Dermatology · Evidence depth: moderate
General Medical / Cosmetic
Ownership-sensitivity model
The 10 vectors of a physician career.
Every path is scored 0-100 across 10 critical dimensions using public-data signals, modeled assumptions, and verification prompts. Modeled estimate. Not a salary survey. See methodology.
85/100
Income ceiling
Income ceiling
A very strong ceiling, completely uncapped if your practice is heavily weighted toward cosmetics.
The reality
Medical dermatology (acne, skin checks) is strictly volume-driven; cosmetic dermatology is margin-driven.
The signal
Supervising multiple PAs/NPs (mid-level extenders) acts as a massive multiplier on your daily RVU generation.
The catch
Selling proprietary skincare products and owning cash-pay lasers adds highly scalable revenue.
The verdict
The ultimate cash-pay scalable business model for non-surgeons.
95/100
Lifestyle control
Lifestyle control
Total, absolute control over your schedule.
The reality
The practice is 100% outpatient, 100% scheduled, and entirely elective.
The signal
You can easily work 3 or 4 days a week while still maintaining a top-tier income.
The catch
There are absolutely no hospital consults, no ER add-ons, and no unpredictable surgical delays.
The verdict
Widely considered the absolute gold standard for lifestyle control in clinical medicine.
Premium analysis
8 more dimensions scored, with the reasoning behind each
The scores are below. Premium adds what sits behind each one: the claim, the signal supporting it, the limitation that weakens it, and what it should change about your decision.
- Sleep / call burdenLower is better5/100
- Ownership / facility upsideHigher is better90/100
- Geography flexibilityHigher is better85/100
- Innovation / industry adjacencyHigher is better50/100
- Training opportunity costLower is better35/100
- Job-market densityHigher is better95/100
- Malpractice / litigation pressureLower is better25/100
- Burnout-mismatch riskLower is better20/100
Scores are modeled from the specialty module's evidence and are estimates, not measurements. Confidence and data depth are labeled inside every premium card.
DoctorCalculator modeled income structure
Derived model. DirectionalModeled base range
$445k - $725k
Blended medical + cosmetic cash mix; wide band reflects cash-pay share variance.
Production upside
$670k - $840k
Owner overhead is real (staff, devices, marketing) but cash-pay mix makes collections nearly payer-proof.
Ownership upside
Very high
Practice ownership, cash cosmetic lines (lasers, injectables), retail skincare, and PA/NP extender leverage.
Salary-only gap
High
Employed derm forgoes the cosmetic cash margin and extender-generated revenue owners keep. The largest gap outside surgery.
Modeled estimate. Not a salary survey. Derived model. Directional only. Verify against real offers, contracts, and local mentors. Income scales with payer mix, ownership, and geography. See methodology.
Want the code-level view behind numbers like these? Open the RVU calculator for this specialty's procedures, CMS times, and locality-adjusted Medicare rates.
External benchmark reference
Verify independently~$450k
External benchmark reference - verify independently. Not ingested DoctorCalculator source data.
Best fit
- The Lifestyle-First Clinician. A good life on sane hours, and the math actually works.
- The Entrepreneurial Physician. Income comes from building things, not only from seeing patients.
Poor fit
- The Acute-Care Identity Seeker. Energized by intensity, emergencies, and high-stakes work.
- The Prestige-Risk Academic. Mission and reputation first. Eyes open about the pay gap.
This path is described at validated confidence (Evidence depth: moderate). Detailed evidence cards are added as the module is validated; we will not manufacture precision before then.