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Dietitians and Nutritionists

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $76,400 Median per year · $36.73/hr Most earn $49,090–$103,720

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Record and evaluate patient and family health and food history, including symptoms, environmental toxic exposure, allergies, medication factors, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Select, train, and supervise workers who plan, prepare, and serve meals.
  • Evaluate laboratory tests in preparing nutrition recommendations.
  • Develop recipes and menus to address special nutrition needs, such as low glycemic, low histamine, or gluten- or allergen-free.
  • Select, train, and supervise workers who plan, prepare, and serve meals.
  • Plan and prepare grant proposals to request program funding.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
8% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 5,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • General medical and surgical hospitals23.6%
  • Special food services8.6%
  • Self-employed (their own business)8.5%
  • Offices of all other health practitioners7.4%
  • Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)6.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Dietitians and nutritionists are not usually entry-level jobs. Most people need a bachelor's degree plus about 1 to 2 years of supervised practical experience, so expect roughly 5 to 6 years of school and training after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in nutrition, dietetics, or food science

    4 years

    You learn the science of food, the human body, and how nutrition affects health, and you take courses like biology, chemistry, and anatomy. Choose a program that is accredited for dietetics if you can, since that matters for the next step.

  2. Supervised practice internship and credentialing exam

    1-2 years

    You work under experienced dietitians in hospitals, clinics, or food service settings, then pass a national registration exam to earn credentials such as Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). This hands-on experience is what prepares you to work on your own.

  3. Dietitian and Nutritionist

    Career

    You plan nutrition programs, counsel people on eating for health, manage food service in facilities, or do nutrition research, depending on where you work.

Where it can lead

  1. Clinical Nutrition Manager

    3-5 years of experience first

    You move from providing care to leading a team of dietitians and staff, setting nutrition policies and handling budgets, and you usually need a strong record of clinical work and good leadership skills.

  2. Director of Food and Nutrition Services

    5+ years of experience first

    You oversee the nutrition or food service operations for a whole organization, such as a hospital system, school district, or large company, and you take on planning, budgeting, and staff management at the highest level.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology and chemistryThese classes build the science background you will need for nutrition courses in college.
  • Take a family and consumer sciences or foods classCooking and meal planning classes give you hands-on experience with food, portions, and healthy recipes.
  • Join a cooking or health club at schoolClubs help you practice teamwork and share ideas about healthy eating with others who care about food.
  • Volunteer at a food pantry or community meal programHelping people get nutritious food shows you how nutrition connects to community health.
  • Get a part-time job in a grocery store or restaurant kitchenWorking around food teaches you food safety, portion sizes, and how people make food choices.

In college

  • Major in nutrition, dietetics, or food scienceThese majors cover the core science and nutrition courses that lead directly to the dietetics path.
  • Take anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and statisticsThese courses build the knowledge and research skills that dietitians use every day.
  • Volunteer with a campus food pantry or wellness programYou gain real experience helping people with food and nutrition and can add it to your résumé.
  • Work in campus dining servicesA campus job gives you experience with large-scale food service, which is part of many dietitian roles.
  • Join a nutrition or pre-health student groupGroups like these offer guest speakers, networking, and chances to learn about careers in nutrition.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a registered dietitian if you can shadow them for a day or talk with them about their work. It helps you see whether the daily work fits you.
  • Check that any nutrition or dietetics program you consider is accredited for dietetics, since this affects how you qualify for the supervised practice step.
  • Build your science skills early, especially biology and chemistry, because they show up in almost every course on the way to this career.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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