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.
- Median pay
- $76,400
- Doing it now
- 86,300
- By 2035
- Up 7.7%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
5,700 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions, and current health plans to develop and implement dietary-care plans and provide nutritional counseling.
- Consult with physicians and health care personnel to determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patient or client.
- 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.
- Develop curriculum and prepare manuals, visual aids, course outlines, and other materials used in teaching.
- Coordinate diet counseling services.
- Plan, conduct, and evaluate dietary, nutritional, and epidemiological research.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition ServicesSee 156 colleges that teach it
- Nutrition SciencesSee 129 colleges that teach it
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related ServicesSee 122 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Helping and teaching
Analytical and curious
Leading and persuading
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $76,400 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.