The numbers, upfront
Australian hourly rates track experience more than anything else: apprentices charge roughly $80 to $150, established artists $150 to $250, and top booked-out names $300 or more. By city, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth cluster around $200 to $250 an hour for experienced artists, Brisbane and the Gold Coast a little under, with Adelaide and regional studios cheaper again. CBD studios carry a rent premium; outer-suburb studios often run 15 to 25 percent cheaper for comparable work.
By size, the rough map: tiny pieces under 5 centimetres run $100 to $200, small pieces $120 to $500, medium work $500 to $1,000, half sleeves $700 to $2,500 depending on colour and detail, full sleeves $1,500 to $6,000 or more, and back pieces from $1,200 up. Every studio also has a minimum charge, usually $100 to $150, because even a five-minute tattoo requires a full sterile setup. Colour costs more than black and grey, roughly $200 to $250 an hour versus $150 to $200, simply because it takes longer to pack.
Deposits, and your actual rights
Deposits typically run $100 to $250 (more for large custom work, sometimes up to $500), come off the final price, and exist to protect the artist's design time and the booked slot. If you cancel late or no-show, expect to lose it; most studios allow one reschedule with reasonable notice.
