Track down a rash's cause
Learn when the rash began, review health records, examine the skin and decide if tests come before treatment.
Career profile
Dermatologist
Dermatologists diagnose and treat skin, hair and nail problems, from stubborn acne to skin cancer.
A tiny spot can force a hard call about testing. A close look, the patient's history and sometimes a tissue sample guide your next step.
A day in the life
Study a worrying spot up close
Magnify the spot with a dermatoscope and weigh that view with symptoms and history to decide on biopsy.
Take a small biopsy
Cut a tiny skin sample with the biopsy tool, send it to the lab and explain wound care.
Rethink a treatment that isn't working
Match the skin to old visit photos, ask about changes and, if it's reacting badly, reconsider the prescription.
Walk through biopsy results
Review the lab report, explain it to the patient and talk over more treatment or a later checkup.
Quick facts
Medical school + specialty training
United States
$328,730/year
United States · May 2025
6.8% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Medical school + specialty trainingUsually college and medical school, followed by an internship year and three years of dermatology residency.
Pay
$328,730/yearNational dermatologist median, equivalent to $158.04 an hour.
Outlook
6.8% projected growthAbout 400 openings a year nationwide, including replacement openings.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy noticing small visual differences and investigating what they mean.
- You like listening carefully before drawing a conclusion.
- You want patient conversations alongside precise hands-on work.
Things to weigh
- The usual education and training sequence takes about 12 years after high school, before any additional fellowship.
- You may face time pressure while making decisions where an error can seriously affect a patient.
- Procedures involve cutting skin and managing bleeding; comfort with close-up visual work matters.
Where AI may help
Secure photo sharing and video visits let you assess some concerns and follow ongoing treatment without bringing the patient into the office each time.
What people still lead
You decide when a picture is not enough and arrange an in-person examination, biopsy, or removal.
What we can’t predict yet
How much diagnostic work artificial intelligence can take on remains uncertain. Image-based tools need dependable accuracy across skin tones and uncommon conditions before clinicians can rely on them more heavily.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is a useful reference for dermatologist pay, but it is not a starting salary.
The national pay spread
In May 2025, the median was $328,730 a year, equivalent to $158.04 an hour. The 10th and 90th percentiles were $102,810 and $578,560. Those describe the wage distribution, not beginner and expert salaries. The hourly equivalent uses a standard 2,080-hour year.
Read the whole offer
Location and experience can affect earnings. These wage figures include production incentives but exclude employer benefits and self-employed income. Compare the guaranteed pay, incentive terms, and benefits when looking at an offer.
Openings over the next decade
Dermatologist employment is projected to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings annually from growth and replacement needs. These are national projections, not a count of jobs available near you.
Getting started
Earn a medical degree
Typically four years of college and four years of medical school.
- What the route involves
- Complete college preparation, then a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program. Study medical science and work with patients in supervised clinical rotations.
- What it can lead to
- A medical degree provides the foundation for postgraduate clinical training and the dermatology residency pathway.
- What to check
- A medical degree does not guarantee a dermatology residency position; you still need to be selected by a training program.
Complete dermatology residency
An approved internship year, followed by three years of dermatology residency.
- What the route involves
- Train with experienced physicians in clinics and hospitals, learning medical treatment, skin procedures, and interpretation of tissue findings.
- What it can lead to
- Residency completion and passing the four CORE examination modules satisfy major prerequisites for the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) APPLIED examination. Full eligibility also requires the board’s license and final evaluation conditions.
The usual path has two major steps: medical education, then dermatology training. Both are needed; the cards below are successive steps.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Get established
Build a reliable routine for checking biopsy reports, contacting patients, and making sure needed follow-up happens.
Deepen your judgment
Discuss difficult cases with colleagues and study treatment advances. Use continuing learning to sharpen decisions when a familiar-looking problem behaves unexpectedly.
Develop a specialty
After general dermatology training and certification, you could pursue a year of fellowship training in pediatric dermatology to focus on children’s skin conditions.
Where you can work
Outpatient dermatology clinic
You see patients who come in for appointments, combining medical consultations with office procedures. Work continues between visits as biopsy reports return and patients need follow-up.
- Indoors
- Office
Skin cancer center
The caseload centers on skin cancer, including difficult or high-risk cases. You work within a service that connects skin surgery with oncology care, rather than a broad mix of routine skin concerns.
- Indoors
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Read the American Academy of Dermatology’s “Melanoma diagnosis and treatment” page. Make a short map of what the doctor asks, examines, and sends to the laboratory. Notice whether figuring out what evidence is needed interests you.
Stay safe: Use the published explanation for this exercise; do not try to diagnose your own or someone else’s skin.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 29-1213.00 — Dermatologists. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 national Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — pinned SOC 29-1213 values. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections Table 1.2, 2025–2035 — pinned SOC 29-1213 values. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- American Academy of Dermatology. What is a dermatologist?. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Dermatology. Dermatology Training Pathway. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Dermatology. What does it mean to be Board Certified?. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Dermatology. How do I qualify to take the APPLIED Exam?. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Skin cancer types: Melanoma diagnosis and treatment. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Academy of Dermatology. What is a skin biopsy?. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Academy of Dermatology. How to take pictures of your skin for your dermatologist. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Academy of Dermatology. What is telemedicine?. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Health and wellness apps that dermatologists do and don’t recommend. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- University of Michigan Medical School. Dermatology Patient Care. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Dermatology. Residents and Fellows. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Technical Notes for May 2025 OEWS Estimates. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physicians and Surgeons — preparation and qualitative pay context. Accessed 2026-10-09.