Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Dietitians and Nutritionists
Dietitians and Nutritionists plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to assist in the promotion of health and control of disease. May supervise activities of a department providing quantity food services, counsel individuals, or conduct nutritional research.
Table of contents
What they do
Dietitians and Nutritionists plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to assist in the promotion of health and control of disease. May supervise activities of a department providing quantity food services, counsel individuals, or conduct nutritional research.
- Monitor food service operations to ensure conformance to nutritional, safety, sanitation, and quality standards.
- Assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions, and current health plans to develop and implement dietary care plans and provide nutritional counseling.
- Advise patients and their families on nutritional principles, dietary plans, diet modifications, and food selection and preparation.
- Counsel individuals and groups on basic rules of good nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to improve their quality of life.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Dietitians and Nutritionists monitor food service operations to ensure conformance to nutritional, safety, sanitation, and quality standards. They inspect meals served for conformance to prescribed diets and standards of palatability and appearance.
A typical day for a Dietitian and Nutritionist will also include:
- Assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions and current health plan to develop and implement dietary care plans and provide nutritional counseling.
- Manage quantity food service departments or clinical and community nutrition services.
- Consult with physicians and health care personnel to determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patient or client.
- Coordinate diet counseling services.
- Advise patients and their families on nutritional principles, dietary plans, diet modifications, and food selection and preparation.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Dietitians and Nutritionists also purchase food in accordance with health and safety codes. They may also plan and conduct training programs in dietetics, nutrition, and institutional management and administration for medical students, healthcare personnel, and the general public.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Dietitians and Nutritionists advise food service managers and organizations on sanitation, safety procedures, menu development, budgeting, and planning to assist with the establishment, operation, and evaluation of foodservice facilities and nutrition programs. They might also develop curriculum and prepare manuals, visual aids, course outlines, and other materials used in teaching.
In addition, they coordinate recipe development and standardization and develop new menus for independent foodservice operations.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them write research reports and other publications to document and communicate research findings.
To some Dietitians and Nutritionists, it is also their responsibility to organize, develop, analyze, test, and prepare special meals, such as low-fat, low-cholesterol, or chemical-free meals.
Featured Schools
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
74% said they were satisfied with their job and 78% said they found their job meaningful.
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I’m a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist RDN. To start, a quick briefing on the difference between a registered dietitian and a nutritionist. A Registered dietitian (RD) is someone who’s completed nutrition coursework, done hands on training in a hospital during a dietetic internship, and passed the RD exam. RD’s have extensive knowledge about not only … Read More
As a Clinical Nutritionist, specializing in Functional Medicine, a typical day would involve meeting with clients for initial consultations or follow-up consultations. During initial consultations, I dive deep into their health history, their present concerns and complaints, and doing an overview of their nutrition and lifestyle. I specialize in Functional Medicine, so I then put … Read More
Pros
Suitable for people who like to solve problems mentally.
Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
Demand for this career is growing very fast.
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to follow routines.
It is very hard to get into this career. Extensive skills, knowledge, and experience are required for this career.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Dietitians and Nutritionists with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $39,840 to $51,700 per year or $19 to $25 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $90,000 | $43 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $77,180 | $37 |
| Median | $63,090 | $30 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $51,700 | $25 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $39,840 | $19 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Dietitians and Nutritionists based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch | $77580 | $37.30 |
| Home Health Care Services | $73460 | $35.32 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $70650 | $33.97 |
| Spectator Sports | $69370 | $33.35 |
| Employment Services | $69140 | $33.24 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $68730 | $33.04 |
| Grantmaking and Giving Services | $68710 | $33.03 |
| Insurance Carriers | $68290 | $32.83 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $68150 | $32.77 |
| Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses | $67680 | $32.54 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Dietitians and Nutritionists work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Dietitians and Nutritionists including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 19690 | $64760 | $31.14 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 7230 | $70650 | $33.97 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 5020 | $60430 | $29.06 |
| Local Government | 3740 | $57960 | $27.86 |
| Special Food Services | 3710 | $65210 | $31.35 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 3650 | $62170 | $29.89 |
| Offices of Physicians | 3220 | $63730 | $30.64 |
| Federal Executive Branch | 2480 | $77580 | $37.30 |
| State Government | 2480 | $57780 | $27.78 |
| Individual and Family Services | 1670 | $57090 | $27.45 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Dietetics/Dietitian
Clinical Nutrition/Nutritionist
Nutrition Sciences
Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies
Human Nutrition
Foodservice Systems Administration/Management
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like working with ideas and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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