Dermatologists
Diagnose and treat diseases relating to the skin, hair, and nails. May perform both medical and dermatological surgery functions.
- Median pay
- $328,730
- Doing it now
- 12,200
- By 2035
- Up 6.8%
- Usually needs
- Doctoral or professional degree
a year
across the country
400 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Refer patients to other specialists, as needed.
- Record patients' health histories.
- Provide dermatologic consultation to other health professionals.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in dermatology.
- Instruct interns or residents in diagnosis and treatment of dermatological diseases.
- Conduct or order diagnostic tests such as chest radiographs (x-rays), microbiologic tests, or endocrinologic tests.
- Recommend diagnostic tests based on patients' histories and physical examination findings.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- MedicineSee 3 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Hands-on and practical
Helping and teaching
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $328,730 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.