I've been piercing for a few years shy of a decade now, and I've gained a lot of perspective and knowledge on all aspects of piercing and the industry in that time frame. One major lesson I've learned is why piercers charge the amount they do for piercings and jewelry. It was a bittersweet realization, as I both learned to accept and understand the pricing, but also feel gross about those who very clearly overcharge. You'll get that in any industry I suppose, but as a client, I'm so big on you making the most informed decisions possible. So, I wanted to dissect the pricing of piercings so that readers can get an idea of why the prices are what they are and what the money they spend ends up going to.
Dissecting the Cost of Piercings
Shop Cut/Booth Rental
I've worked in about seven shops since starting out, and all of them do one of two things - charge their artists a booth rental fee or take a portion of what their artists make. At my own studio, I don't make a profit off of my artists; all the money they give for their "booth rental" goes towards the overhead rent, utilities, and insurance. Not every shop is like this, though. A lot of shop owners charge the booth rental fees that they do for the purpose of making a profit off of the artists. That being said, sometimes booth rental fees within a tattoo studio can be astronomically high, even as high as $1500-$2000 a month (and you still have to buy your own supplies in some cases). In other shops, instead of charging a booth rental fee, they may implement the 60/40 percentage agreement. Basically, what this means is that the owner either pays for your supplies and takes 60% of what you make, or you pay for your supplies and the owner takes 40% of what you make. Sometimes an owner will take more or less, or not buy materials at all. It all depends on how they decide to run their business. Ultimately, though, artists within a tattoo studio pay to be there, so what they charge for their services go towards covering their spot in the business.
Cost of Materials
This one might be a given, but the cost of materials can add up pretty quickly. Here's a quick list of most of the materials needed -
Needles (in different sizes and styles, such as catheter or threaded)
Sharps Disposal Bin (and a professional disposal company's services)
Surgical skin markers
Q-tips
Alcohol
Dental Bibs
Paper Towels
Disposable gloves
Hand sanitizer
Hospital-grade cleaner (Lysol spray is what, $5? MadaCide can be $25 and up for one bottle)
Clamps, Receiving Tubes, Taper pins, and other tools
This is a very, very limited list and it doesn't stop there. It also depends on the piercer you go to. Generally speaking, though, this is a pretty common "grocery list" for piercers. None of them are one-time purchases either, nearly everything you stock up on as a piercer has to be replenished regularly.
Body Safe Jewelry
This is a big one. Anyone can buy cheap jewelry in bulk from across the ocean. Mixed metal jewelry is so, so, so readily available and advertises itself as "pure" and "great for piercings." Jewelry that is actually safe to go into your body and stay there while you heal around it, though, costs much more than the cute little cheapies you can get from Ebay and Shein. Even Surgical or Stainless Steel is a very low-grade metal for piercings.
Compensation for Procedure
Everyone needs to be paid for doing their job, piercers included. Piercers go through a long process of learning and training and are deemed professionals for a reason. This is their livelihood as well as their art, and they need to include the "cost of labor" into the end price for their services.
Time Spent Replying to DM's, Emails, Creating Ads, etc.
This one's less of what goes into the piercing process itself and more of what happens behind the scenes. It takes a whole lot of energy to reply to DM's, answer questions, create content, keep up with your online portfolio, market yourself, and try to gain and sustain clientele. It's work, and it can be very draining. Everyone should be compensated for the time they spend working and investing in what brings them income.
Generally speaking, the only time a piercer gets paid is when they do the piercing or sell jewelry. If you do two piercings in one day, that's all you get for the whole day and everything that went into getting the appointments, doing the appointments, etc. If this is the only day the piercer can come in this week, or if they are having a hard time getting more appointments (the inevitable dry spells), then that profit from the two piercings is all they get for the whole week. So, when a piercer is charging what they charge, not only are they trying to cover everything listed above, but they're also trying to decide how to make piercing a sustainable career choice for their lifestyles.
After accounting for all of the things listed above and investing in your source of income, whatever you charge is your own profit. That being said, yes, some piercers will charge a large fee that goes directly into their pockets. If that's what they believe they're worth, though, then they're in their right to charge that amount.
Beware of "Cheap Piercings"
Some piercings are cheap simply because the piercer has decided to try to make their art more accessible. If the professional piercer has done the math and found a way to charge a low amount, pay for quality materials for the procedure, and still make a profit (even if it's miniscule) then it's a total win and you should be grateful for the effort put into making their art accessible to different financial audiences. However, there are people in every industry who have money on their mind and money alone. Here's some tips on how to decipher whether or not a piercer is charging a low amount for all the wrong reasons -
Not Licensed
People who do piercings but are not licensed are doing it illegally and unsafely. If they cared about the craft and doing it right, they would be licensed
Using Cheap Materials that Aren't Safe for Piercing
A person who is charging a low amount for piercings could be charging that due to not having to pay for quality materials. Buying needles from non-reputable sellers, buying cheap bulk jewelry from companies that don't hold themselves to proper body-safe standards, etc. are all ways sneaky people who are money-focused can get away with charging a low amount
At the end of the day, be very selective with who you allow to pierce you and pay close attention to what they use. Piercers charge what they charge for a reason, both those who charge a big amount and those who charge a small amount. Piercers who are transparent with why they charge what they charge are walking green flags!
Pay Piercers What They're Worth & What They Ask
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