ commitment. A private studio is $15,000-30,000.

Do you want to build a business or practice an art? These are different goals. Both are valid.

Can you handle variable income? Shop owner income fluctuates more than a solo artist’s — you’re exposed to multiple artists’ booking patterns, not just your own.

What’s your 5-year vision? If you see yourself traveling for guest spots, tattooing at conventions, and maintaining creative freedom, stay solo. If you see yourself building a brand, mentoring artists, and creating a space people love, own a shop.

My Honest Assessment

If I could go back, I’d still open the shop. But I’d have done it differently:

1. Started with 2 artists, not 4. Scaling too fast created management chaos before I had systems in place.
2. Built better systems first. Booking software, commission tracking, and SOPs should have been ready before Day 1.
3. Protected more tattoo time. I should have blocked off non-negotiable tattooing hours from the start instead of letting management creep into my chair time.
4. Had realistic expectations. The first year of shop ownership is harder and less profitable than being a solo artist. The payoff comes in years 2-3+.

Neither path is wrong. They just optimize for different things. Know what you’re optimizing for, and choose accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do solo tattoo artists or shop owners make more money?

Shop owners have higher earning potential but more risk. Solo artists can earn $60,000-150,000/year. Shop owners with 3-5 artists can earn $80,000-250,000+, but with higher expenses and management responsibility.

When should a solo artist consider opening a shop?

When your books are consistently full 4+ weeks out, you have 6+ months of savings, and you genuinely want to manage a business — not just tattoo.