Skin Surgeon Salary Calculator

Below is a complete guide to understanding how skin surgeon salaries are estimated, what factors drive compensation up or down, and how location, employer type, and skills shape your take-home pay.

1. What Are the Salary Ranges for a Skin Surgeon?
2. What Is the Entry Level Salary for a Skin Surgeon?
3. How Much Does a Skin Surgeon Earn at Entry Level vs Senior Level?
4. Where Are the Best Job Markets for Skin Surgeons?
5. Which Employers Hire Skin Surgeons and What Do They Pay?
6. What Job Responsibilities Affect a Skin Surgeon's Salary?
7. What Factors Push a Skin Surgeon's Salary Higher?
8. What Factors Lower a Skin Surgeon's Salary?
9. What Benefits Do Skin Surgeons Typically Receive?
10. What Skills Impact a Skin Surgeon's Salary?
11. How Does Skin Surgeon Salary Vary by Different States and Cities?

The Skin Surgeon Salary Calculator uses a national median hourly base pay of $125.00 as its starting reference point. Under a standard full-time assumption of 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year, this translates to a gross annual salary of approximately $260,000 at the midpoint. However, actual estimates produced by the calculator will vary based on your inputs.

The calculator generates low and high ranges for each time frame. When you adjust years of experience, education level, and job market size, the hourly rate shifts accordingly, and all downstream calculations — weekly, monthly, and annual — scale proportionally.

These ranges reflect the broad spectrum across the profession — from early-career skin surgeons in smaller markets to highly experienced Mohs surgeons in major metros. Users who select part-time hours or fewer than 40 hours per week will see weekly, monthly, and annual figures decrease proportionally, while the hourly range remains the same.

Entry level in the context of this salary calculator means a skin surgeon with limited post-fellowship or post-residency experience — typically someone who has recently completed dermatologic surgery training or a Mohs surgery fellowship and is entering their first attending or staff position. The calculator defines entry level through lower settings on the years-of-experience slider and a baseline education credential (M.D. or D.O. with fellowship completion).

At entry level with the calculator's default base pay of $125.00 per hour, the tool applies a downward adjustment to reflect the early-career stage. Estimated entry-level hourly pay typically falls in the range of $95.00 to $115.00, producing annual gross salary estimates of approximately $197,600 to $239,200 under a standard 40-hour full-time schedule.

This range aligns with what newly credentialed skin surgeons can expect when joining a hospital dermatology department, academic medical center, or multi-specialty group practice. The calculator further refines these estimates based on metro size and state — for instance, an entry-level skin surgeon in a large metro like Los Angeles will see a higher range than one starting in a small market in the rural Midwest.

The salary calculator models a significant earnings gap between entry-level and senior-level skin surgeons, primarily driven by the years-of-experience adjustment and, to a lesser degree, advanced credentials or subspecialty expertise.

A senior skin surgeon with over a decade of experience, a fellowship in Mohs micrographic surgery, and a practice in a high-demand metro area will land at or near the top of the calculator's output range. In contrast, an entry-level surgeon fresh from fellowship and working in a mid-sized market will start closer to the low end. The calculator allows users to move the experience slider and watch these ranges shift in real time, which makes it straightforward to project future earnings trajectory.

It is worth noting that senior-level skin surgeons who have built private practices or serve as department chiefs may earn above the calculator's high-end estimate through ownership income, profit-sharing, or productivity bonuses — factors that extend beyond hourly rate modeling.

The strongest job markets for skin surgeons combine high patient volume, concentrated populations of dermatology-focused medical centers, favorable reimbursement environments, and a large metro-size adjustment in the calculator. Metropolitan areas with aging populations and high rates of skin cancer incidence — particularly in sun-belt states and densely populated coastal cities — generate the greatest demand.

Phoenix stands out for exceptionally high skin cancer rates due to UV exposure, creating consistent surgical demand. Boston and New York City benefit from the concentration of academic medical centers and teaching hospitals that employ Mohs and dermatologic surgeons at premium rates. The salary calculator applies a large-metro adjustment factor in each of these cities, which elevates estimates above the national baseline.

Skin surgeons are employed by a mix of academic medical centers, large health systems, dermatology-focused private practice groups, and cancer treatment networks — each with distinct compensation structures.

Private practice owners operating as 1099 independent practitioners often earn the highest gross hourly rates but must account for overhead, malpractice insurance, and the full self-employment tax burden. The salary calculator's W-2 vs 1099 toggle helps users compare take-home pay between these models, which can result in meaningful differences even when gross pay appears similar.

The range of procedures a skin surgeon performs directly influences where they fall within the salary calculator's output. Skin surgeons who focus on Mohs micrographic surgery — the gold-standard technique for removing basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas — command the highest hourly rates because of the specialized training, precision, and pathology interpretation the procedure requires.

Surgeons responsible for excisional surgery of melanomas and complex reconstructive closures (flaps, grafts) following tumor removal are positioned higher in the salary range than those who primarily perform biopsies, cyst removals, or cosmetic lesion excisions. Performing sentinel lymph node biopsies and managing post-operative wound care for oncologic patients adds clinical complexity that the calculator's experience and education adjustments capture.

Administrative and leadership responsibilities also influence salary outcomes. Skin surgeons serving as department directors, residency program directors, or principal investigators on clinical trials receive supplemental compensation that pushes their effective hourly rate above the calculator's surgical-only estimate. Teaching responsibilities at academic medical centers may slightly reduce clinical productivity hours but are offset by academic salary supplements and institutional benefits.

On-call obligations, inpatient consultation volume, and geographic coverage requirements (traveling between satellite clinics) also affect total hours worked and effective hourly compensation. The salary calculator allows users to adjust weekly hours to model these scenarios accurately.

Several concrete, measurable factors drive a skin surgeon's salary toward the upper end of the calculator's range.

Mohs surgery fellowship completion is the single most impactful credential. Surgeons who have completed an ACGME-accredited Mohs fellowship consistently earn 20–30% more than general dermatologic surgeons, and the calculator's education-level adjustment reflects this premium when users select advanced fellowship training.

High case volume and procedural throughput in productivity-based compensation models (common at large group practices and health systems) directly increase annual earnings. A surgeon performing 8–12 Mohs cases per day generates substantially more revenue than one averaging 4–6 cases, and employers tie bonuses to these metrics.

Large metro market placement activates the calculator's metro-size adjustment factor. Practicing in New York City, Los Angeles, or Boston produces higher estimates than equivalent experience in a small-market setting.

Dual-board certification in dermatology and dermatologic surgery or micrographic surgery signals advanced expertise to employers and patients, supporting premium rate negotiations.

Ownership stake in a private practice transforms the compensation model entirely. Owner-operators capture facility fees, pathology interpretation fees, and ancillary revenue streams (cosmetic procedures, laser treatments) that salaried employees do not access.

Subspecialty expertise in complex reconstruction — particularly interpolation flaps, paramedian forehead flaps, and staged repairs around the eyes, nose, and ears — reduces referral-out rates and increases per-case reimbursement.

Certain conditions will push salary calculator estimates toward the lower boundary of the range.

Small or rural job markets carry a downward metro-size adjustment in the calculator. Skin surgeons practicing in areas with populations under 100,000 face lower patient volume, reduced payer mix diversity, and limited competition among employers — all of which suppress hourly rates.

Limited post-fellowship experience places surgeons at the entry-level tier of the experience slider. Employers in academic or health-system settings typically start new graduates on fixed salary scales with modest annual increases, keeping early-career pay well below the midpoint.

Employed positions without productivity incentives cap earning potential. Some health systems offer straight salary with no RVU bonuses or profit-sharing, which means high-volume surgeons earn the same as lower-volume colleagues.

High overhead in private practice erodes effective hourly pay for 1099 practitioners. Malpractice insurance premiums for surgical specialties, staff salaries, rent in premium locations, and histotechnician costs can consume 40–55% of gross collections, significantly reducing take-home pay relative to gross billing rates.

States with high income tax burdens — such as California, New York, and New Jersey — reduce after-tax salary estimates in the calculator even when gross pay is above average. Users can see this impact directly by toggling between states in the after-tax module.

Part-time schedules proportionally reduce weekly, monthly, and annual salary outputs. Skin surgeons who work 3 days per week or 24–30 hours will see annual estimates decline by 25–40% compared to full-time peers.

Benefits packages for skin surgeons vary substantially depending on whether the position is structured as W-2 employment or 1099 independent contracting — a distinction the salary calculator accounts for in its after-tax module.

W-2 employed skin surgeons at hospitals, academic medical centers, and large group practices typically receive employer-sponsored health insurance (medical, dental, vision), employer-matched 401(k) or 403(b) retirement contributions (commonly 3–6% of salary), paid malpractice insurance with tail coverage, CME allowances ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 annually, paid time off (typically 4–6 weeks), parental leave, disability insurance, and life insurance. Employer-paid FICA (Social Security and Medicare taxes at 7.65%) is a significant hidden benefit that reduces the effective tax burden compared to 1099 status.

1099 independent contractors and private practice owners must self-fund all of these benefits. The salary calculator's 1099 classification adds the employer portion of FICA to the tax estimate, which can reduce after-tax income by approximately 7.65% on applicable earnings. Independent practitioners may deduct business expenses, but the net effect on take-home pay is typically negative compared to W-2 arrangements at equivalent gross hourly rates.

Some employers offer signing bonuses ($20,000–$75,000), relocation assistance, and student loan repayment contributions — particularly in underserved areas where recruiting skin surgeons is difficult. These one-time benefits do not appear in the calculator's recurring salary estimates but meaningfully affect total first-year compensation.

Technical and clinical skills directly determine a skin surgeon's position within the salary calculator's output range.

Mohs micrographic surgery proficiency is the highest-value technical skill in this field. Surgeons who can independently perform tissue processing, frozen section interpretation, tumor mapping, and complex reconstruction in a single visit command the top hourly rates. The ability to read one's own pathology slides eliminates dependence on external pathologists and increases case efficiency.

Complex reconstructive closure techniques — including advancement flaps, rotation flaps, bilobed flaps, and full-thickness skin grafts — allow surgeons to handle difficult anatomic sites (periorbital, nasal tip, auricular) without referring to plastic surgery. This self-sufficiency increases per-case revenue and overall productivity.

Dermatopathology interpretation skills provide a dual revenue stream. Skin surgeons who hold dermatopathology board certification can bill separately for pathology services, adding $50,000–$100,000 or more in annual revenue in a private practice setting.

Laser surgery and cosmetic procedure expertise — including ablative CO2 laser resurfacing, PDL treatment of vascular lesions, and cosmetic excisions — broadens the scope of billable services and attracts private-pay patients, increasing effective hourly earnings above what insurance-only practices generate.

Practice management and business acumen are critical for private practice owners. Surgeons who efficiently manage scheduling, negotiate payer contracts, optimize coding and billing, and control overhead operate at higher net income margins, which the calculator's 1099 module helps model.

Clinical research and publication records carry weight primarily in academic settings, where NIH-funded investigators and prolific authors receive salary supplements and are recruited at premium base rates.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in New York?

New York state has one of the highest concentrations of academic medical centers and specialty dermatology practices in the country. The salary calculator applies a large-metro adjustment for New York City and accounts for the state's notably high income tax rates. Gross pay for skin surgeons in New York tends to rank among the highest nationally, but after-tax estimates are significantly reduced by the combined state and city income tax burden. Upstate New York markets like Rochester or Buffalo carry a mid-sized metro adjustment and lower cost of living, producing lower gross but potentially comparable after-tax results.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in California?

California offers enormous patient volume driven by high population density, significant sun exposure in southern regions, and a large elderly population — all of which sustain strong demand for skin cancer surgery. The calculator's state tax module applies California's top marginal income tax rates, which are among the highest in the nation. Despite premium gross hourly rates, particularly in Los Angeles and San Diego, take-home pay may be comparable to states with no income tax. Kaiser Permanente and UC Health are major W-2 employers here, offering structured compensation with strong benefits packages.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Florida?

Florida is one of the most favorable states for skin surgeons from a tax perspective — the state levies no personal income tax. The salary calculator reflects this directly in after-tax estimates. Combined with exceptionally high skin cancer incidence rates among the state's aging population, Florida markets like Miami, Tampa, and Jacksonville offer strong gross pay and superior take-home results. Competition among employers is intense, and private Mohs practices proliferate throughout the state.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Texas?

Texas also has no state income tax, making after-tax salary calculator outputs notably favorable. Houston and Dallas are large-metro markets with major academic medical centers (MD Anderson, UT Southwestern) and sprawling private practice networks. The state's rapid population growth continues to drive demand for dermatologic surgery services, particularly in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Michigan?

Michigan's salary calculator estimates reflect a moderate state income tax rate and a mix of mid-sized and large metro areas. Detroit carries a large-metro adjustment but also imposes a city income tax, which reduces take-home pay. The University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor and Henry Ford Health in Detroit are the dominant employers. Demand is steady but not as intense as in sun-belt states, given lower skin cancer incidence rates.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Georgia?

Georgia's salary landscape for skin surgeons centers heavily on Atlanta, which receives the calculator's large-metro adjustment. The state has moderate income tax rates that are transitioning toward a flat-rate structure. Emory Healthcare and Piedmont Healthcare are major employers. Outside Atlanta, markets like Savannah and Augusta are considerably smaller and produce lower salary calculator estimates due to reduced metro-size adjustment and lower patient volume.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Ohio?

Ohio features two strong markets for skin surgeons: Cleveland (home to Cleveland Clinic's dermatology and Mohs surgery department) and Columbus. The state's income tax rates are moderate and declining under recent legislative changes, which the calculator's state-tax module reflects. Cost of living across Ohio is below the national average, meaning after-tax salary calculator outputs often translate into higher purchasing power than equivalent gross pay in coastal cities.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in North Carolina?

North Carolina offers a flat state income tax rate that is relatively low compared to peer states, producing favorable after-tax estimates in the calculator. Charlotte and the Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle are the primary large markets. Duke Health and Atrium Health are significant employers with structured compensation models. The state's growing retiree population in western mountain and coastal communities is increasing demand for skin cancer surgery outside the major metros.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Illinois?

Illinois salary estimates are driven primarily by the Chicago metropolitan area, where the calculator applies a large-metro factor. The state's flat income tax rate is moderate, but overall tax burden including property taxes is among the highest nationally. Northwestern Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, and the University of Chicago Medicine are premium employers for skin surgeons. Downstate Illinois markets are significantly smaller, and the calculator adjusts accordingly.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Maryland?

Maryland benefits from proximity to Washington, DC, and the dense concentration of medical institutions in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The state has relatively high income tax rates with county-level surcharges, which the salary calculator incorporates into after-tax estimates. Johns Hopkins Medicine is a flagship employer. Demand is robust given the affluent, aging population in Montgomery and Howard counties.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Indiana?

Indiana has a flat, low state income tax and below-average cost of living, which creates favorable after-tax outcomes in the calculator even though gross pay in Indianapolis (the state's only large metro) is somewhat below coastal markets. Indiana University Health and Ascension St. Vincent are primary employers. The smaller market size outside Indianapolis means limited opportunity and lower gross rates.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Virginia?

Virginia's salary calculator results benefit from proximity to the Washington, DC metro area in Northern Virginia, where the large-metro adjustment applies and demand from the affluent suburban population is strong. The state's income tax rates are moderate. Inova Health System and VCU Health are key employers. Markets in southwestern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley are substantially smaller and produce lower estimates.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Connecticut?

Connecticut is a high-cost, high-tax state where skin surgeons command strong gross hourly rates driven by affluent patient demographics and proximity to New York City. Yale New Haven Health is the dominant academic employer. The calculator's after-tax module applies Connecticut's graduated income tax, which can materially reduce take-home pay relative to gross. However, the wealth of the Fairfield County corridor sustains robust demand for both oncologic and cosmetic skin surgery.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in New Jersey?

New Jersey ranks among the highest-cost states in the nation with elevated income tax rates, particularly at the high earner brackets that skin surgeon salaries typically reach. The salary calculator reflects this in after-tax estimates. Major employers include Hackensack Meridian Health and RWJBarnabas Health. The state's dense population and proximity to both New York City and Philadelphia create consistent patient demand, but surgeons must weigh strong gross pay against significant tax erosion.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Chicago?

Chicago's large-metro designation in the salary calculator reflects its status as the third-largest metro area in the country. The concentration of academic medical centers (Northwestern, Rush, UChicago) and large multi-specialty groups drives competitive compensation. Illinois's flat state income tax keeps the after-tax burden moderate compared to East Coast cities, though Chicago's overall cost of living is rising.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles receives the calculator's maximum large-metro adjustment. Demand for skin surgeons is exceptionally high given the city's intense sun exposure, large population, and cultural emphasis on skin health. UCLA Health, Cedars-Sinai, and numerous private Mohs practices drive employment. California's high state income tax significantly reduces after-tax estimates, but gross hourly rates remain among the nation's highest.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in New York City (NYC)?

NYC produces some of the highest gross salary estimates in the calculator due to the large-metro adjustment, extreme patient density, and prestigious employer concentration (Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYU Langone, Mount Sinai). However, the combined burden of New York state income tax and New York City income tax creates one of the most significant after-tax reductions of any U.S. market. Surgeons should use the calculator's after-tax module with their exact filing status to understand the true net difference.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Houston?

Houston is anchored by MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the world's leading cancer institutions, and Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex globally. The absence of state income tax makes Houston one of the most financially advantageous large-metro markets for skin surgeons. The calculator's after-tax estimates for Houston consistently exceed those of cities with comparable gross pay but higher tax burdens.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Phoenix?

Phoenix's extreme UV exposure creates one of the highest per-capita skin cancer rates in the country, sustaining year-round demand for Mohs and excisional skin surgery. Arizona's flat income tax rate is low, and the calculator reflects this in favorable after-tax estimates. Mayo Clinic Arizona and Banner Health are major employers. The market is large and growing rapidly, with new dermatology practices opening frequently to serve the expanding population.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Atlanta?

Atlanta is Georgia's only large-metro market for skin surgeons and receives the calculator's full metro-size adjustment. Emory Healthcare, Piedmont, and WellStar Health are the primary employers, alongside a growing number of private Mohs practices. Georgia's moderate and declining income tax rates make after-tax outcomes competitive with larger coastal cities, particularly when cost of living is factored in.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in San Diego?

San Diego combines high sun exposure, affluent demographics, and a large military and veteran population (Naval Medical Center San Diego, VA San Diego) with a strong private practice market. The calculator applies a large-metro adjustment. As in the rest of California, state income tax is high, but demand and gross pay offset some of the after-tax erosion. UC San Diego Health and Scripps Health are key employers.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Washington, DC?

Washington, DC proper levies its own income tax (separate from Maryland and Virginia), and the calculator applies the large-metro adjustment for the broader metro area. MedStar Health, Georgetown University Hospital, and George Washington University Hospital are major employers. The federal workforce and diplomatic community create a well-insured, affluent patient base. Skin surgeons living in Virginia or Maryland suburbs but practicing in DC should use the calculator to compare after-tax outcomes based on their state of residence.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Boston?

Boston's concentration of world-class medical institutions — Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess — creates a highly competitive market for skin surgeons with strong gross pay. Massachusetts has a flat state income tax rate that is moderate relative to New York or California. The calculator's large-metro adjustment and the academic premium available in Boston produce some of the highest combined gross and net salary estimates outside of no-income-tax states.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Dallas?

Dallas benefits from no state income tax, a large and growing metropolitan population, and the presence of UT Southwestern Medical Center — one of the top academic dermatology programs in the country. The calculator applies a large-metro adjustment and produces favorable after-tax estimates. Private practice opportunities in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs are expanding rapidly, driven by new residential development and an aging population migrating from higher-tax states.

What Does a Skin Surgeon Earn in Seattle?

Seattle is notable for having no state income tax in Washington state, which produces strong after-tax salary calculator estimates. The University of Washington Medical Center and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health are major employers. Despite lower UV exposure compared to sun-belt cities, the region's growing population and high per-capita healthcare spending sustain solid demand. The calculator's large-metro adjustment and tax-free environment make Seattle one of the most financially attractive markets for skin surgeons nationally.