Dermatologists vs Emergency Medicine Physicians: Similar Pay, 6.8% vs 3.2% Growth

Dermatologists vs Emergency Medicine Physicians: what changes?

Consider Dermatologists if you want to diagnose and treat diseases relating to the skin, hair, and nails. Consider Emergency Medicine Physicians if you would rather make immediate medical decisions and act to prevent death or further disability. Both list doctoral or professional degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Dermatologists and Emergency Medicine Physicians. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Dermatologists

National median pay (2025): $328,730
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree; Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements.
Work to investigate: Conduct complete skin examinations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 400

Know before you choose

Training continues through internship/residency after the degree path.

See the full Dermatologists brief

Emergency Medicine Physicians

National median pay (2025): $335,550
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree; Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements.
Work to investigate: Select, request, perform, or interpret diagnostic procedures, such as laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, emergency ultrasounds, and radiographs.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 900

Know before you choose

Training continues through internship/residency after the degree path.

See the full Emergency Medicine Physicians brief

How the national numbers differ

Dermatologists has the edge on projected growth

Dermatologists is at 6.8% projected growth, compared with 3.2% projected growth for Emergency Medicine Physicians.

Emergency Medicine Physicians has the edge on annual openings

Emergency Medicine Physicians is at 900 annual openings, compared with 400 annual openings for Dermatologists.

Emergency Medicine Physicians has the edge on median pay

Emergency Medicine Physicians is at $335,550, compared with $328,730 for Dermatologists.

54/ 100

Dermatologists

49.5/ 100

Emergency Medicine Physicians

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence