Body piercer vs tattooist

The differences between body piercers and tattooists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a body piercer has an average salary of $52,170, which is higher than the $52,114 average annual salary of a tattooist.

The top three skills for a body piercer include customer service, safety procedures and CPR. The most important skills for a tattooist are stencils, customer service, and tattooing.

Body piercer vs tattooist overview

	Body Piercer	Tattooist
Yearly salary	$52,170	$52,114
Hourly rate	$25.08	$25.05
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	5,358	1,138
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Body piercer vs tattooist salary

Body piercers and tattooists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Body Piercer	Tattooist
Average salary	$52,170	$52,114
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $108,000	Between $25,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between body piercer and tattooist education

There are a few differences between a body piercer and a tattooist in terms of educational background:

	Body Piercer	Tattooist
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Cosmetology	Graphic Design
Most common college	-	-

Body piercer vs tattooist demographics

Here are the differences between body piercers' and tattooists' demographics:

	Body Piercer	Tattooist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6%	Male, 70.9% Female, 29.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 6.9% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between body piercer and tattooist duties and responsibilities

Body piercer example responsibilities.

Transport discharged patients from various departments using wheelchair assistance including operating rooms, trauma, labor and delivery, and cardiovascular.
Apply quality temporary tattoo art to theme park customers, ensuring customer satisfaction according to their specifications.

Tattooist example responsibilities.

Transport discharged patients from various departments using wheelchair assistance including operating rooms, trauma, labor and delivery, and cardiovascular.
Retrieve and park scooters to designate area.

Body piercer vs tattooist skills

Common body piercer skills

Customer Service, 41%
Safety Procedures, 23%
CPR, 9%
Appointment Scheduling, 6%
Front Desk, 6%
Tattooing, 6%

Common tattooist skills

Stencils, 41%
Customer Service, 36%
Tattooing, 23%

Updated January 8, 2025

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