A dermatologist is a physician prepared to treat the skin's diseases and conditions on any part of the body. They can negotiate with anything from a fungus or bacterial infection of the skin to various cancer types. They evaluate patients, analyze their medical history, and refer them to other specialists as necessitated.

To become a dermatologist, you should possess either an M.D. or a D.O. degree (medical doctorate). However, some employers do accept someone with a bachelor's degree in the medical field and a certification.

The graduates who approach this field end up laying claim to annual earnings at $254,158. The current median pay for a dermatologist ranges from $211,301 to $262,768 in the U.S. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience, skills, or organization.

What Does a Dermatologist Do

Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They often counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive healthcare. Surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, such as broken bones; diseases, such as cancerous tumors; and deformities, such as cleft palates.

Learn more about what a Dermatologist does

How To Become a Dermatologist

Physicians and surgeons have demanding education and training requirements. Almost all physicians complete at least 4 years of undergraduate school, 4 years of medical school, and, depending on their specialty, 3 to 7 years in internship and residency programs.

Learn More About How To Become a Dermatologist

Average Salary for a Dermatologist

Dermatologists in America make an average salary of $407,715 per year or $196 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $820,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $202,000 per year.
Average Dermatologist Salary
$407,715 Yearly
$196.02 hourly

What Am I Worth?

salary-calculator

States With The Most Dermatologist Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active dermatologist jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where dermatologists earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Dermatologist Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California227$197,242
2Florida162$198,226
3Texas118$198,100
4New York94$210,250
5North Carolina92$205,991
6Georgia86$203,635
7Pennsylvania78$210,233
8Washington76$207,867
9Massachusetts67$211,129
10Illinois65$212,855
11Ohio54$211,869
12Minnesota48$216,152
13Wisconsin47$214,891
14Maryland47$209,497
15Arizona45$197,259
16Missouri40$208,120
17Colorado38$205,597
18Virginia38$207,797
19Tennessee37$205,567
20Michigan35$214,155
21Utah35$204,844
22Oregon34$203,870
23Indiana33$211,292
24New Jersey33$209,905
25Connecticut30$210,466
26Nevada27$199,810
27South Carolina27$204,303
28Maine24$212,258
29Iowa22$211,920
30Alabama22$203,024
31New Hampshire21$212,049
32New Mexico19$200,323
33Louisiana17$199,819
34Arkansas16$203,951
35Kentucky13$208,836
36Oklahoma12$203,511
37Nebraska11$209,881
38Alaska11$198,457
39Montana10$211,895
40Vermont9$213,866
41North Dakota7$217,680
42Idaho7$206,786
43South Dakota5$212,793
44Kansas5$206,957
45Delaware5$209,376
46Mississippi5$202,123
47Wyoming4$208,204
48West Virginia4$210,153
49Rhode Island4$210,457
50Hawaii3$118,921

Dermatologist Education

Dermatologist Majors

13.4 %
13.4 %

Dermatologist Degrees

Bachelors

33.1 %

Associate

18.8 %

Certificate

14.6 %

Top Colleges for Dermatologists

1. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-State Tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

2. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

3. Kettering College

Kettering, OH • Private

In-State Tuition

$12,960

Enrollment

610

4. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

In-State Tuition

$49,042

Enrollment

5,131

5. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

8. Clarkson College

Omaha, NE • Private

In-State Tuition

$13,392

Enrollment

646

9. Jefferson College of Health Sciences

Roanoke, VA • Private

In-State Tuition

$26,886

Enrollment

774

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

Top Skills For a Dermatologist

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 34.2% of dermatologists listed patients on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and dexterity are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Dermatologist Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Dermatologist templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Dermatologist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume
Dermatologist Resume

Dermatologist diversity

Dermatologist Gender Distribution

Female
Female
86%
Male
Male
15%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among dermatologists, 85.5% of them are women, while 14.5% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among dermatologists is White, which makes up 61.6% of all dermatologists.

  • The most common foreign language among dermatologists is Spanish at 29.6%.

Online Courses For Dermatologist That You May Like

Advertising Disclosure  

1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

coursera

This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

2. Voice Disorders: What Patients and Professionals Need to Know

coursera

Welcome to Voice Disorders: What Patients and Professionals Need to Know Knowledge regarding vocal production physiology and management options for voice disorders have experienced rapid growth over the past 40 years. This growth has resulted in a knowledge gap amongst patients and practitioners. Entirely new subspecialties of laryngology under otolaryngology and vocology under speech-language pathology have developed in response to this gap. This MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is designed...

3. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

udemy
4.6
(14,506)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

Show More Online Courses For Dermatologist
Job type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary

Best States For a Dermatologist

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a dermatologist. The best states for people in this position are North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Dermatologists make the most in North Dakota with an average salary of $217,680. Whereas in Minnesota and Wisconsin, they would average $216,152 and $214,891, respectively. While dermatologists would only make an average of $214,155 in Michigan, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. North Dakota

Total Dermatologist Jobs: 7
Highest 10% Earn:
$293,000
Location Quotient:
1.09

2. Wisconsin

Total Dermatologist Jobs: 47
Highest 10% Earn:
$291,000
Location Quotient:
1.23

3. Maine

Total Dermatologist Jobs: 24
Highest 10% Earn:
$289,000
Location Quotient:
2.62
Full List Of Best States For Dermatologists

How Do Dermatologists Rate Their Jobs?

Working as a Dermatologist? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Top Dermatologist Employers

Most Common Employers For Dermatologist

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Trinity Health$527,757$253.731
2Alice Hyde Medical Center$457,394$219.903
3WellSpan Health$401,224$192.904
4BROWN DERMATOLOGY$400,206$192.412
5Sky Lakes Medical Center$395,660$190.222
6PeaceHealth$386,426$185.781
7Merritt Hawkins$380,239$182.8114
8Pinnacle Dermatology$359,119$172.652
9Summit Medical Group$327,669$157.534
10Henry Ford Health System$300,788$144.615

Becoming a Dermatologist FAQs

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Being A Dermatologist?

The pros of being a dermatologist are competitive benefits and stability, while the cons include extensive education requirements and the potential for liability.

Here is a more detailed look at the pros and cons of being a dermatologist:

Search For Dermatologist Jobs