How much does a dermatologist make?

The median dermatologist salary in the United States is $328,730 per year ($158.04/hour). Salaries range from $102,810 (10th percentile) to $578,560 (90th percentile). There are 11,370 dermatologist jobs in the U.S. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS.

Which state pays dermatologists the most?

The highest paying state for dermatologists is Minnesota at $625,790 median salary.

Is dermatologist a good career?

Dermatologist employment is projected to grow 6.4% from 2024 to 2034 (faster than average). There are approximately 400 job openings per year. Typical education required: Doctoral or professional degree.

What interview questions are asked for dermatologist roles?

Common dermatologist interview questions include: "Walk me through your case volume.", "How do you diagnose an atypical rash?", "Tell me about a difficult diagnosis.". Interview format at top employers ranges from behavioral panels (STAR method) to technical case rounds — for example Private dermatology groups (solo + small group) typically uses 3-4 rounds.

What is the career ladder for dermatologists?

The typical dermatologist career ladder: Resident (PGY-1 to PGY-4) (0-4 yrs, $65-85k/year salary) → Fellow (Mohs, Peds, Path) (4-5 yrs, $78-95k) → Attending Dermatologist (New) (0-5 yrs, $310-450k · Sub-specialty $400-600k) → Senior Attending / Partner (5-15 yrs, $500-800k · Mohs / cosmetic-heavy $600k-$1.5M+).

What certifications should dermatologists get?

Top-ROI certifications for dermatologists: ABD Board Certification ($3,000-5,000 initial.); Mohs Fellowship + ACMS membership (1-year fellowship + $500 dues.); Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship (1-year fellowship.).

How do you negotiate a dermatologist salary?

Anchor on documented market data (BLS median $328,730, p75 $452,450), specific outcomes you've delivered, and the specific band for your years of experience. Given ABD board certification + [X years] + Mohs Fellowship if applicable, base + productivity of $[X] aligns with AAD data for [region + setting]. Also: sign-on $75-200k, loan repayment $100-250k, cosmetic revenue spli...

Dermatologist Salary

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Dermatologists

The median dermatologist salary in the United States is $328,730 per year ($158.04/hour). Salaries range from $102,810 at the entry level to $578,560+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 11,370 dermatologist jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 6.4% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 · Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asDermatologistSkin Doctor

Median Salary

$328,730

per year

Hourly Rate

$158.04

per hour

Employment

11,370

jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile

$102,810

25th percentile

$139,990

Median

$328,730

75th percentile

$452,450

90th percentile

$578,560

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+6.4%

Faster than average

Annual Openings

400

jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Doctoral or professional degree

Training Needed

Internship/residency

Dermatologist Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for dermatologists.

Dermatologists diagnose + treat skin, hair, and nail conditions — acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin cancer (Mohs surgery), cosmetic + medical dermatology. Career splits: medical dermatology (insurance-based practice), cosmetic dermatology (cash-pay + high margin), Mohs surgery (specialty micrographic surgery for skin cancer), pediatric dermatology, dermatopathology, hair transplant specialty. Path: 4 yrs med school + PGY-1 + 3-year dermatology residency + optional 1-2 year fellowship. Compensation: entry $310-450k; established private practice $500-800k+; cash-pay cosmetic + Mohs $600k-$1.5M+. Top-earning medical specialty with excellent lifestyle.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Clinical dermatology diagnosis

Pattern recognition + biopsy interpretation + differential diagnosis across 3,000+ conditions.

Dermatologic surgery

Excisions, biopsies, Mohs micrographic surgery, cryosurgery.

Cosmetic procedures

Botox, fillers, laser, chemical peels, cool-sculpting. Cash-pay revenue drivers.

Dermatopathology

Slide review + biopsy interpretation. Combined dermatology-pathology practice option.

Pediatric + geriatric dermatology

Age-specific conditions + medication considerations.

Practice management + patient volume

High-volume outpatient practice. 40-60 patients/day common in efficient practices.

Cosmetic patient consultation + marketing

Building cosmetic practice through marketing + reputation.

How to Become a Dermatologist

1
Bachelor's + strong MCAT + medical school
Standard med school. Very strong Step scores essential for competitive dermatology match.
2
Dermatology Residency (PGY-1 + 3 years)
Extremely competitive. 4-year total training. Broad + surgical + cosmetic exposure.
3
Optional Fellowship (Mohs, Pediatric, Dermatopathology, Cosmetic)
1-2 year fellowship. Mohs = highest paying specialty.
4
Board certification (ABD)
American Board of Dermatology. Required for practice + credentialing.
5
First practice setting
Private practice, hospital-employed, academic, or PE-backed group (US Dermatology Partners, Advanced Dermatology, Forefront).
6
Partnership + practice ownership
2-3 year buy-in typical. Ownership = highest income potential.

Career Progression

Resident (PGY-1 to PGY-4)

0-4 yrs$65-85k/year salary

•Progressive dermatology + surgical training
•Broad rotations
•Board prep

Next: Fellowship or Attending.

Fellow (Mohs, Peds, Path)

4-5 yrs$78-95k

•Sub-specialty training
•Building sub-specialty depth

Next: Sub-specialty attending.

Attending Dermatologist (New)

0-5 yrs$310-450k · Sub-specialty $400-600k

•Independent practice
•Building patient panel
•Cosmetic + medical mix

Next: Partner.

Senior Attending / Partner

5-15 yrs$500-800k · Mohs / cosmetic-heavy $600k-$1.5M+

•Established practice
•Sub-specialty focus
•Practice governance

Next: Practice Owner.

Practice Owner / Multi-Office

15+ yrs$700k-$2M+ · Multi-office $1M-$3M+

•Business ownership
•Multiple providers + staff
•Marketing + growth

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 10 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through your case volume.case

Concrete: patients/day, biopsy volume, cosmetic procedures, Mohs cases (if applicable). Screens for real practice pace.

Q2. How do you diagnose an atypical rash?technical

Concrete: History + physical + biopsy when uncertain + dermatopathology correlation. Screens for diagnostic rigor.

Q3. Tell me about a difficult diagnosis.behavioral

STAR. Real case. Screens for real dermatology experience.

Q4. Why our practice?culture

Research + concrete citation. Screens for genuine fit.

Q5. How do you balance medical + cosmetic dermatology?situational

Concrete: personal interest + practice model + patient population. Some practices split, others integrate.

Resume Template — Attending Dermatologist (0-5 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Attending Dermatologist (0-5 yrs)

▸Board-certified Dermatologist, [Practice]. 2024 volume: 6,200 patient encounters + 480 surgical procedures + 320 cosmetic procedures.
▸Mohs Surgery Fellowship graduate. ACMS member.
▸Zero substantiated complications on 480 surgical procedures over 24 months.
▸Precept 2 residents/year on dermatology rotation.

What Gets You Rejected

✗Poor case volume during residency.
✗Missing Mohs or sub-specialty training if practicing surgery.
✗Board complaints without disclosure.
✗Weak cosmetic patient communication.
✗Poor practice economics understanding.

Salary Negotiation Levers

✓Base + productivity (collections-based typical).
✓Sign-on bonus $50-200k common.
✓Loan repayment $100-250k.
✓Cosmetic revenue split (huge lever if bringing patients).
✓Mohs specialty differential.
✓Malpractice tail coverage.
✓Partnership track + buy-in.
✓CME budget $10-20k/year.

Dermatologist Resume Review — $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired dermatologists. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

✓ Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
✓ Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
✓ Missing skills / keywords flagged
✓ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
✓ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Dermatologist Career Kit — $19

✓ All 10 interview questions with expert answers
✓ 10 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
✓ Interview format intel for 7 top employers
✓ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
✓ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
✓ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
✓ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
✓ Detailed salary negotiation script
✓ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
✓ Downloadable PDF for offline access
✓ Instant access, no expiration, no subscription

✓ 7-day money-back guarantee — no questions asked

One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.

Sample reviews — real customer reviews will appear here as they come in.

“The interview question bank saved me. I got the exact question about 'walking through a DCF' at my Goldman Sachs superday, verbatim.”

— Anonymous, Financial Analyst

“Copy-paste negotiation emails are worth the price alone. I used the 'accepting with counter' template and got an extra $8k signing bonus.”

— Anonymous, Software Developer

“The 30-60-90 day plan for a new grad RN was better than the orientation my hospital gave. Wish I'd bought this in nursing school.”

— Anonymous, Registered Nurse

Dermatologist Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) →

Salary Map — Click a state for details

$165K

$626K■ No data

Top Paying States

Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.

State	Median	vs. National	Employment
Minnesota	$625,790	+90.4%	260
Washington	$526,170	+60.1%	170
New Hampshire	$516,230	+57.0%	50
Maryland	$442,210	+34.5%	120
Delaware	$442,120	+34.5%	40
Wisconsin	$440,710	+34.1%	160
Illinois	$435,750	+32.6%	0
Tennessee	$433,630	+31.9%	100
Iowa	$424,970	+29.3%	0
Arkansas	$422,060	+28.4%	40

Showing 1–10 of 26

Dermatologist Salary by Metro Area

Metro Area	Median	vs. National
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$641,210	+95.1%
Toledo, OH	$460,070	+40.0%
Greensboro-High Point, NC	$457,770	+39.3%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$435,750	+32.6%
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$419,410	+27.6%
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY	$405,000	+23.2%
Colorado Springs, CO	$398,810	+21.3%
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$397,710	+21.0%
Omaha, NE-IA	$393,150	+19.6%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$374,000	+13.8%

Showing 1–10 of 24

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.

How does this compare to pro athletes?

A dermatologist earning $328,730/year would need 181 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 195 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.

See all sports & celebrity salaries →

📈 See how dermatologist salaries have changed over the past decade.

View Dermatologist salary trend (2011–2024) →