Piercing prices by placement: what six US studios charge, fee only and all-in

This page collects what six US studios publish for the price of a piercing, placement by placement, as read in September 2026. It exists because piercing prices are hard to compare: studios quote them in two different ways.

• A service fee, with jewelry extra. Oakland, Phoenix and Oklahoma City quote this way.
• One price with starter jewelry included. Coral Springs, Escondido and Philadelphia quote this way.

We have not checked whether these studios meet the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) checklist, so they show how prices are quoted rather than being recommendations. Six studios is a small sample from six regions, not an average, and prices change, so confirm with your studio before you book.

The ranges at a glance

The service-fee column comes from Oakland, Phoenix and Oklahoma City. The included-jewelry column comes from Coral Springs, Escondido and Philadelphia, plus Phoenix’s dermal, which includes jewelry.

Studios that quote a service fee

Jewelry is extra at these three.

Oakland is Industrial Tattoo and Piercing, Phoenix is Halo Precision Piercing and Oklahoma City is 23rd Street Body Piercing. Oklahoma City prices helix and flat together, and Phoenix prices conch, tragus, daith, rook, flat and forward helix as one cartilage tier. Phoenix’s labret price covers the Ashley, Monroe, beauty mark, lip and medusa.

Studios that include starter jewelry

Coral Springs is Amato Piercing, whose prices are a service fee plus a jewelry charge, itemised on its list: a lobe is $25 plus $30, and a septum is $50 plus $20 to $50. Escondido is Golden Child Tattoo & Piercing, where standard titanium jewelry is included. Philadelphia is Infinite Body Piercing, which lists conch, tragus, daith and rook together as other ear cartilage at $60, and lists its starting jewelry separately.

What else the lists show

• Jewelry, where it is extra. Rings start at $15 to $25 and barbells at $26 to $51. A flat-back stud is $35 in Oakland.
• Changing jewelry. Oakland and Philadelphia charge $10 for a jewelry change, and Phoenix charges $10 and up. Amato says all changes, checkups and cleanings are free.
• More than one piercing. Oklahoma City takes $10 off each additional piercing, and Philadelphia takes $10 off each additional piercing in the same session. Phoenix charges $25 for each additional lobe after the first.
• Tipping. Philadelphia’s list says 20 percent is standard.

Working out the real total

Most piercings need a shorter post fitted once the swelling has gone, so the true first-months cost includes a second piece of jewelry. The per-placement guides work it out for each one:

• Ear piercing, including Claire’s, Banter and Rowan
• Cartilage piercings, the helix and the industrial
• Dermal, tongue and lip piercings

The older guides for the nose, septum, belly button and eyebrow use our own typical ranges rather than these lists, so their numbers differ a little from the tables above. The newer guides are the better sourced.

Price is not the whole test

The APP’s advice is not to act impulsively or be seduced by a low price, as you generally get what you pay for. A price says nothing about the method, who is doing the piercing or what the jewelry is made of. How to choose a piercer has the checklist, and piercing downsizing explains the second piece of jewelry.