Tattoo Size Pricing Estimator
Estimate tattoo cost by size, complexity, and location.
Get a price range based on artist hourly rates, design style, and body placement difficulty.
Tattoo Pricing Estimation
Tattoo prices depend on three main factors: Cost = Time × Hourly Rate × Complexity × Placement Difficulty
Hourly rates by experience level (US averages):
- Apprentice: $50-100 per hour
- Junior artist: $100-150 per hour
- Experienced artist: $150-250 per hour
- Senior / well-known artist: $250-400 per hour
- Celebrity or award-winning artist: $400-800+ per hour
Time estimates by tattoo size and detail:
- Tiny (under 2 inches): 30-60 minutes
- Small (2-4 inches): 1-2 hours
- Medium (4-6 inches): 2-4 hours
- Large (6-10 inches): 4-8 hours
- Extra-large (10+ inches): 8-15 hours
- Sleeves / back pieces: 20-50+ hours across multiple sessions
Complexity multipliers:
- Simple line work / lettering: 1.0×
- Traditional / neo-traditional: 1.2×
- Black-and-grey realism: 1.4×
- Color realism / portrait: 1.6×
- Hyper-realism / micro-realism: 1.8×
Placement difficulty multipliers:
- Easy (forearm, calf, thigh): 1.0×
- Standard (upper arm, chest, back): 1.0×
- Difficult (ribs, sternum, neck, hands): 1.2-1.3×
- Very difficult (face, fingers, feet, behind ear): 1.3-1.5×
Shop minimum: Most shops have a minimum charge of $80-150 regardless of size — this covers needles, ink, and setup time.
Tipping: Standard tip is 15-25% of total cost, paid in cash directly to the artist.
Final pricing should always be quoted in person — these estimates are starting points for budgeting.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.