Average Tattoo Artist Salary in Canada for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Tattoo Artist salary for 2024 in Canada and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Canadian dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the CAD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Tattoo Artist Make in Canada?

A Tattoo Artist working in Canada will typically earn around 45,600 CAD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 21,100 CAD to the highest average salary of 69,600 CAD.

Average Annual Salary
45,600 CAD
Average Monthly Salary
3,800 CAD

Lowest Annual Salary
21,100 CAD
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,758 CAD

Highest Annual Salary
69,600 CAD
Highest Monthly Salary
5,800 CAD

These are average salaries for a Tattoo Artist in Canada and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Tattoo Artist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Tattoo Artist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Tattoo Artist Salaries in Canada

So we've looked at the average salaries a Tattoo Artist will earn in Canada. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Tattoo Artist can earn between 21,100 CAD and 69,600 CAD on average in Canada. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Tattoo Artist in Canada is 47,100 CAD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 47,100 CAD, and 50% of the population earn more than 47,100 CAD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Tattoo Artist salary in Canada, 25% of the population are earning less than 29,100 CAD while 75% of the population earn more than 29,100 CAD.

75% of the population earn less than 65,200 CAD, and 25% of the population earn more than 65,200 CAD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Tattoo Artist Salary by Experience Level in Canada

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average tattoo artist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Tattoo Artist in Canada that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 22,200 CAD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Tattoo Artist salary would increase to 30,300 CAD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Tattoo Artist, the average salary would be 45,400 CAD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 54,500 CAD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Tattoo Artist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 59,800 CAD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Tattoo Artist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 64,400 CAD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
22,200 CAD
2-5 Years +34%
30,300 CAD
5-10 Years +48%
45,400 CAD
10-15 Years +22%
54,500 CAD
15-20 Years +9%
59,800 CAD
20+ Years +8%
64,400 CAD

Tattoo Artist Salary by Education Level in Canada

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Tattoo Artist in Canada based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Tattoo Artist in Canada with a high school education can earn an average salary of 27,300 CAD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Tattoo Artist in Canada with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 51,400 CAD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
27,300 CAD
Certificate or Diploma +93%
51,400 CAD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Canada is around 49,800 to 149,000 CAD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Tattoo Artist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Canada, a male tattoo artist will earn an average of 44,800 CAD, while a female tattoo artist will earn around 45,200 CAD.

This means that a male tattoo artist earns approximately 1% less than a female tattoo artist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Canada

Male
44,800 CAD
Female +1%
45,200 CAD

Tattoo Artist Average Pay Raise in Canada

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Tattoo Artist in Canada is around 11% every 15 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Canada is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 15 ) × 12  = 9%

What this means is that a Tattoo Artist in Canada can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Canada for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Canada.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
2%
Energy
4%
Information Technology
6%
Healthcare
8%
Travel
1%
Construction
3%
Education
5%

Tattoo Artist Bonus and Incentive Rates in Canada

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Tattoo Artist is a low bonus based job, with 35% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

65% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
35%
No Bonus
65%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Canada earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
123,000 CAD
Private Sector -6%
115,600 CAD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Tattoo Artist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Tattoo Artist in Canada.

Job Title Category Salary
Aromatherapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 132,000 CAD
Art Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 86,100 CAD
Assistant Spa Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 97,300 CAD
Beauty Advisor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 94,000 CAD
Beauty Educator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 117,100 CAD
Beauty Shop Coordinator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 63,900 CAD
Beauty Specialist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 94,400 CAD
Beauty Supply Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 160,600 CAD
Beauty Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 91,200 CAD
Cosmetic Sales Fitness / Hair / Beauty 51,500 CAD
Cosmetologist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 83,200 CAD
Day Spa Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 165,900 CAD
Esthetician Fitness / Hair / Beauty 44,900 CAD
Fitness and Wellness Coordinator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 93,600 CAD
Fitness Instructor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 69,400 CAD
Grooming Salon Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 151,800 CAD
Hair Replacement Specialist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 153,700 CAD
Hair Stylist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 54,300 CAD
Health Coach Fitness / Hair / Beauty 124,500 CAD
Health Educator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 147,900 CAD
Manicurist and Pedicurist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 38,700 CAD
Massage Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 68,400 CAD
Masseur Fitness / Hair / Beauty 55,700 CAD
Natural Remedy Consultant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 130,500 CAD
Naturopath and Acupuncturist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 52,300 CAD
Occupational Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 73,300 CAD
Occupational Therapy Assistant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 56,100 CAD
Physical Therapy Attendant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 58,200 CAD
Recreational Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 77,300 CAD
Salon Assistant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 54,100 CAD
Salon Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 156,200 CAD
Spa Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 163,800 CAD
Spa Supervisor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 141,000 CAD
Sport and Recreation Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 175,200 CAD
Weight Loss Consultant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 163,500 CAD
Yoga Instructor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 107,300 CAD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Canada, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Brampton 43,800 CAD
Calgary 47,600 CAD
Edmonton 46,700 CAD
Gatineau 41,300 CAD
Halifax 43,500 CAD
Hamilton 46,200 CAD
Kitchener 45,700 CAD
Markham 41,400 CAD
Mississauga 44,200 CAD
Montreal 49,700 CAD
Ottawa 49,800 CAD
Quebec 47,500 CAD
Regina 41,500 CAD
Richmond 39,800 CAD
Saskatoon 41,400 CAD
Surrey 44,200 CAD
Toronto 50,000 CAD
Vancouver 50,000 CAD
Vaughan 43,200 CAD
Windsor 43,500 CAD
Winnipeg 45,900 CAD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in Canada.

City Average Salary
Alberta 50,000 CAD
British Columbia 49,400 CAD
Manitoba 44,500 CAD
New Brunswick 43,800 CAD
Newfoundland-Labrador 41,100 CAD
Northwest Territories 44,200 CAD
Nova Scotia 43,500 CAD
Nunavut 50,800 CAD
Ontario 49,400 CAD
Prince Edward Island 37,900 CAD
Quebec 49,200 CAD
Saskatchewan 46,200 CAD
Yukon 41,500 CAD

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