KeeperSide Hustle Index
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Beauty & personal care

Tattooing

You design and ink tattoos for clients, usually out of a studio or your own shop. You're paid per piece, and a strong portfolio is how you stay booked.

4.0Last review 2 weeks agoLow data
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Low data. These numbers come from just 2 reviews, so treat them as an early signal, not a reliable average — they'll sharpen as more people report.
Median monthly earnings
$1,563
Middle 50%: $375 – $2,750
Effective hourly
$40.00
Earnings over the hours people logged
Hours per week
8 hrs
Median across reviews
Startup cost
$1,000–5,000
To get up and running
Time to first $100
Within a week
From starting out
Monthly expenses
$300–600
To keep it running
Schedule flexibility
Mostly flexible
Most common answer
Would recommend it
100%
2 of 2 say yes or probably yes
What people make in a month
Gross earnings people entered themselves, before expenses and taxes. 2 reviews.
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
Under $100
$100–250
$250–500
$500–1,000
$1,000–2,000
$2,000–3,500
$3,500–5,000
$5,000–10,000
$10,000+
By platform
How many reviewers use each platform. Many people work more than one.
Instagram
1 reviewer
How it scores
Happiness8.0 / 10
Would do it again100%
Schedule flexibility4.5 / 5
Pay predictability2.3 / 5
What surprised people most
Every option reviewers could pick, most common first. 2 reviews.
Taxes — how much I owe
1
How competitive the market is
1
How much I could earn
0
How little I could earn
0
How much time it takes
0
How difficult it is to get started
0
How difficult it is to find customers or clients
0
Unexpected expenses
0
Nothing really surprised me
0
Reviews
Everyone here is anonymous. Nobody sees who wrote what.
Instagram· 3–6 months in · 2 weeks ago
Monthly $2,000–3,500Hours 40–60 hrs/moHourly $55.00

What do you love or hate the most about your side hustle? I love the freedom, creativity, and sense of accomplishment that comes with building something of my own. Even the challenges have taught me patience, discipline, and how to keep growing. What advice would you give someone just starting out? Don’t be afraid to start small. Stay consistent, believe in yourself, learn from your mistakes, and don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. Growth takes time, but every step counts. What would you change about your side hustle if you could? I wouldn’t necessarily change the journey because every challenge has helped me grow. If anything, I would have started sooner and trusted myself more along the way.

· 2–5 years in · 2 weeks ago
Monthly $250–500Hours 10–20 hrs/moHourly $25.00

The money

Already doing this?

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☮️ 26 Tax Write-Offs for Independent Tattoo Artists

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