Dermatologist job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 5 of 5

extensive preparation

Typical entry education

Doctoral or professional degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$328,730

BLS May 2025

1. Conduct complete skin examinations. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Diagnose and treat pigmented lesions such as common acquired nevi, congenital nevi, dysplastic nevi, Spitz nevi, blue nevi, or melanoma. importance 4.9 of 5
3. Perform incisional biopsies to diagnose melanoma. importance 4.8 of 5
4. Perform skin surgery to improve appearance, make early diagnoses, or control diseases such as skin cancer. importance 4.8 of 5
5. Counsel patients on topics such as the need for annual dermatologic screenings, sun protection, skin cancer awareness, or skin and lymph node self-examinations. importance 4.8 of 5
6. Diagnose and treat skin conditions such as acne, dandruff, athlete's foot, moles, psoriasis, or skin cancer. importance 4.7 of 5
7. Record patients' health histories. importance 4.6 of 5
8. Recommend diagnostic tests based on patients' histories and physical examination findings. importance 4.6 of 5
9. Prescribe hormonal agents or topical treatments such as contraceptives, spironolactone, antiandrogens, oral corticosteroids, retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, or antibiotics. importance 4.3 of 5
10. Conduct or order diagnostic tests such as chest radiographs (x-rays), microbiologic tests, or endocrinologic tests. importance 4.3 of 5
11. Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in dermatology. importance 4.3 of 5
12. Provide dermatologic consultation to other health professionals. importance 4.3 of 5
13. Refer patients to other specialists, as needed. importance 4.1 of 5
14. Instruct interns or residents in diagnosis and treatment of dermatological diseases. importance 4.1 of 5
15. Provide therapies such as intralesional steroids, chemical peels, or comodo removal to treat age spots, sun damage, rough skin, discolored skin, or oily skin. importance 4.0 of 5
16. Provide dermabrasion or laser abrasion to treat atrophic scars, elevated scars, or other skin conditions. importance 3.2 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Assisting and Caring for Others, Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems and Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Conduct clinical or basic research.
• Evaluate patients to determine eligibility for cosmetic procedures such as liposuction, laser resurfacing, or microdermabrasion.

Knowledge areas: Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Administration and Management and Education and Training.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: eClinicalWorks EHR software, Cisco Webex, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word, Zoom. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists internship/residency as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 5 of 5 (extensive preparation). Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a dermatologist.

Most dermatologists surveyed by O*NET (56%) name a doctoral degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Dermatologist
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Dermatologist to diagnose and treat diseases relating to the skin, hair, and nails.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Conduct complete skin examinations.
- Diagnose and treat pigmented lesions such as common acquired nevi, congenital nevi, dysplastic nevi, Spitz nevi, blue nevi, or melanoma.
- Perform incisional biopsies to diagnose melanoma.
- Perform skin surgery to improve appearance, make early diagnoses, or control diseases such as skin cancer.
- Counsel patients on topics such as the need for annual dermatologic screenings, sun protection, skin cancer awareness, or skin and lymph node self-examinations.
- Diagnose and treat skin conditions such as acne, dandruff, athlete's foot, moles, psoriasis, or skin cancer.
- Record patients' health histories.
- Recommend diagnostic tests based on patients' histories and physical examination findings.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in critical thinking, service orientation and active listening
- Working knowledge of Medicine and Dentistry and Customer and Personal Service
- [Software your team uses, e.g. eClinicalWorks EHR software or Cisco Webex]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $328,730 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $158.04. BLS estimates about 11,370 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of dermatologists to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full dermatologist salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real dermatologist posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Conduct complete skin examinations”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only dermatologist work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (critical thinking and service orientation); dermatologist interview questions turns them into practice questions.