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The mean annual wage for a dermatologist as of May 2024 data (the most recent available) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is $347,810. This career can be a challenging and rewarding profession, both financially and emotionally. Dermatologists can help their patients look and feel their best. In some cases, they can even save their lives.

Read on to better understand what it’s like to work as a dermatologist, how much they earn, and the benefits and downsides of choosing this line of work.

What Are Dermatologists?

Dermatologists are doctors who specialize in the field of dermatology. They manage diagnoses and treatments relating to skin, hair, and nail health. They help patients with issues ranging from eczema and skin infections to acne and skin cancer.

Some dermatologists perform cosmetic procedures like laser treatments, injections, and chemical peels. An important role that dermatologists also take on is educating patients on sun protection to help them avoid running into skin damage and skin cancer.

As you might imagine, considerable training is involved to become a dermatologist. Typically, it can take 12 years of training and education. To complete this, some aspiring dermatologists will take out student loans. Their average student loan debt can be similar to what any other medical doctor takes on, meaning in the range of $200,000.

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How Much Do Starting Dermatologists Make a Year?

It’s important to note that dermatologists will likely see their salaries rise over time. While their entry-level salary may be lower than the average figure, it should rise as their careers progress.

That being said, the lowest 10% of earners in this role make an estimated annual wage of $118,540 or lower. So even the lowest income is likely around or over the $100,000 a year salary level.

What is the Average Salary for a Dermatologist?

As briefly noted earlier, the average salary or hourly wage for a dermatologist can be affected by where they work.

This applies to the type of medical practice or healthcare setting they work in. Consider the annual mean wage by workplace, all of which can be relatively high-paying:

•   Outpatient care centers: $474,470

◦   Offices of physicians: $357,160

•   General medical and surgical hospitals: $276,280

•   Personal care services: $173,370

•   Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods: $172,080

Next, take a closer look at how dermatologists’ salaries vary by the state they work in, according to the BLS. Please note that information is not available for all states.

💡 Quick Tip: Income, expenses, and life circumstances can change. Consider reviewing your budget a few times a year and making any adjustments if needed.

Dermatologist Job Considerations for Pay and Benefits

In addition to receiving competitive pay, many dermatologists work full-time and therefore qualify for employer benefits.

•   If they run their own medical practice, they would need to purchase these benefits for themselves and their employees.

•   If they work for a practice they don’t own, for a medical group, or in a hospital setting, they should qualify for valuable employee benefits like paid time off, retirement accounts, and health care.

Pros and Cons of Dermatologist Salary

The main advantage of a dermatologist salary is that it is usually quite high. The tradeoff for that high salary may be a lot of student loan debt, as noted above.

To work as a dermatologist in the United States, you need to attend and finance medical school after receiving an undergraduate degree, which can be quite time-consuming and costly.

The Takeaway

Working as a dermatologist makes it possible to help people dealing with skin concerns, while earning a good salary. Dermatologists earn a mean annual wage of $347,810, which is a salary many people would be happy with. However, obtaining the necessary training can be quite expensive, so dermatologists may start their careers with considerable student loan debt to pay off.

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FAQ

Can you make $100k a year as a dermatologist?

It’s very possible to earn $100,000 a year as a dermatologist. The mean annual salary for a dermatologist in the U.S. is $347,810.

Do people like being a dermatologist?

Many people enjoy working as a dermatologist since this role can be fulfilling on several levels. Not only is the work interesting (diagnosing and resolving health concerns), but it involves helping people live healthier and happier lives.

Is it hard to get hired as a dermatologist?

It may not be challenging to find a job as a dermatologist once you have the proper qualifications. The field is growing at a rate that is at least on par with other professions, if not higher.

About the author

Jacqueline DeMarco

Jacqueline DeMarco is a freelance writer who specializes in financial topics. Her first job out of college was in the financial industry, and it was there she gained a passion for helping others understand tricky financial topics. Read full bio.

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After graduation from college, you may be full speed ahead in terms of finding a job and launching your career. However, many recent grads may have ideas other than heading directly into the work world.

Several alternatives are possible — including internships, volunteering, grad school, or spending time abroad. Of course, the options available will differ depending on each person’s situation and interests. If you’re considering a path other than diving into an entry-level job, read on. Here are seven things to do after college besides work.

1. Pursue Internships

One popular alternative to working right after college is finding an internship. Generally, internships are temporary work opportunities, which are sometimes, but not always, paid. Unpaid internships can be valuable nonetheless.

Internships for recent grads can offer a chance to build up hands-on experience in a field or industry they believe they’re interested in working in full time. For some people, it could help determine whether the reality of working in a given sector meets their expectations.

Whatever grads learn during an internship, having on-the-job experience (even for those who opt to pursue a different career path) could make a job seeker stand out. Internships can help beef up a resume, especially for recent grads who don’t have much formal job experience.

A potential perk of internships is the chance to further grow your professional network, building relationships with more experienced workers in a particular department or job. Some interns may even be able to turn their short-term internship roles into a full-time position at the same company.

Starting out in an internship can be a great way for graduates to enter the workforce, road-testing a specific job role or company. You may find the opportunity is a good fit or decide it’s actually not right for you.

💡 Quick Tip: Ready to refinance your student loan? You could save thousands.

2. Serve with AmeriCorps

Some graduates want to spend their time after college contributing to the greater good of American society. One possible option here is the Americorps program. (Although Americorps initially had its funding withheld under the Trump administration, funding was restored in September 2025 after a lawsuit was filed by a number of state attorneys general and others.)

So, what exactly is Americorps? Americorps is a national service program dedicated to improving lives and fostering civic engagement. It supports national and state community service programs through the work of members who work with organizations in the areas of health, environmental protection, and education.

There’s a wide variety of options in AmeriCorps, when it comes to how you can serve. Graduates can dive into emergency management, help fight poverty, or work in a classroom.

However graduates decide to serve through AmeriCorps, it may provide them with a rewarding professional experience and insights into a potential career.

Practically, Americorps members may also qualify for benefits such as student loan forbearance, a living allowance, education awards (upon finishing their service), and skills training.

AmeriCorps’ slogan is “Be the greater good.” Giving back to society could be a powerful way to spend some time after graduating. You can support organizations in need, while also establishing new professional connections.

3. Attend Grad School

Some jobs require just a bachelor’s degree, while others require a master’s degree. Think, for instance, of being a lawyer or medical doctor. Or you might want a certain postgrad degree, like earning an MBA, to boost your career and salary trajectory.

Graduates might want to research their desired career fields and see if it’s common for people in these roles to need a master’s degree or even a Ph.D.

Some students may wish to take a break in between undergrad and grad school, while others find it easier to go straight through. This choice will vary from student to student, depending on the energy they have to continue school as well as their ability to afford graduate school.

Graduate school will be a commitment of time, energy, and money. So, it’s wise to feel confident that a graduate degree is necessary for the line of work you’d like to pursue before forging ahead.

4. Volunteer for a Cause

Volunteering could be a great way for graduates to gain some extra skills before applying for a full-time job. Here’s why:

•   Doing volunteer work may help graduates polish some essential soft skills, like interpersonal communication, interacting with clients or service recipients, and time management.

•   This, in turn, can help you tweak your resume and make yourself more marketable.

•   Volunteering can help you network and forge new connections outside of college. The people-to-people connections made while volunteering could lead to mentorship and job offers.

•   New grads may want to volunteer at an institution or organization that syncs with their values or pursue opportunities in sectors of the economy where they’d like to work later on (i.e., at a hospital).

•   Volunteering just feels good. After all of the stress that accompanies finishing up college, volunteering afterward could be the perfect way to recharge.

Recommended: What Is the Average Student Loan Debt After College?

5. Serve Abroad

Similar to the above option, volunteering abroad can be attractive to some graduates. It may help grads gain similar skills they’d learn volunteering at home. It can also give them the opportunity to learn how to interact with people from different cultures, learn a new language, and see new perspectives on solving problems.

Though it can be beneficial to the volunteers, volunteering abroad isn’t always as ethical as it seems. And, not all volunteering opportunities always benefit the local community.

It could take research to find organizations that are doing ethically responsible work abroad. One key thing to look for is organizations working on community-led projects that put the locals first and have them directly involved in the work.

6. Take a Gap Year

A gap year is a semester or a year of experiential learning. While it’s often taken after high school, it can be a path after college as well. (You may have to budget for a gap year, though, especially if you won’t be earning much income.)

Not only might a gap year help grads build insights into what they’d like to do with their later careers, it may also help them home in on a greater purpose in life or build connections that could lead to future job opportunities.

Graduates might want to spend a gap year doing a variety of activities including:

•   Trying out seasonal jobs

•   Volunteering or caring for family members or others in need

•   Interning

•   Teaching or tutoring

•   Traveling.

A gap year can be whatever the graduate thinks will be most beneficial for them. There are a variety of ways to finance a gap year that can be worth researching.

7. Travel Before Working

Going on a trip after graduation is a popular choice for graduates who can afford to travel after college. Traveling can be expensive, so grads may want to start saving and budgeting for it in advance.

On top of just being really fun, travel can have beneficial impacts for an individual’s stress levels and mental health. Traveling after graduation is a convenient time to start ticking locations off that bucket list, especially since graduates won’t be held back by a limited vacation time. Going abroad before working can give students more flexibility.

There are ways to economize, such as using a multi-country rail pass and using public transportation.

Navigating Postgrad Financial Decisions

Whether a recent grad opts to start their career right away or pursue one of the above-mentioned paths other than work, student loans may be part of the picture.

After graduating (or if you’ve dropped below half-time enrollment or left school), the reality of paying back student loans sets in. The exact moment that grads will have to begin paying off their student loans will vary by the type of loan.

For federal loans, there are a couple of different times that repayment begins. Students who took out a Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, or Federal Family Education Loan, will all have a six-month grace period before they’re required to make payments. Students who took out a Perkins loan will have a nine-month grace period.

When it comes to the PLUS loan, graduate and professional students with PLUS loans will be on automatic deferment while they’re in school and up to six months after graduating.

Some graduates opt to refinance their student loans. Refinancing student loans is when a private lender pays off the existing loan with a new private loan that has a new interest rate. Refinancing can potentially lower monthly loan repayments or reduce the amount spent on interest over the life of the loan.

However, there are a couple of important notes about this process:

•   Both US federal and private student loans can be refinanced, but when federal student loans are refinanced by a private lender, the borrower forfeits federal benefits — including loan forgiveness, deferment and forbearance, and income-driven repayment options.

•   Those who refinance for an extended term may pay more interest over the life of the loan.

For these reasons, each person with student loans should carefully consider their situation and options to decide the best way to manage their debt.

The Takeaway

Diving directly into a career right after college is not the only option. College grads can consider a number of other paths, including volunteering, doing an internship, attending grad school, and traveling. These are all ways to gain valuable experience that could benefit them in the future.

For borrowers facing student loan repayment after their grace period (if they have one) ends, this is also the time when they can choose a repayment plan and possibly consider options like student loan refinancing.

Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.

FAQ

What is the best thing to do after college?

The best thing to do after college depends on your unique personal and financial circumstances and your goals. You might feel it’s best to get a job right away and start earning a paycheck. But there are plenty of other options to consider as well, including going to grad school, volunteering, or traveling while you have the time to do so. Each of these options can give you experiences and introduce you to people who may be helpful in your future career.

What can you do if you don’t have a job after college?

If you don’t have a job after college, there are many different things you can do. For example, you may want to use the time to apply to grad school and earn a master’s degree; volunteer for a cause you believe in, which could help you develop skills you could put on your resume; or travel and learn about other countries and cultures.

Is it a bad idea to take time off after college?

No, it’s not bad to take time off after college. It could be beneficial if you use the time wisely. You could explore different interests, which could help you figure out which job path might be right for you, or do volunteer work that might teach you valuable skills. Some graduates use the time after college to take a gap year, which is a period of experiential learning. You could travel during this time, teach or tutor, or try out some different jobs on a part-time basis to see what you like.

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