How much will your tattoo cost?
Estimate the real US price of your tattoo in under 30 seconds. Based on aggregated rates from 1,000+ verified shops on GetMarkd.
Roughly 1.5h of work at your selected market rate.
22–25% on top of the quoted price is standard in the US. For long sessions (4+ hours) tip in cash directly.
Most shops charge hourly above 1 hour of work. Small designs are usually flat-rate at the shop minimum.
The $50–$200 deposit you pay to book is applied to your final price. Lose it only if you no-show.
What actually drives tattoo cost
Hourly rate is the biggest factor — $100/hr in a small town, $300/hr in NYC for a respected artist. Reputation, demand, and shop overhead all feed into this.
Time is the second factor. Detail, color packing, and tough placements all add hours. A 4-inch fine-line piece might take 90 minutes; a 4-inch realism portrait takes 4–6 hours.
Shop minimum matters for tiny tattoos. Even a 1-inch design has a $80–$150 minimum almost everywhere — the artist has to set up, draw, sanitize, and tear down regardless of how small the piece is.
Geography creates the biggest spread. The same artist might charge $180/hr in Phoenix and $280/hr in Brooklyn. If you're flexible, traveling for a tattoo can save real money.
Want a more accurate quote? Find shops near you and request a consultation — most are free and take 15 minutes.