Do Tattoos Hurt Your Earning Potential?

Filed in archive Careers and Money on July 3, 2006

I went for a run yesterday and came upon a woman with a large tattoo on her upper back and shoulders. Five or six years ago this may have been more noteworthy. This time it just made me think how commonplace tattoos have become. And it made me wonder if tattoos carry any stigma in the workplace anymore, if having a tattoo sticking out from your sleeve or on your neck or leg or any other place that might be seen by others hurts you in your career.

I remember when a family member about 7 years younger than me first got a tattoo on her leg. I thought it was a mistake. I was sure that every job interview she went on where she wore a dress would lead to that tattoo being spotted and she'd be docked a few points, seen as less mature and trustworthy. I had no problem with the tattoo, just thought it would hurt her in the workplace.

Today she's gainfully employed, at a large bank no less.

I think tattoos have become more accepted, as a younger generation has embraced them to an extent that they no longer set off alarm bells. Employers aren't thinking "flaky" or "biker" or "drunken sailor" when they see a tattoo. And in some cases the tattoo generation may already be in the hiring seat, and maybe a candidate with a tattoo actually has an advantage.

But I don't know. I'm not in the corporate world enough these days to have a feel for it. Are tattoos accepted? Are employees hiding them or proudly showing them off? Is there a perception difference between having a tattoo of Mickey Mouse versus having a tattoo of a snarling gargoyle? Do they hurt, enhance or make no difference in your chances of getting hired?

What you say?