'I'm a tattoo artist: This is what we earn - and the most common mistake people make'

If you've ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each Monday, we speak to someone from a different profession to discover what it's really like. Today we speak to tattoo artist Alice Nicholls from The Fine Art of Tattoo in Essex...

A typical salary for a tattoo artist is... roughly around £60k to £70k if they are self-employed. Personally I'm a limited company employee employed by the business, so I take a general wage.

I work around 16 hours per week... 10am until 2pm. I have other artists who work for me, which gives me the chance to do school runs and mum jobs. Fridays and Saturdays tend to be the busiest, and from around Easter until Christmas is the busiest time of year.

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Training times are different for everyone... My apprenticeship was roughly nine months, as I had previous artistic qualifications that helped. I'm always learning even 20 years into my career. I have since done my master's degree in fine art and am currently studying for a PhD to further my knowledge and skills.

There are loads of tattoos that I refuse to do... Such as young people wanting daft things as a first tattoo, or if the placement won't work with a design, or if the design is unrealistic for tattoo translation. Or there are the obvious reasons, such as offensive symbolism or crossing boundaries in terms of placement. As a tattooist, your reputation and ethical identity are important, so what work you put out into the world directly reflects you as an artist and as a person. It is important to maintain an image of yourself that you will be happy to have follow you throughout your career.

The most common mistake people make is...sizing up the tattoo they are enquiring about incorrectly. They guess rather than actually measuring the area.

If a customer hates their tattoo, rights are a difficult one, as art is subjective... The client has chosen their artist and should have researched their skills beforehand; they would have also seen the design before it went on the skin and again when the transfer was placed, so there would have been plenty of opportunity to make changes or decide not to go ahead. On the flip side of that, sometimes tattoos don't look anything like the original image after it's been done, especially if the artist has exaggerated their skill set, so the artist should manage expectations both before and after the event. If they are unhappy, then the client should address the artist directly if they feel comfortable to do so, and the artist should offer solutions to adjust the tattoo.

The thing I love most about my job is... the people. Our tag line is Wear Your Story because everyone who sits in the chair opens up about their lives, and they become more than clients. We work together to create something special with their tattoo artwork which reflects their journey. We are in no way counsellors, but sometimes people just need to be heard. I love to get to know each and every one of them.

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People seriously open up under the needle... they talk about their personal lives and the people close to them. Being in close proximity with another person for several hours tends to have that effect, but it's really wonderful when someone feels so comfortable with you that they can tell you their darkest secrets or biggest gossip and trust you with it.

Tattoos can absolutely change a life... I do medical tattooing, so every single new nipple I tattoo on or pigment I refill is like giving a person a piece of their life back.

The part of my job that I hate is... rude clients. Sometimes they speak to you like you're not a professional; they say, "My friend said…" as if they have more experience than my staff who have been tattooing for 20 years.

It's more often men who pass out when getting a tattoo... I've had only a handful of women who couldn't handle it, but men are sick, faint or cry.

I think tattoo regret hits after... people hit about 40 and trends change. They start to rethink what they want on their bodies to represent their journeys.

You need to be 18 to get a tattoo in the UK but... I think it should be raised. What you want at 18 is not what you end up wanting at 30 or 40.

The most exhausting type of client is... someone who has the tiniest tattoo but wants it to be unrealistically detailed and doesn't take your professional advice. Or, there are clients who make major changes to their design just before their appointment, expecting you to redraw it in the time slot.

There have definitely been rising costs... so we have to adjust our prices to accommodate that. My equipment orders have definitely increased.

If I could change one thing about the industry, it would be... the misogynistic attitudes. On several occasions when people have come into my studio, they automatically assume the studio belongs to my male colleague when my name is literally above the door. When I began my apprenticeship, my mentor told me female artists are never as good as men because they end up fat and crap.

One thing I have learnt is... you can't please or help everyone, but as long as you stay true to yourself and your ethical values, then the right people come to you.

If I could tell 16-year-old me one thing, it would be... don't get all that tribal on your back.

(c) Sky News 2026: 'I'm a tattoo artist: This is what we earn - and the most common mistake people make'