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Dermatologist

$328,730
median / year
$102,810 – $578,560
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Diagnose and treat conditions of the skin, hair, and nails, including skin cancer.

You may also see this posted as: Board Certified Dermatologist, Dermatologist Physician, MD (Medical Doctor), Mohs Surgeon, Dermatologist MD (Dermatologist Medical Doctor), Dermatopathologist.

Where you work

Clinics and private practices

The hours

Mostly regular weekday hours

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Conduct complete skin examinations.
  • Diagnose and treat pigmented lesions such as common acquired nevi, congenital nevi, dysplastic nevi, Spitz nevi, blue nevi, or melanoma.
  • Perform incisional biopsies to diagnose melanoma.
  • Perform skin surgery to improve appearance, make early diagnoses, or control diseases such as skin cancer.
  • Counsel patients on topics such as the need for annual dermatologic screenings, sun protection, skin cancer awareness, or skin and lymph node self-examinations.

Good fit if you like…

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

O*NET job zone 5 of 5

Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailDependabilityCautiousnessIntellectual Curiosity

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Cisco WebexeClinicalWorks EHR softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft WordZoom

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$328,730
per year
Hourly median
$158.04
per hour
What most earn
$102,810–$578,560
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~400
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+6.4%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
11,370
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 4.8% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Doctoral / professional degree

Training path: Medical school + residency.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: Internship/residency.

License or certification

Requires a medical degree, a residency, and a state medical license.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Skin diagnosisMinor surgeryAttention to detailPatient care

The honest take

Treats skin, hair, and nail conditions, among the very highest-paid physicians, with pay above $239,000.

Standard Occupational Classification 29-1213. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.