WhitneyDo you really want to be a body piercer?
August 4th 2009 20:29
If you're not interested in company insurance, you can always purchase your own insurance, but that's going to be more expensive than a company provided insurance.
Anyway... If you think that you want to be a body piercer, consider why you want the job. People interaction? There are many jobs that allow people interaction. Money? There are many job opportunities that have higher pay. Ability to have a flexible schedule? A lot of jobs now allow you to have a flexible schedule; you just have to look to find one that you would find interest in. A job with A LOT of down time? Perfect job, but there are still other jobs that allow for good down time.
Body piercers generally do not make enough to fully support themselves, but most of the time that all depends on what city and state you live in. Some cities do wonderful in terms of piercings, but for the most part people don't think and research a piercing. Most of the time piercings are spur of the moment ideas that people get. Body Piercings are not like tattoos which are generally much more thought out, but either way piercers just don't get as much business as tattoo artists.
Not everyone tips, and with a $35 lobe piercing or $40 conch, you're tip isn't going to be that profitable. Your big profit piercings are generally going to be your genital piercings and extreme piercings (corset piercings, multiple sitting piercings, etc.).
It can be hard to get your reputation and clientele up in order to make the income that you're hoping to make. There are already many body piercers in your town and in every town that have a good reputation.
For instance, in my military town, we have at least 7 really good tattoo shops that do body piercings, and of those 7 shops only 3 do piercings and of those 3, there i only 1 guy that is the best in town with the best reputation. One of the shops has multiple piercers, but with more than one piercer in a shop, your income will be even less, as you're splitting chair time. The 4 shops without piercers feel that it's not worth the time to do the piercing as not enough people come in asking for piercings, and if someone does come in, one of the tattoo artists will generally be skilled enough to do a simple tongue, lobe, cartilage, or nose piercing.
Being a military town, tattoos sales are great, piercings not so much, as soldiers aren't allowed to have piercings. So, when deciding if you really want to be a body piercer consider your town and the need for a body piercer. If there are already a handful of piercers, is there really a need for another?
Being a body piercer in most areas is not going to be a sole income job, so keep that in mind. Some tattoo shops do a lot of piercings, whereas some do just a small number. Most body piercers have a main job during the week, and pierce at a tattoo shop Friday and Saturdays, as those will generally be your most busy days.
You could consider a second job that allows you to leave as necessary, so that you can make appointments for during the week if customers prefer the week, so that you could meet them at the tattoo shop, do the piercing, and then go back to your other job. Keeping Friday and Saturday afternoon, evening, and night free to sit at the shop.
It's your decision. Just make sure that you consider all of your options and all of the factors that will allow you to live in today's economy on a piercer's income.
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Comment by IntoxicatingCrimson
I, personally, can say that I knew all of that beforehand.
Comment by JESUS
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EWWWW, that's wat would really put me off.
Random, but awesome article, random indeed.
Comment by Whitney
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Jesus, some times you have to deal with icky situations. My ex had a number of stories piercing women's genital areas, and the stink in most cases was funny to hear about, especially being in a hot, humid summer in the south.
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I'm hoping the info will help people make their decision, weighing the pros and cons. And seeing the cons of having this particular job. It's a good job to have on the weekends, but not a full time job.
Hopefully, the suggestion that I posed about a regular job during the week, and working Friday and Saturday will help, as generally you won't have any business during the week.
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I'm only 22, so I still get the young thing. I'm just speaking from what I've seen from people who are tattoo artists and body piercers for a living. Sometimes, it's just not pretty, and they'll admit to you that even though it's what they want to do, it's not always going to be suited for everyone.
Comment by Whitney
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