Dermatologist Salary

Name: Annette J. Gottlieb MD
Job Title: Dermatologist
Where: Beverly Hills, CA
Employer: Private Practice
Years of Experience: 15
Education: BA-UCLA; MPH (Masters of Public Health, Nutritional Sciences)--UCLA School of Public Health; MD--UCLA School of Medicine; internship(1 year)--Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Dermatology residency (3 years)--Harbor/UCLA Medical Center
Salary: See PayScale's Research Center for the faverage dermatologist salary.

Dermatologist Salary

If you've ever wondered how to become a dermatologist, or searched for info on the average dermatologist salary, look no further. Today, our look into careers in dermatology leads us to Beverly Hills. Being a dermatologist - in the 90210 area - may sound glamorous, but this type of physician often juggles two careers: medical and cosmetic dermatology. Dr. Annette Gottlieb took a moment away from her busy practice to tell us about some of the different aspects of careers in dermatology, the lowdown on the average dermatologist salary and info on how to become a dermatologist.

For those who want to know how to become a dermatologist, this interview offers an insider's view into the field of dermatology. Dr. Gottlieb explained what it takes to start a career as a dermatologist as well as what factors can affect a dermatologist salary - working as a medical dermatologist verses a cosmetic dermatologist (as described at youracne.biz), having skills in laser dermatology, practice location, public vs. private practice, and more. She also offered advice for those considering careers in dermatology as well as some of the benefits and drawbacks of becoming a dermatologist.

As you will see, a dermatologist salary is not dependent on just one factor. And careers in dermatology are as varied as the conditions they treat. So, if you want the scoop on how to become a dermatologist, keep reading - you can learn more here than at a dermatology clinical research study... well, almost.

Dermatologist Job Description:

Dermatologists are physicians who see patients with diseases of the skin. This would include any diseases of hair, skin and nails. Dermatology also encompasses diseases like eczema, psoriasis, acne, warts, skin cancer, allergic rashes, itching, etc. Over the last 20 years or so, dermatologists have been trained in skin cancer surgery, and many of us are dermatopathologists as well.

Over the past 10-15 years, the field has become more cosmetically-oriented with the cosmetic dermatologist being at the forefront of laser dermatology, chemical peels of various sorts, fillers and Botox injections. Some practices are more medically oriented, and some are more focused on cosmetic dermatology; many dermatologists do both.

Why did you decide to become a dermatologist?

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Early in medical school, I did a rotation in dermatology at a county hospital, and I fell in love with the field. I was amazed at how much one could diagnose from the skin. I also loved the out-patient setting, enjoyed seeing patients of all ages and found that dermatology combined what I liked about many other fields of medicine. I wanted to be in a specialty where I felt I could really be there for my patients, but also have a life outside the office, and this is one of the medical specialties where this is possible.

What were your career steps to become a dermatologist?

My undergraduate degree is in History of Religion, which at that time was an interdepartmental major at UCLA. But I also did most of the pre-med requirements during that time, and finished the rest during graduate school. I applied to many medical schools, mostly on the west and east coasts, and got in to quite a few, but when I got into UCLA, that made the most sense, both for financial and personal reasons.

I got married at the beginning of medical school and ended up having 3 children during med school and my 4th during dermatology residency. I did research in dermatology (that appeared in a small publication) which helped me get accepted to the residency. Dermatology programs are very few and very small and, therefore, extremely competitive.

What do you like most about a career in dermatology?

I love the field of dermatology because it combines the best of other fields of medicine. There is clinical medicine, pathology, surgery and cosmetic dermatology. For the most part, I am seeing patients of all ages (newborns as well as a few patients who are 103!). It is a pleasure to see a teenager's acne clear up, and I have been able to diagnose melanoma on many occasions. Most of all, I love talking to and listening to people all day. I feel blessed to make a good living doing something that I enjoy.

From your career in dermatology, do you have any funny or memorable moments?

I once saw a young man who was concerned about a dark spot on his chest. I took a paper towel with soap and water and wiped it off! The diagnosis was "dirt," also called "retained keratin." Another time, while doing a surgical excision on a patient's forehead, 2-3 days after the big Northridge Earthquake in 1994, the whole building was swaying back and forth because of continuous aftershocks--it was a memorable experience.

Do you have any advice for people considering careers in dermatology?

First of all, one has to be very academically-oriented and willing to delay gratification in order to go through medical school and residency training. To be a dermatologist, one has to enjoy being with people, have a good steady hand, be smart, compassionate, keep up with new technology and always keep learning--both about the field and about oneself.

Describe the average dermatologist salary.

A dermatologist salary ranges from $200K to $2 million. This would depend upon the setting in which one works (managed care vs. private practice), the city one works in, how much cosmetic dermatology one performs (e.g. laser, Botox, Restylane means cash up-front vs. medical dermatology, which might involve billing insurance companies for reimbursement) and how much one wants to work.

How does your salary compare to a dermatologist salary?  Get the latest info with PayScale's salary calculator.

• More on How to Become a Dermatologist
• Average Dermatologist Salary by Years Experience
• Info on Careers in Dermatology

Comments

[Yawnie]

Thank you so much for all the information! I'm a freshman at Johns Hopkins University and I entered thinking that I wanted to become a cardiac surgeon. The more I think about it, the more I realize I want time for a family. Reading your article about having a family life as well as a career life is really encouraging. Just one question, are dermatology spots really THAT hard to get into?

[tara]

Hello, I already have an undergraduate degree in writing. I started out in pre-med and finished just one class shy of a minor in biology. Since graduating in 2007, I realized I want to try for med school again. Would I have to go back and get an undergraduate degree in science all over again, or so you think I can just make up the required courses to get into med school. Thank you.

[Eric]

I am a recent graduate of a 5 year professional architecture program, which means that I have a professional degree which allows me to sit for the architect's licensing exam and become a licensed architect. The problem is that I do not see myself doing this for the rest of my life. I am very interested in pursuing dermatology or pathology or dermatopathology. The only thing holding me back is the fact that I have already accrued $180,000 in student loan debt from the 5 year undergrad program that I attended at a private college in New York City. My question, for those of you who can answer it or give me any insight, If this is what I REALLY want to do, is it worth it to accrue another $200,000 worth of debt to pursue medicine to make a total of almost $400,000 of student loan debt by the time I'm done. My rationale on the subject is that if I do the medical route, yes I may have ALOT more debt, but I will be making a lot higher salary. If I stick with the Architecture career path I will still have $180,000 of student loans to pay off and contrary to popular belief Architects only make an average of $50k-$60k per year. Therefore I will be miserable in my career AND struggle for many many years to pay off my student loan debt. I would appreciate any insight or opinion into my situation that anyone may have. Thanks

[laser hair removal upland]

i agree it is so interesting its a good subject to explore,keep posting!

by: sphin

[Natural Hair Care Specialist]

DERMATOLOGIST

[Natural Hair Care Specialist]

Iam very interested in this field. I am a hair stylist that has clients that loose there hair from all type of diseases and chemical burn. Most of them come to our salon by refurral from their dermotoligist. Being a doctor is something that i always wanted for myself and wished i would have gone forward in this some time ago. I am a 29yr old mother of 2 lovely girls 13yrs and 4mos. I'll be 30yrs old this year. I figue if I get stared this time around I'd be done by 43yrs old and no later that 45yrs old...

[Mindy]

Hello!

I've always wanted to become a dermatologist but never took the initiative to learn more about becoming one. Instead I went to a state university and completed my undergrad in business. Now at 25, I'm regretting every bit of it. I don't like business anymore and realize its not for me.

I didn't take too many courses in science for my undergrad (business/economics). Is there anyway of passing the MCATs without taking a bunch of science classes?

[w newman]

im 36 years old and have become very interested in dermatology is it to late for me to start this career with 12 yearsof school to look forward to?

[MD]

It amazes me how many trolls there are on this site.

For those interested in dermatology that have yet to start college, always remember that persistence and consistency is key. You should look to take one small step at a time, whether the step is from high school to college, college to med school, med school to residency, it's all about overcoming challenges and never giving up.

Your career goals will change: I started out doing poorly in high school, went to a community college, transfered to a state school, barely got into medical school, finally found my stride and ended up in neuro. Looking back everything didn't go as "planned" but I'm glad that I always picked myself up when I was down and kept on fighting.

So for the trolls that tell you that you need to graduate top of your class in high school, go to a "good" college, be the absolute top of your class in college, and then perform well in medical school (this part is probably the most essential part), don't lose confidence in yourself if trip and stumble along the way. If there is a will, there is always a way, just depends on how bad you want it. Good luck and never give up on your dreams!

[dermatology upland]

Thanks for the informative article you've shared with us, I think dermatologist salary is based on the services they offer.

-charrie-

[MD/Phd]

To DA. Do not plan on becoming a doctor if you cannot do a simple task as to read the previous posts. Attention to detail is a key skill that a doctor must have.

As others have stated, you will make about 200k (depending on location and business structure) after hs.. its 4 yr college, 4 yr medschood, and 4-6 residency (depends if you want to get a fellowship it probably longer.) so at least 12 year of schooling.

But you will have about 200k in debt as well, and it will have interest added to it as you go thru residency. Most people spend about 8-10 years paying of their debt.

Some that are not so lucky to match into derm, and say falls into family practice, well they might sometime extend their loan repayment to 20 years period.

In other words your friends that did business or accounting will be making a lot more than you,(esp if they invested wisely) by the time your manage to pay off your debt, and actually start making real money. But even that does not guarantee success, a lot of doctors do not have great business sense, and end up running mediocre practice and end up blaming the system for their misfortunes.

More than anything, I would say that one makes friends with their accounting and business friends, since they will have more business sense and familiarity with money.
Be a doctor for the right reason, and let the accountants handle the money issue and hopefully you might be debt free earlier.

[darlene Alvarez]

I'm will be graduating high school may 2009. Can you tell me how much total schooling before I graduate as a Dermatology? Did you start making money after graduate?

Thank
DA

[MDstudent]

to curious!: it depends on whether or not you want to be an MD or not. cosmotology schools teach derm, but there is no medical management for the patient, no intervention, no invasive procedures, and no prescribing of medications. For that you need undergrad, med school and residency.

All that schooling should pay off in that you actually get to help cure disease, or at least treat it in addition to working on the asthetics..

[curious!]

so now i understand being a med dermatologist is out of my league, but must you specialize in that first before you can get into cosmetic dermatology? because i really am looking forward to cosmetic dermatology however i can't grasp the idea of going through 12 years of schooling after i finish highschool.
can someone please help me with this little dillema..lol

[DermResident]

The odds of becoming a dermatologist are similar to becoming a professional athlete.

I'm a dermatology resident at a well known medical center and I can tell you that getting here was hard. MD_2010 summarized things well but could have gone farther for some of the people reading these comments:
1) Getting into college is hard. Only the top 25%-50% of a high school class has the aptitude to do well in college (a real college, not a CC, not a 2nd tier state school).
2) Many who apply to medical school fail. In fact, only the top 50% of candidates in a given year are accepted. These are the cream of the crop of college students (who should have been amongst the very best high school students).
3) Only 10% of a medical school class has the aptitude to do a competitive specialty like derm, rad-onc or ENT. These 3 are an order of magnitude harder to get into than the next tier of specialties like radiology, the surgical subspecialties or ophtho.
4) On average 100 applicants will apply for one derm residency spot. Granted, many apply to many programs but only 1/3 end up matching. Many fail to get a spot on multiple attempts.

All of that work to make 300k a year. Is it worth it? Well, maybe but you'd better be damned sure you're doing it. You're better off avoiding medicine in general unless you're a big enough nerd to enjoy it. Oh, and by the time you graduate residency you'll have 200k in debt and be 30+ years old...sweet.

[MD_2010]

There is a lot of schooling if you want to become an MD derm:

1. Go to a good undergrad and do the "pre-med" courses. You need to attend a four year university program. Upper-tier universities give their students a better shot. GPA >3.75+, but you really need to be around 3.8/3.9 to stay competitive.

2. Take the MCAT. Most students need a 30+, and med schools generally want 10+ per section (at least when I applied). I hear its getting even more difficult.

3. Do well in med school. This is what makes derm, rads, ophtho, anesthesia different from other feilds of medicine like IM, FP, OB/GYN. You need to honor your course work and score in the upper end of your class. This is tough because its hard to get into medschool and even harder to out perform your classmates, so work hard!

4. DO REALLY WELL ON STEP 1. The average step 1 score for top specialties like derm and rads is about ~235-240+ (99%). <-- This ends up determining where you end up!

Derm and ENT are really the most competitive fields at the moment. I would not recommend everyone set out to college and have aspirations of only becoming a dermatologist. I went into med school content if I ended up specializing in medicine (cardiology/GI). It was not until I finished my coursework, took my boards and started my rotations that I felt like a specialty field like radiology or anesthesia would work best for me. Again, this is just my advice as a medstudent because med school is hard and you gotta work insanely hard if you want to enter a competitive specialty.

Good luck everyone!

[Jennifer]

ThankQ for this,

It's helped me to understand alot more about what education needs to be taken to be a dermatologist.

Reading this article i'm still wonting to be a dermatologist and i hope one day i may make that dream come true!

Jennifer Danvers

[Sarah]

So do cosmetic dermotologists get payed less then medical ones?

[vabanditsgirl]

I would like to also agree with everyone on the posting, this is such a great article! It has a lot of good information and helped me to determine which field of dermatology I would like to break into. I'm 31 years old and just now discovering what is I would like to do. Is there any advice for someone of my age going into this field and what are the best suggested first steps in taking the right path to achieving this goal? Should I start with a Community College and then look into an accredited college to complete my Masters Degree with? Are there any general studies and then moving to Biology courses? Once you had graduated, did you open your private practice right away? Can you elaborate a bit more with the suggestions of going into public vs. private?

Many Thanks!
Michele Washington D.C

[Kadijah Williams]

i think the salary of being a dermotologist is fair. $200K to $2 million that's a great amount of money .. now i really know what i want to be when i get older.

|*~K-Roc_OnDeck*~|

[carissa]

This is a great article I can really understand why you would love dermatology so much. I am also very interested in starting a career in dermatology any refrences towards college or university would be very aprichiated thank you<3:)

.. Carissa

[Britni]

To whom it may concern,
I am very interested in becoming dermatologist. I enjoy learning about the skin and helping people. I am currently a high school senior. I would grately appreciate it if anyone can give me some advice on colleges and other steps leading to my dream career. Thank You!!!

-Britni

[anh]

great article.
been meaning to learn more about the requirements to become a dermatologist.
awesome insights.

[Brea]

Wow, I had no idea that a dermatologist salary could be so high. I've always wanted to be a doctor, but never thought about careers in dermatology. Any advice on colleges? How important is the college you go to for undergrad?

[Sammy]

Great article! I'm 14 and I've already had my heart set on being a dermatologist for a long time. Its always good to hear somebody's views on their career.

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[Len]

Good info on dermatologists.

[hiii]

im doing a career project thing for my reading class. and i chose dermatology. i found this article and i found some really interesting and helpful facts and stories.

[Blanche Watkins]

Your blog is on the very high level and includes a lot of very interesting information and was very useful for me.

[Jardini]

interesting article. That's a LOT of education to go throught btw.

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[BRIO-MultiComPartners]

Yes a very good article. By the way I know the power of laser for example. This is one of the best tool not only in dermatologist aspects or medical issues.

[Vincent Moore]

Very interesting information. I thought performing the procedure on the patient during earthquake aftershoks was very interesting. I'll bet it was to the doctor too!