Dermatologist Salary 2026: Average Pay, Top-Paying States & Specialties
Dermatologists earn some of the highest salaries in American medicine, yet the headline numbers hide a lot of variation. According to the Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2026, the average dermatologist in the United States earned $448,000 in 2025, a figure that has edged downward for two years in a row. Where you practice, how you are employed, and which procedures you perform can move that number up or down by several hundred thousand dollars.
This guide breaks down the dermatologist salary in 2026 with data from Medscape, Doximity, Marit Health, and ZipRecruiter, covering monthly and hourly equivalents, experience levels, private practice versus employed pay, top-paying states, subspecialties like Mohs surgery, the education path, and answers to the most common questions.
Dermatologist Salary 2026: Quick Answer
The average dermatologist salary in the US for 2026 reporting is $448,000 per year, based on Medscape’s 2026 Physician Compensation Report (reflecting 2025 earnings). Other surveys run higher: Doximity’s 2025 report puts the average at about $508,401, and Marit Health reports an average of $541,739 with a median of $503,077.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average annual compensation | $448,000 | Medscape 2026 (2025 data) |
| Average annual compensation | ~$508,401 | Doximity 2025 |
| Average / median compensation | $541,739 / $503,077 | Marit Health |
| Job-market average (listings-based) | $316,224 | ZipRecruiter, Oct 2026 |
| Approximate monthly equivalent | $37,333 | Calculated from Medscape average |
| Typical reported range | $230,000 to $400,000 | ZipRecruiter middle 80% |
Why do the numbers differ so much? Medscape, Doximity, and Marit are physician surveys capturing total compensation including bonuses and incentive pay. ZipRecruiter averages advertised job postings, which tend to skew toward employed hospital and academic roles that pay less. Neither is wrong; they simply measure different things. Salary varies by employer, experience, location, and compensation structure.
Annual Dermatologist Salary: What the Major Reports Say
Medscape’s 2026 report places dermatology 10th among roughly 29 tracked specialties, with average total compensation of $448,000 for 2025. That is down from $454,000 in 2024 and $479,000 in 2023, a decline of roughly 1% in each of the last two years. Dermatology was one of nine specialties reporting flat or declining pay in the latest survey.
Doximity tells a slightly brighter story. Its 2025 report lists dermatology at about $508,401, ranking it the 16th highest-paid specialty that year. Marit Health, which collects physician-reported compensation, lands in between at an average of $541,739, with a median of $503,077 and pay peaking in the 6 to 10 year experience window at $572,500.
The takeaway for 2026: a realistic benchmark for an average mid-career dermatologist is somewhere between $450,000 and $540,000 in total annual compensation, with the exact figure depending heavily on practice setting.
Dermatologist Salary Per Month and Per Hour
Physicians are almost always quoted on an annual basis, but many people searching for the dermatologist salary want a monthly number. Dividing the Medscape average gives an approximate monthly equivalent of $37,333 before taxes. This is a straight division of the annual figure, not guaranteed monthly take-home pay. Actual take-home depends on state taxes, student loan payments, retirement contributions, and insurance premiums.
On an hourly basis, $448,000 divided across a standard 2,080-hour work year comes to roughly $215 per hour, again labeled approximate. Most dermatologists do not work a strict 40-hour week. Private practice dermatologists seeing 30 to 45 patients a day often log more hours but earn more per hour worked, while academic dermatologists may work fewer clinical hours at a lower effective rate.
For a side-by-side comparison with other medical professions, see our guides to psychiatrist salary and dentist salary in the US.
Starting Dermatologist Salary and Experience Levels
Fresh out of residency, a dermatologist’s paycheck jumps dramatically. During residency, stipends follow standard graduate medical education scales and typically run $65,000 to $78,000 per year, which is not the qualified dermatologist salary and should not be confused with it.
| Experience Level | Typical Compensation | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Resident (training) | $65,000 to $78,000 | GME stipend range, all specialties, labeled approximate |
| Early career (0 to 2 years) | $300,000 to $499,000 | SalaryDr 2026 physician-reported ranges |
| Employed / hospital | $300,000 to $450,000 | ResidencyAdvisor income ballparks |
| Private practice associate | $350,000 to $600,000 | ResidencyAdvisor, varies with cosmetics and ancillaries |
| Peak (6 to 10 years) | $572,500 average | Marit Health, compensation peaks in this window |
| Practice owner / partner | $600,000+ | ResidencyAdvisor, high-volume procedure-dense practices |
The steepest jump comes at the moment of board certification. After that, growth slows and becomes tied less to seniority and more to productivity: procedures billed, cosmetic services added, and whether the dermatologist owns equity in the practice. The $572,500 peak in the 6 to 10 year window reported by Marit reflects dermatologists hitting full patient volume with established referral networks.
Private Practice vs Employed Dermatologist Pay
This is the single biggest fork in the road for dermatologist earnings. Doximity’s 2024 setting data shows a spread of nearly $100,000 between the highest and lowest common settings:
| Practice Setting | Average Compensation |
|---|---|
| Single specialty group | $477,000 |
| Solo practice | $458,000 |
| Hospital employed | $439,000 |
| Academic medical center | $382,000 |
| Government | $303,000 |
Source: Doximity 2024 data reported via Physician on FIRE, 2026.
The gap between private practice ownership and academia is the widest in dermatology. ResidencyAdvisor notes that an academic assistant professor in a coastal city might earn $250,000 to $350,000, while a private practice partner or owner in a well-run group can earn $500,000 to $900,000 or more with strong procedural and cosmetic volume. Academic roles trade income for teaching, research time, and job stability. Private practice trades security for earning ceiling.
Worth noting: about 85% of physicians now have some productivity-based pay component, such as RVU bonuses, according to Medscape’s 2026 survey. In dermatology, where procedure volume is easy to measure, bonuses can make up a meaningful share of total pay.
Dermatologist Salary by State: Top-Paying Locations
Geography matters more than most people expect. Smaller markets and underserved areas consistently outpay major coastal metros because practices compete harder for scarce specialists. ZipRecruiter’s October 2026 data shows the pattern clearly:
| Location | Average Annual Salary | Above/Below National Job-Market Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pennington County, SD | $412,499 | 30.4% above |
| Avon, CO | $403,139 | Above average |
| Cheshire County, NH | $395,175 | Above average |
| Valencia, CA | $393,396 | Above average |
| Nome, AK | $392,274 | Above average |
| Berkeley, CA | $387,197 | Above average |
Source: ZipRecruiter physician dermatologist salary data, October 2026, job-posting based estimates.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data tells a similar story at the state level: dermatologists in Washington average about $490,820 annually, while those in Montana average about $358,880. The general rule holds: areas with fewer dermatologists per capita pay more, even when the cost of living is lower. A dermatologist weighing an offer should look past the salary figure and factor in local competition, payer mix, and patient demand.
Mohs Surgery and Cosmetic Dermatology Pay
Subspecialization is the fastest route to the top of the dermatology pay scale. Mohs micrographic surgery, the precise technique used to remove skin cancers, commands a premium. ZipRecruiter reports an average of $345,926 for Mohs surgery roles, about 9.4% above the general dermatologist job-market average. But the real money in Mohs is in ownership: ResidencyAdvisor reports private practice Mohs associates earning $500,000 to $800,000, with practice owners in strong referral markets clearing mid-six figures to over $1 million.
Cosmetic dermatology is the other major earnings lever. Botox, dermal fillers, laser treatments, and chemical peels are cash-pay services with high margins. A general dermatologist who builds a robust cosmetic practice in a strong market can match or even outperform a middling Mohs surgeon with a thin referral base. The procedures are the product; marketing and reputation drive the volume.
Dermatopathology, pediatric dermatology, and cosmetic dermatologic surgery fellowships all add earning potential, but Mohs remains the standout subspecialty for income. It requires a 1 to 2 year fellowship after the 4-year dermatology residency.
Factors That Affect Dermatologist Salary
Dermatologist pay varies so widely because several independent factors compound on each other:
- Practice ownership. Equity in a practice, including ancillary services like pathology labs and cosmetic suites, is the biggest single lever.
- Procedure mix. A schedule heavy on biopsies, excisions, and cosmetic procedures pays far more than a medical dermatology schedule of rashes and acne visits.
- Location. Underserved and rural markets pay premiums; saturated metros in Florida, Southern California, and New York pay less per unit of work.
- Payer mix. Practices with commercially insured and cash-pay patients earn more than those heavy on Medicare and Medicaid.
- Experience and reputation. Referral networks take years to build, which is why compensation peaks around 6 to 10 years out of residency.
- Productivity incentives. RVU and collections-based bonuses can add 20% or more on top of base salary in private groups.
- Gender. Compensation surveys consistently document a gender pay gap in dermatology, covered in the next section.
Gender Pay Gap in Dermatology
The pay gap between male and female dermatologists is one of the widest in medicine. Medscape’s Dermatologist Compensation Report 2026 found a gender compensation gap of just over $102,000 in male doctors’ favor, a 31% advantage, up from roughly $91,000 and 29% two years earlier. The report notes the gap was more pronounced for specialists than for primary care physicians.
Contract-level data confirms it. Resolve’s 2026 salary survey of 3,251 signed physician employment contracts found dermatology had the widest gender gap of any specialty: men’s median base salary was $50,000 higher than women’s. Across all physicians, Medscape’s Female Physician Compensation Report 2026 reported that female physicians earn nearly 24% less than male counterparts, with differences in contract negotiation, signing bonuses, and bonus structures contributing alongside hours worked and practice setting choices.
How to Become a Dermatologist: Education Path and Costs
Dermatology has one of the longest and most competitive training pipelines in US medicine. The typical path:
- Bachelor’s degree (4 years). Usually in a science field, with strong grades and a competitive MCAT score.
- Medical school (4 years). MD or DO degree. Dermatology is among the most competitive matches, so students generally need top board scores and research.
- Internship (1 year). A transitional or preliminary year in internal medicine or surgery.
- Dermatology residency (3 to 4 years). Intensive clinical training in medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology.
- Optional fellowship (1 to 2 years). Mohs surgery, dermatopathology, or pediatric dermatology.
- Board certification. Through the American Board of Dermatology.
Total training runs 12 to 14 years after high school. The financial cost is steep: most graduates carry medical school debt well into the six figures, and resident stipends stay modest throughout. The payoff arrives at board certification, when earnings jump to several hundred thousand dollars a year. For those weighing the investment, it helps to compare with other long-training specialties like our neurosurgeon salary guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average dermatologist salary in 2026?
The Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2026 puts average dermatologist compensation at $448,000 per year (2025 earnings). Doximity reports about $508,401 and Marit Health about $541,739, so a realistic range for a mid-career dermatologist is $450,000 to $540,000.
How much does a dermatologist make per month?
The approximate monthly equivalent of the Medscape average is $37,333 before taxes. This is annual salary divided by 12, not guaranteed take-home pay, which depends on taxes, loans, and deductions.
What is the starting salary for a dermatologist?
Newly trained dermatologists typically earn $300,000 to $450,000 in employed or hospital roles, with private practice associates starting in the $350,000 to $600,000 range depending on the market and procedure mix.
Do dermatologists make more in private practice?
Yes, usually significantly more. Single specialty group averages run about $477,000 versus $382,000 in academic medicine, and practice owners in procedure-dense practices can earn $600,000 or more.
Which state pays dermatologists the most?
Job-market data points to smaller markets like Pennington County, South Dakota ($412,499) and Avon, Colorado ($403,139), while BLS data shows Washington averaging about $490,820. Underserved areas generally pay premiums over saturated metros.
What is a Mohs surgeon’s salary?
ZipRecruiter reports an average of $345,926 for Mohs surgery job postings. In practice, private practice Mohs associates earn roughly $500,000 to $800,000, and owners in strong markets can exceed $1 million.
Are dermatologists paid less than other specialists?
Dermatology ranks 10th of about 29 specialties in Medscape’s 2026 report, below surgical fields like neurosurgery, orthopedics, and cardiology but well above primary care. It remains one of the highest-paid non-surgical specialties.
What qualifications are needed to become a dermatologist?
A bachelor’s degree, an MD or DO, a 4-year dermatology residency, and board certification through the American Board of Dermatology are required. An optional 1 to 2 year fellowship in Mohs surgery or dermatopathology adds subspecialty credentials.
Conclusion
The dermatologist salary in 2026 averages around $448,000 according to Medscape, with other surveys placing it higher. Pay has softened slightly for two years, but dermatology remains one of the best-compensated specialties in US medicine. The real story is the spread: academic and employed roles cluster in the $300,000s to $400,000s, while private practice owners and Mohs surgeons can earn double that. Location, procedure mix, and ownership matter more than seniority. Anyone comparing offers should check current survey data and, crucially, the full compensation structure behind the headline number.
