A typical tattoo apprenticeship lasts 1-3 years, though the exact timeline depends on your mentor and your skill progression.
Knowing what factors affect the length of a tattoo apprenticeship can help you move faster and make sure you’re not getting taken advantage of. So in this article, we’ll be answering all the tattoo apprenticeship FAQs and explaining how to have more control over the length of an apprenticeship
An apprenticeship is just one step in the journey. See our complete guide to becoming a tattoo artist.How long is the average tattoo apprenticeship?
The average apprenticeship is about 2-3 years. However, they can extend for as long as 5.
Option 1: The “Normal” Apprenticeship
Year 1
Chores and working in the shop
Year 2
Learning to tattoo/tattooing yourself
Year 3
Tattooing friends and clients on apprentice pay
Usually, tattoo apprentices spend the first year “earning” their education by cleaning, working the front desk, etc. to make up for the cost of their mentor’s time and teaching. In this case, you won’t pick up a tattoo machine for the first year of your apprenticeship.
Option 2: The “Short” Apprenticeship
Year 1
Learning to tattoo / tattooing yourself
Year 1.5
Tattooing friends and clients on apprentice pay
If you’re paying for your education instead of working for it, your apprenticeship should be shorter, and you should start learning pretty much right away because you’ve already paid.
Option 3: The “Long” Apprenticeship
Year 1
Chores and working in the shop
Year 2
Learning to tattoo/tattooing yourself
Year 3
Tattooing friends and clients on apprentice pay
Year 4
Tattooing full-time as an artist in the shop
This type of apprenticeship follows the path of a “normal” apprenticeship, except you have also agreed to work in the shop as a full artist as part of your tattoo apprenticeship contract.
Beware: The “Neverending” Apprenticeship
Unfortunately, some “mentors” only offer an apprenticeship to aspiring artists because they want someone to work the front desk for free. They don’t teach the apprentice enough for them to grow as a tattoo artist, and use this as an excuse to lengthen their apprenticeship and keep an employee they don’t have to pay.
Year 1-4+
Chores and working in the shop
Some “mentors” only offer an apprenticeship to aspiring artists because they want someone to work the front desk for free, but they won’t teach you anything.
How many days a week is a tattoo apprenticeship?
Apprentices are expected to work 5-6 days a week.
How many hours a week is a tattoo apprenticeship?
Apprentices are expected to be at the shop 40-50 hours, or even 60+ hours a week. Some mentors allow flexible hours so the apprentice can keep a part-time job to support themselves.
Do tattoo apprentices get paid?
Apprentices do not get paid until they start tattooing people (1-2 years into the apprenticeship). When they do start tattooing clients, they are on an “apprentice split.” This means the shop gets 50-60% of the money the apprentice makes from their tattoos.
How long does it take to start tattooing in a tattoo apprenticeship?
Usually, after a year of working in the shop at the desk, mentors will start showing apprentices how to tattoo. They might let them tattoo fake skin or practice tattooing themselves.
How long does it take to get a tattoo apprenticeship?
How long it takes to get a tattoo apprenticeship depends on your art skills, how you ask for an apprenticeship, and whether you already know someone in the industry.
Most mentors expect hopeful apprentices to have a portfolio that shows stellar art skills. For people who don’t have much drawing experience, getting that experience can take several years.
Note:
To learn how to draw tattoos faster, check out How to Draw Tattoos.
Apprenticeships are different from most entry-level jobs.If you walk into a tattoo studio and ask for an job right away, you will get turned down. People ask professional tattoo artists for apprenticeships everyday, and “no” is their go-to answer.
The best way to ask for an apprenticeship is to build a relationship and help around the shop before asking a potential mentor to look at your portfolio.
Note:
Need help creating a tattoo apprenticeship portfolio? Learn what a tattoo mentor is looking for with our Portfolio Guide.
A lot of artists are able to get into the tattoo industry faster because they already have a few friends working in tattoo shops.
How much does a tattoo apprenticeship cost?
Tattoo apprenticeships cost anywhere from a few hundred bucks for supplies to a $10,000 mentorship fee.
Most tattoo apprenticeships that are “free” require you to do a year of work in the shop before picking up a tattoo machine. This is to cover the cost of your tuition while gaining some experience by observing.
Some mentors will charge a $5,000-$10,000 to teach an apprentice. In this case, the apprentice should start tattooing synthetic skin and be observing tattoo techniques from day one. (They don’t have to “earn” their education working for free because they paid for it.)
How long does a tattoo apprenticeship last?
In some places, there are legal requirements regarding your tattoo education, like going to tattoo school or applying for a tattoo license. However, an apprentice becomes a professional tattoo artist whenever their mentor feels they’re ready.
Here’s a few things that can factor into the length of your apprenticeship:
Are tattoo apprenticeships hard?
Tattooing is hard and you have to reach a certain skill level to become a tattoo artist. However, there’s a difference between hard work and being taken advantage of. Your tattoo journey shouldn’t come with abuse or being hazed by all the artists in the shop just because you’re “the apprentice.”
How to gain more control over the length of your apprenticeship:
To avoid getting strung along in an apprenticeship, we recommend creating a tattoo apprentice contract with your potential mentor.
In the contract, you’ll agree on milestones in your apprenticeship. For example, after a certain amount of drawings, you’ll be allowed to start practicing with a tattoo machine.
If you’re paying for your apprenticeship, these milestones will be paired with payment installments. (This will give your mentor incentives to teach you more often.)
Note:
If possible, talk to a future mentor’s graduated apprentices to hear about their experience and how long it took.
Do you have to have a tattoo apprenticeship to become a successful tattoo artist?
Inside the program, you’ll get step-by-step tattooing tutorials, lessons in design, and personalized feedback from professional tattoo artists in our online Mastermind community.
Over 8000 students have used the Artist Accelerator to break into the tattooing industry, with many of them going on to open their own studios and tattoo in shops around the world.
