How to become a tāmoko artist
Official title: Tāmoko artist
Also called: Moko artist, Māori tattoo artist, Māori tattooist
Tāmoko artists use traditional and modern tools and methods to apply Māori symbols and patterns onto people’s skin to represent their ancestry and personal journey.
Main tasks
- Do research to inform moko designs
- Inform the recipient and whānau about the moko process, from concepts to aftercare
- Set up the moko working space and equipment
- Perform karakia before, during and after the moko process
- Draw original moko and transfer onto recipient’s skin
- Outline and shade the moko design using ink and different needles
- Maintain hygiene and a clean working environment
- Manage appointments and schedules
How to become one
You need experience to become a tāmoko artist and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Required: lived experience in te ao Māori; experience working with iwi and Māori groups; experience in Māori art forms or similar work; an understanding of the history of moko and Māori symbols and patterns across Māori artforms like kōwhaiwhai, whakairo, and raranga; an understanding of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. Other requirements: to do training; a Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts; to attend a Māori arts wānanga like Toihoukura; a portfolio of work; a First Aid Certificate; to complete a Blood Borne Pathogens Training course.
Ways in
- University: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 6 universities in New Zealand
Pay
- Most common pay: $56,829 to $108,017 a year (median $60,034), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $53,625 a year · Upper: $156,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Related jobs
- Museum technician and conservator
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Questions people ask
How do I become a tāmoko artist?
You need experience to become a tāmoko artist and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Required: lived experience in te ao Māori; experience working with iwi and Māori groups; experience in Māori art forms or similar work; an understanding of the history of moko and Māori symbols and patterns across Māori artforms like kōwhaiwhai, whakairo, and raranga; an understanding of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. Other requirements: to do training; a Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts; to attend a Māori arts wānanga like Toihoukura; a portfolio of work; a First Aid Certificate; to complete a Blood Borne Pathogens Training course.
How much does a tāmoko artist earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $60,034 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $56,829 to $108,017 a year.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026