Dermatologists diagnose and treat disease of the skin, hair and nails, which covers everything from acne and psoriasis to melanoma. A great deal of the diagnosis is visual and immediate, and a great deal of the treatment is procedural, running through biopsies, excisions, cryotherapy and lasers. Skin cancer alone accounts for a large share of the caseload, and dermatologists both find it and cut it out.

This guide covers careers in dermatology end to end, walking through all three accredited subspecialties, the years of training each one costs you, what the work earns and how competitive the path is.

Medical careers in dermatology

Every path below is a formal, ACGME-accredited subspecialty you enter through a fellowship after dermatology residency. Together they hold 189 physicians in training.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Physicians in training as of the 2024-2025 academic year, from the ACGME Data Resource Book. A larger number means a larger field, not an easier one.

How long does dermatology training take?

All of the careers in dermatology on this page run through the same first eight years, and separate afterwards. Residency length is taken from the ACGME Data Resource Book for the 2024-2025 academic year.

1. Bachelor's degree, four years. Any major works, as long as you finish the medical school prerequisites and sit the MCAT.
2. Medical school, four years. Two years mostly preclinical, two years mostly in the hospital, with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 along the way.
3. Dermatology residency, three years. A preliminary or transitional year, then three years of dermatology residency.
4. Fellowship, one to three years. Optional, and the route into the subspecialties listed below.

That is eleven years from starting your bachelor's degree to practising independently, before any fellowship. How long medical school takes covers the middle four in detail.

How much do dermatologists earn?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median wage for dermatologists at $328,730 a year in 2025, across 11,370 people in the occupation.

Figures from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national estimates, 2025. Wages at the top of the scale are reported as equal to or greater than $239,200 in some categories, so a published median can sit below what practising physicians in the field report.

Earnings across careers in dermatology swing more on setting and geography than on the specialty itself. Academic posts sit below private practice, and rural positions often sit above urban ones for the same work.

How competitive is dermatology?

Every position offered was filled, which puts it among the most competitive fields in the match. A high share filled by US MD seniors means the field is drawing its residents from the domestic MD pool, which tightens the odds for everyone else.

Figures from NRMP Results and Data, 2026 Main Residency Match, Table 1A.

Match rates describe the field, not your application. What moves your own odds is your Step 2 score, your clinical grades, your letters and your research, and the odds of getting into medical school covers the stage before any of that.

How careers in dermatology compare with the other specialties

Training length. Dermatology residency runs three years. Of the nineteen specialties on this site, three are shorter and six are the same length. The spread across all of them is two years to five.

Earnings. At $328,730, it ranks 5 of 13 on median wage among the specialties here with their own BLS occupation code. The highest is diagnostic radiology at $420,860.

Competition. 0 of the fifteen specialties here that run through the main match fill a higher share of their positions with US MD seniors, which is the closest single proxy for how contested a field is.

Size of the field. BLS counts 11,370 people employed in the dermatologists category. A larger field means more posts advertised and more geographic choice about where you practise.

None of these numbers should pick a specialty for you. They are the constraints you are choosing inside, and the choice itself comes down to whether the day-to-day work holds your attention for thirty years.

Skills and requirements for dermatology

Where the work happens. Outpatient clinic, with procedure rooms attached. Inpatient consultation exists but is a small part of most practices.

Who it suits. People with strong pattern recognition, who want procedures without the hours of an operating specialty, and who like seeing a treatment work within weeks.

How you get in. A preliminary or transitional year, then three years of dermatology residency.

Before any of that, the requirements match every other route into medicine. You need a bachelor's degree, the prerequisite coursework, clinical and research experience, an MCAT score, and a complete medical school application.