Should You Raise Your Prices? (Spoiler: Probably.)
You ever finish a tattoo, count the cash, and think,
“Damn… that felt like way more work than what I charged.”
Yeah. That feeling? That’s your gut trying to have a conversation.
Raising your prices isn’t some mystical business milestone. It’s not reserved for when you hit 20K followers or get flown out for guest spots. It’s something you do when you realize the energy, time, and intention you’re putting in has outgrown what’s on your booking form.
But also—no one tells you when to do it. No one hands you a medal and says,
"You’ve earned the right to charge more now."
You’re supposed to figure it out on your own, between canceled appointments and back-to-back 8-hour banger sessions. So if you’re sitting in that weird space where you’re wondering if you should—here’s a little clarity.
First sign: You're quietly annoyed at every client
When clients ask “how much for a half sleeve,” and your whole nervous system clenches? That’s probably not just about them. That’s probably resentment bubbling up because you’re giving more than you’re getting—and your body knows it.
Second sign: You're booked… but still broke
If you’re fully booked but still living appointment to appointment, it’s not a discipline issue. It’s probably a math issue. Raise your rates.
Third sign: You’ve leveled up your skill—but not your price
If your tattoos look nothing like they did a year ago and your client experience is smoother, cleaner, more dialed—your rates should reflect that. You can’t stay in 2010 prices forever. You’re not a beginner.
Here’s the part where most tattooers freeze
You don’t want to lose clients. You don’t want to sound full of yourself. You don’t want to become “that artist.”
But guess what? The clients who value you will adjust. The ones who don’t? They weren’t going to stick around long-term anyway.
Raising your prices doesn’t mean pricing people out. It means pricing in the reality of what it takes to do what you do without resenting it.
You’re not just tattooing. You’re emailing, prepping, designing, cleaning, managing your own brand, booking your own days, and still somehow trying to stay human. That costs something.
And if no one else has said it lately—
you’re allowed to charge enough to live a full life. Not just a booked one.