Dermatologist Salary Guide

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual dermatologist salary is $327,650 per year in the U.S. However, the Medscape’s 2023 Dermatologist compensation report, the average dermatologist salary is $438,000 per year in the U.S. 

Compared to Medscape’s previous report, dermatologists witnessed about an 11% increase in compensation from the previous year. This placed dermatologists among the top specialists that experienced an increase in compensation. 

Locum tenens dermatologists can make upwards of $300 per hour on average, however, there are many factors that impact rates including location, years of experience, and the level of demand.

If you were to extrapolate that rate over a year (at 40 hours per week), the average locum salary comes out to around $624,000. 

That means locum tenens dermatologists can make up to 90% more than the average provider. However, making direct salary comparisons can be complicated. While perm dermatologists are more likely to be salaried, locum tenens dermatologists are independent contractors earning an hourly rate, which can vary based on which assignments they take in a year. 

Furthermore, because locum tenens dermatologists are paid by the hour, the hours they work are directly reflected in their pay, while a salaried dermatologist’s additional hours may not be reflected in their salary.

Finally, paid time off and insurance may be reflected in the perm dermatologists salary structure, but locum tenens providers do have options when it comes to health insurance. 

The most recent state breakdown of dermatologists salaries comes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, though the BLS was not able to collect enough data for all 50 states. That said, the top 5 highest paying states for dermatologists salary are:

• Alabama
• Maryland 
• Mississippi
• New Jersey 
• Oregon

Dermatologist salaries are within the top ten earners of physicians according to the Medscape 2023 physician compensation report. The top five specialties (plastic surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, urology, gastroenterology) all reported annual income of greater than $500,000.

The Medscapes 2023 dermatologist compensation report states that the average compensation of dermatologists has increased by 31% since 2015 according to. Based on this data, dermatologists salaries will increase from what they made in 2023, so they can expect to make roughly $452,892 in annual salary in 2024.