Healthcare Practitioners
Dermatologists
Also called: Board Certified Dermatologist, Dermatologist MD (Dermatologist Medical Doctor), Dermatologist Physician, Dermatopathologist
US median pay
$328,730
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+6.8%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
400
12,200 employed
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Diagnose and treat diseases relating to the skin, hair, and nails. May perform both medical and dermatological surgery functions.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Diagnose and treat skin conditions such as acne, dandruff, athlete's foot, moles, psoriasis, or skin cancer.
- Record patients' health histories.
- Recommend diagnostic tests based on patients' histories and physical examination findings.
- Prescribe hormonal agents or topical treatments such as contraceptives, spironolactone, antiandrogens, oral corticosteroids, retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, or antibiotics.
- Conduct or order diagnostic tests such as chest radiographs (x-rays), microbiologic tests, or endocrinologic tests.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Service Orientation4.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.5/5
- Persuasion3.2/5
- Instructing3.2/5
- Coordination3.2/5
- Time Management3.1/5
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry4.8/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.6/5
- English Language4.0/5
- Administration and Management3.9/5
- Education and Training3.8/5
- Biology3.7/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Doctoral or professional degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Doctoral degree56%
- Post-doctoral training31%
Who this job suits
Mostly Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.