Dermatologist Salary in South African Rands

An average dermatologist based in South Africa earns anywhere around R96 600 per month, making it R150 hourly. Given that it is a medical profession and needs a formal university education, the financial perks and reputation are off the charts. If you are planning to enter this profession and want to know more about dermatologist salaries, keep reading.

Dermatology is a highly reputable, financially fruitful, and incentive-rich profession across the world, let alone in South Africa. Following is the breakdown of their salary chart in South Africa based on median salary, pay scale, percentiles, and fringe benefits. So, keep on reading to know more.

Dermatologist Salary Range

The dermatologist’s salary in South Africa starts from R47,300 (lowest) and goes up to R1,51,000 (maximum). The hourly wage of dermatologists based in metropolitan cities is around R157, which is relatively higher than other professions. That said, it is not a legally mandated salary and may change based on gender, educational qualification, and gender.

Median Salary

Median salary can be defined as the monthly amount half the workforce from one profession earns and denotes the middle values in the salary chart. When it comes to dermatology, the median salary is around R90 100. Ideally, when entering the profession, you need to stay on the right side, which means you must earn more than the median salary.

Percentile

Apart from the median salary, there is a 25th and 75th percentile, denoting the mean and extreme value of the salary chart, respectively. Speaking of dermatology, 25% of the workforce earns around R73 700, whereas 75% of the workforce has an estimated salary of R1 03 000.

Fringe Benefits

Fringe benefits are the advantages you get in your salary package apart from the regular pay amount, including rent allowance, housing, medical insurance, and more. When it comes to dermatology, the inclusion of fringe benefits in your monthly salary comes down to the place you are working in. Hence, you may not find all companies providing these perks.

Bonuses and Incentives

According to the salary chart, dermatology is a high-incentive profession, which means you receive multiple individual performance-based and company performance-based bonuses in your regular salary. It is estimated that around 85% of the dermatologist staff earns bonuses. These incentives count to almost 1 to 3% of your monthly salary.

Comparison with America

In comparison, dermatologists based in the USA have an estimated salary between $140,000 and $470,000 every year. An average salary in this profession is around $382,000, making it $130 per hour. Speaking of the median salary in the USA, it is approximately $324,100, which is comparatively more than in South Africa, which is understandable, given the high hourly rate.

Professional Responsibilities of a Dermatologist

Dermatologists are medical professionals who are considered specialists in hair, skin, and nails. They are primarily responsible for examining, diagnosing, and treating cosmetic disorders, such as scarring, hair loss, pigmentation, melanoma, and more. Following are some professional duties you are required to perform as a dermatologist.

• Evaluating the skin conditions of patients
• Accessing and upgrading the medical history of patients
• Analyzing the medical reports regarding skin and hair health conditions
• Prescribing medicines for treating skin conditions
• Monitoring the effectiveness of medicines for skin treatment
• Keeping a record of symptoms

Factors that Influence Dermatologist Salary in South Africa

There are several factors that influence your salary as a dermatologist, from your expertise to age, education, gender, and working station. Here is a breakdown of all these factors and how they are counted while deciding on a monthly dermatologist salary.

Qualification/ Education

In order to qualify as a dermatologist, you need a medical degree from a reputable university or medical institution. That said, as you excel in the educational qualifications, your salary package definitely gets better. Here is the recorded salary variance on the basis of your formal education in South Africa.

Education Level	Salary Range
Bachelor’s Degree/ Undergraduate	R93 000
Masters Degree/ Graduate	R104,000

Level of Experience

Does your age and expertise impact your salary as a dermatologist? The simplest answer to this question is yes; for instance, a person with twenty years of experience will be in a better position than those with ten or fifteen professional years of work. So, let us discuss how people with different sets of experience are paid.

• Less than 2 Years of Experience

Dermatologists with two years or less experience earn around R56 100 per month.

• 2-5 Years of Experience

The expected salary of professional dermatologists with two to five years of experience is approximately R72 100, which is 29% more than the previous category.

• 5-10 Years of Experience

Professionals with five to ten years of experience have an expected salary of R99 500, which is 38% more than those with less experience.

• 10-15 Years of Experience

If you have ten to fifteen years of experience as a professional dermatologist, expect your monthly salary to be around R1 23,000, which is around 24% more than the previous category.

• 15-20 Years of Experience

Dermatologists with fifteen to twenty years of experience have an estimated salary of R1 32 000, which is 7% more than the previous category.

• More than 20 Years of Experience

Finally, for professional dermatologists with more than 20 years of experience, the average salary is 7% more than those with less experience, making it R1 41,000.

Level of Experience	Estimated Salary (Per Month)
Less than 2 Years	R56 100
2-5 Years	R72 100
5-10 Years	R99 500
10-15 Years	R1 23 000
15-20 Years	R1 32 000
More than 20 Years	R1 41 000

Public Vs. Private Sector

Where do you get paid more, private or public sector? This is by far the most asked question from aspiring dermatologists entering the job market. And the answer to this would definitely be the public sector, as according to the reported salary chart, public sector employees are paid 7% more than their counterparts.

Public Sector	R32 400	7% more
Private Sector	R30 400

Gender

Like any other profession, male dermatologists are paid more than their female colleagues, and a large part of it comes down to the student quota and admissions. According to the registered stats, there is almost a 7% increase in the salaries of male endocrinologists or dermatologists. Here is the estimated salary variance between the two genders.

Male	R99 600	7% more
Female	R92 300

City of Allocation

Your duty station or the city where your clinic is based also plays a contributing role in determining your salary as a dermatologist. For instance, metro cities like Pretoria, Cape Town, and Durban have more work opportunities and, eventually, better salary packages. Here is a breakdown of the average monthly salary based on the city station.

City Station	Average Salary (Per Month)
Bloemfontein	R85 800
Cape Town	R98 000
Durban	R1 02 000
Johannesburg	R96 400
Port Elizabeth	R86 400
Pretoria	R93 000

Dermatology is a highly rewarding and incentive-based profession with many perks and privileges. The high monthly salary and performance-based bonuses attract a chunk of students nationwide to this profession. I hope, after reading this guide, you have decided whether to enter this field or not.