Tattoos have been an accepted method of self-expression for several years after a period where they were taboo in public, much less in the workplace.
We have gathered detailed tattoos in the workplace statistics for 2025 that you may find interesting.
Tattoo statistics tell us that tattoos can make people feel more confident and attractive, which is shared by all genders.
While there are people who don’t care for tattoos, personally or professionally, society at large has mostly accepted tattoos as the works of art they are.
Where once tattoos at work were something to hide, today tattoos are more accepted in most workplaces.
The workplace this year will become more tolerant of tattoos at every level of the corporate ladder.
Since Millennials are dominating the workplace nowadays and are the demographic with the most tattoos, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
With these factors in mind, let’s look at some statistics to see how tattoos are viewed in the workplace today.
Key Statistics
- In 2018, of 61% HR decision makers were substantially less likely to hire someone with a face tattoo.
- Diversity in the workplace is impacted by tattoo discrimination.
- One in three hiring managers will only consider hiring job applicants without tattoos.
- A Harvard Business study showed that being inked won’t hurt your job prospects.
- At least 29% of Americans have at least one tattoo.
- A Harris Poll survey of 2,225 American adults revealed that not looking professional was the 4th most common reason for tattoo regret.
- Only 23% of employers say that they would hire a person with tattoos.
- One-third of companies have no problem with employees with visible tattoos.
- Flight attendants and crew are restricted from having visible tattoos when in uniform.
- 24% of respondents said that they find it highly acceptable for teachers to have tattoos.
Tattoos in the Workplace Statistics in 2025
Are you concerned about being rejected for a job because you have a new tattoo?
Are you just unsure of whether tattoos are accepted in your field, or in a job you want?
Either way, we have some tattoos in the workplace statistics to inform you on how tattoos are viewed across industries from musicians to fashion designers.
You will learn enough about tattoos and their acceptance in the workplace, so you can know what to expect in your job hunt.
1. In 2018, 61% of Hr Decision Makers Were Substantially Less Likely to Hire Someone with A Face Tattoo.
Likewise, HR decision makers were 17% slightly less likely to hire someone with a face tattoo, followed by another 17% of HR decision makers who said it made no difference in their hiring decisions.
The remaining 5% said they were either slightly more likely to hire, substantially more likely to hire, or didn’t know if they would hire a person with a face tattoo.
Therefore, we can conclude that more hiring managers would not hire someone with a face tattoo, making face tattoos the most unacceptable type of tattoo in the workplace.
2. Diversity in The Workplace Is Impacted by Tattoo Discrimination, According to Statistics.
According to the statistics, people between 18 and 29 are 40% more likely to have at least one tattoo.
Even though tattoos are more accepted in society, it seems they can still prevent you from getting a job, which is a form of discrimination.
The negative stereotypes have yet to be purged from society, even in the United States.
Tattoos are still viewed as being unprofessional and even rebellious in many circles.
Employers will often not hire a person with a tattoo, or at least require them to cover them when they are at work.
Some people have even been fired or asked to resign for having tattoos because of customer complaints.
DLA Piper research revealed that 60% of employers said that visible tattoos would have a negative effect on a person getting hired.
3. One in Three Hiring Managers Will only Consider Hiring Job Applicants without Tattoos.
One of the problems with one in three HR managers deciding not to hire someone with a tattoo is that they decrease their pool of qualified job candidates by over 30%.
In other words, they are settling for less qualified people over qualified people with tattoos.
While there is a movement to be more accepting of tattoos in the workplace, it’s up to the company, employer, or hiring manager to decide in the end.
With the number of people with tattoos on the rise, the choice to discriminate could result in a less skilled workforce.
4. A Harvard Business Study Showed that Being Inked Won’t Hurt Your Job Prospects.
In this study, it was discovered that tattooed men were somewhat more likely to have jobs than their uninked counterparts.
This study also showed how times have changed even since 2016, when about 80% of employers viewed tattooed people as “unhireable”.
This data sample included women. Both men and women were also not penalized in wages for having body art.
5. At Least 29% of Americans Have at Least One Tattoo.
According to statistics, tattoos are more common now than ever.
Even though there are still some places where they carry some stigma, most people aren’t concerned if you have a tattoo.
While it’s understandable if someone has an offensive tattoo that it can affect their job prospects, tasteful tattoos are body art that shouldn’t affect getting a job.
That said, with 38% of Hispanics, 28% of African Americans, and 22% of causcasians having tattoos, tattoo discrimination is more prevalent among specific ethnic groups.
6. A Harris Poll Survey of 2,225 American Adults Revealed that Not Looking Professional Was the 4th Most Common Reason for Tattoo Regret.
The inability to get a job, or to have fewer job prospects is one of the reasons people have tattoos removed.
This occurs because of tattoo regret due to thinking tattoos don’t look professional.
This regret has much to do with visible tattoos on the head, face, neck, and hands.
They feel that they can get a better job by having visible tattoos removed.
7. Statistics Reveal that Only 23% of Employers Would Hire a Person with Tattoos.
While about 77% of employers say they would be less likely to hire a person with tattoos, nearly 23% say tattoos wouldn’t affect their hiring decision.
However, 49.39% said that they don’t take a tattooed person less seriously than someone without tattoos.
8. One-Third of Companies Have No Problem with Employees with Visible Tattoos.
This figure accounts for 35% of companies that see no issue with tattooed employees.
According to figures from Accountemps, 91% of senior managers that were surveyed said that companies are loosening up their policies a bit.
Foul language, bad behavior, and dogmatic political comments are still taboo, but tattoos, colorful hair colors, and casual apparel are more acceptable now than in the past decade.
9. Flight Attendants and Crew Are Restricted from Having Visible Tattoos when In Uniform.
Most United States-based airlines have a very rigid policy on tattoos for their flight crews.
Most airlines like Southwest, Frontier, Spirit, and the high-end airlines have strict tattoo policies.
If you’re planning on being a flight attendant, or working for an airline, expect to meet rejection for a job if you have visible tattoos.
If you really want to pursue your dream of being a flight attendant, you will need to remove your tattoos before going through flight attendant school.
Tattoos in the Workplace and Discrimination
Even though people are intrigued by body art, people who are inked are sometimes still unwilling to show off their tattoos.
The stigma makes people feel others will perceive them as something or someone they aren’t if they have tattoos.
It’s true that tattoo discrimination is still a thing even in this day and age, but the numbers are improving as tattoos become more accepted inside and outside the workplace.
10. Most Patients Don’t Care if Their Doctors or Other Medical Workers Have Piercings, Tattoos, or Both.
Most patients aren’t put off by tattoos and body piercings among medical personnel.
One 9-month-long study revealed that 75% of patients didn’t think it was unprofessional for doctors to have tattoos or piercings.
It had no bearing on their perception of medical personnel who participated in the study.
Grant it, the doctors who participated wore fake tattoos, and piercings for the study.
We can surmise that tattoos are more accepted in the medical community than before.
11. In 2014, a Survey of 5,000 Participants Revealed that Around Half the Population Believed People with Tattoos Weren’t to Be Taken Seriously.
This isn’t related to the workplace, but it is related to public perception.
We believe if this were to be studied again, the numbers would reflect a more positive result regarding tattoos.
In this particular study, 49% of people said “No” about taking a person with tattoos seriously.
Another 51% said the circumstances and how many tattoos a person has impacts whether they take them seriously or not.
12. 63% of People 60 and Over Disapprove of Tattoos in Office Settings.
The age group that is most accepting of tattoos in the workplace or office setting is within the 18- to 25-year-old range.
Only 22% of this age group feel tattoos at the office are unacceptable.
Furthermore, the higher level of education a person has, the less tolerant they are about piercings or tattoos, at least in the office.
13. 24% of Respondents Said that They Find It Highly Acceptable for Teachers to Have Tattoos.
Another 30% of survey respondents found teachers with tattoos rather acceptable.
Then, at the low end, 19% felt tattooed teachers were not at all acceptable, while 17% responded “rather not acceptable”. Only 10% answered “don’t know”.
This could mean that acceptance of tattoos in the educational workplace is becoming more accepted than in past years.
14. According to National Digest, Women with Tattoos Experience More Discrimination than Tattooed Men.
It may not make much sense, but tattoos still seem to de-feminize women, while tattoos masculinize men.
Tattooed men seem to get more interest than women, even though the statistics show that the number of women across the globe with tattoos currently outnumbers men with tattoos.
15. 86% of People Are Comfortable with Tattoos on Professional Athletes.
Professional athletes have the highest tattoo acceptance rates among all professions.
That also means that they have the lowest rates of people being uncomfortable with them having tattoos.
Surprisingly, IT technicians came in second with an 81% tattoo acceptance rate.
Regarding a presidential candidate, report feeling comfortable with people in this profession having tattoos.
That’s still over half. This data is taken from 2015 statistics regarding professions.
16. Statistics Reveal that Profession Plays a Role in Tattoo Acceptance.
For instance, 2019 statistics revealed that 70% of people reported that servers with tattoos were either highly acceptable or rather acceptable at 35% each.
Politicians and judges tied at 46% for both highly acceptable and rather acceptable responses about tattoos in these professions.
This indicates that tattoos are becoming more accepted among professions in general.
17. Research Reveals that Millennials Accept Tattoos in The Workplace Over Other Generations.
Recent data on tattoos in the workplace shows that 35% of companies in America are completely open to employees with visible tattoos.
That means another 65% are somewhere between moderately open or not open at all to tattoos in the workplace.
This is likely because of outdated company policies and the type of profession involved.
FAQs
Are Tattoos Under Protected Status for Discrimination Laws?
No.
You can be rejected for a job where tattoos are not allowed.
The United States has no regulations that protect tattooed people in the workplace.
This is completely up to each company to decide.
Companies can currently maintain no-tattoo policies.
You can find jobs where tattoos are accepted, which is why it’s important to check out workplace culture when you’re looking for work.
How Accepted Are Tattoos in The Workplace in 2025?
With 35% of companies being fine with tattoos in the workplace, progress is being made on accepting tattoos.
Much of this comes from the acceptance of body art by society.
This also depends greatly upon the career path you choose.
For instance, it’s less likely for a real estate broker to bring you on as a freelancer if you have tattoos.
However, in the fashion industry, automotive industry, and among some other professions, tattoos are completely acceptable, and sometimes expected.
How Many People Have Tattoos?
America is third in the world for people having at least one tattoo.
About 46% of the American population has at least one tattoo.
Italy is first at 48% of its population, followed by Sweden at 47%.
How Many Employers Don’t Mind Tattooed Workers?
According to Indeed, almost three out of four employers claim they don’t mind hiring people with tattoos.
That’s a far cry from just a few years ago, when tattoos were considered taboo at work.
That said, employers still may have employees cover their tattoos at work.
How Many Millennials Have Tattoos?
Millennials are the demographic where you find the most tattooed people.
Almost half of this demographic has at least one tattoo, at 47%.
Another 37% have more than one tattoo.
Generation X accounts for 36% of those with tattoos, while Baby Boomers account for only 3%.
What High-Paying Jobs Accept Tattoos?
You can enjoy a high-paying job if you have tattoos.
Industries that are very accepting of tattoos include the following:
• Beauty and Fitness
• Music & Entertainment
• Marketing & Social Media
• Computer Science & Technology
• Graphic Design & Visual Development
These are just a few of the high-paying careers where tattoos don’t matter.
People are not only accepting of tattoos in these careers, but they have come to expect them.
Conclusion
As society evolves and younger people take the reins, statistics will change with them.
Tattoos will likely become more popular and accepted across professions. After all, we just discovered that patients have no problem with their doctors sporting tattoos.
Until tattoos become more acceptable, you can enjoy self-expression by having them placed where they cannot be seen.
You can always have more ink later as tattoos are more accepted.
You may also find a job where they accept tattoos, or where you can have tattoos, but you need to cover them for work purposes.
We shared the most recent and accurate data we could find regarding tattoos in the workplace statistics.
Some of this data seems outdated, so more studies and research needs to be done to reflect the new generation.
