SOC 29-1031.00Bright outlook

    Dietitians and Nutritionists

    Plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to assist in the promotion of health and control of disease.

    Median pay
    $76,400
    Growth
    +7.7%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    5,700
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $49,090
    Median
    $76,400
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $103,720
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    77,570 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Dietitians and nutritionists plan food and nutrition programs to promote health and manage disease, earning a median annual salary of $76,400. They work in clinical, community, or administrative settings to counsel individuals and manage food services.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What dietitians and nutritionists do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    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.

    Most need a graduate degree, such as a master's, PhD, MD or JD.

    What the work is like

    Professionals in this field focus on helping and caring for others by designing nutritional plans and managing food service programs. Day-to-day activities include gathering information, interpreting data for clients, and documenting progress. They regularly make decisions, solve complex problems, and organize their daily tasks using computers.

    Success in this role requires strong active listening, speaking, and reading comprehension skills to understand client needs and communicate dietary plans. They must apply knowledge of biology, medicine, chemistry, therapy, and customer service. This career strongly appeals to individuals with social interests who enjoy helping others. Key work styles include empathy, cooperation, dependability, and a high attention to detail.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, a bachelor's degree is typically required. However, many professionals need extensive preparation, often earning a graduate degree such as a master's degree or a PhD. Students preparing for this field commonly major in dietetics and clinical nutrition services, nutrition sciences, or foods, nutrition, and related services.

    Depending on the state, a license may be required to practice. Professionals can also pursue voluntary certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Examples of these credentials include the Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Certified Dietary Manager, Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition, and School Nutrition Specialist.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for dietitians and nutritionists is $76,400. Earnings vary based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% earning less than $49,090 and the highest 10% earning more than $103,720.

    There are 77,570 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 7.7%, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to result in approximately 5,700 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    34 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    63 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    23 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    75 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    40 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    39 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SIE. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    89
    Getting Information
    88
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    84
    Documenting/Recording Information
    81
    Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
    79
    Working with Computers
    79
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    76
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    76
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    73
    Analyzing Data or Information
    73
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Critical Thinking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Speaking
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Monitoring
    • Service Orientation
    • Writing

    Knowledge

    • Biology
    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • English Language
    • Therapy and Counseling
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Psychology
    • Education and Training
    • Mathematics
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Chemistry

    Abilities

    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Clarity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Category Flexibility
    • Information Ordering

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cooperation
    • Empathy
    • Integrity
    • Social Orientation
    • Sincerity
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Cautiousness

    Also called

    Administrative Dietitian · Clinical Dietician · Clinical Dietitian · Clinical Nutritionist · Community Dietitian · Consultant Dietitian · Diet Consultant · Diet Counselor · Diet Therapist · Dietary Aide

    Career pathway

    From your interests to dietitians and nutritionists

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Dietitians and Nutritionists$76,400 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1University of California-Berkeley CAL logo
      University of California-Berkeley CAL

      Berkeley, CA · Nutrition Sciences · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $42,425
      4 yrs after
      $79,391
      Median debt
      $11,677
    2. 2North Carolina State University at Raleigh logo
      North Carolina State University at Raleigh

      Raleigh, NC · Nutrition Sciences · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $38,266
      4 yrs after
      $75,508
      Median debt
      $19,630
    3. 3Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University logo
      Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

      Blacksburg, VA · Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $30,289
      4 yrs after
      $74,005
      Median debt
      $20,500
    4. 4California State University-Fresno logo
      California State University-Fresno

      Fresno, CA · Nutrition Sciences · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $33,844
      4 yrs after
      $73,522
      Median debt
      Not reported
    5. 5
      University of Georgia

      Athens, GA · Nutrition Sciences · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $24,347
      4 yrs after
      $70,867
      Median debt
      $13,250
    6. 6
      New York University NYU

      New York, NY · Nutrition Sciences · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $24,449
      4 yrs after
      $70,508
      Median debt
      Not reported
    7. 7
      University of Massachusetts-Lowell

      Lowell, MA · Nutrition Sciences · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $69,604
      Median debt
      $25,750
    8. 8California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO logo
      California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO

      San Luis Obispo, CA · Nutrition Sciences · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $37,212
      4 yrs after
      $68,930
      Median debt
      $17,644

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What dietitians and nutritionists may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Clinical Nutrition/Nutritionist
    • Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Other
    • Dietetics/Dietitian
    • Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services, Other
    • Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General
    • Foodservice Systems Administration/Management
    • Human Nutrition
    • Nutrition Sciences

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    45 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about dietitians and nutritionists

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common job titles in this field?

    People in this profession may be called clinical dietitians, community dietitians, clinical nutritionists, diet counselors, or administrative dietitians.

    What college majors are related to this career?

    Students typically major in nutrition sciences, dietetics and clinical nutrition services, or foods, nutrition, and related services.

    What certifications are available for dietitians and nutritionists?

    Available certifications include the Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Certified Dietary Manager, Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition, and School Nutrition Specialist.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.