# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/dietitians-and-nutritionists
- SOC code: 29-1031.00
- Career family: Healthcare practitioners
- Median annual pay: $76,400 (10th percentile $49,090, 90th percentile $103,720)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +7.7%
- Openings a year: 5,700
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SIE)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 34 |
| Investigative (I) | 63 |
| Artistic (A) | 23 |
| Social (S) | 75 |
| Enterprising (E) | 40 |
| Conventional (C) | 39 |

## What you'd do

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

## 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

## Also called

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

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1905) (CIP 1905, 276 colleges)
- [Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5131) (CIP 5131, 260 colleges)
- [Nutrition Sciences](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/3019) (CIP 3019, 167 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Nutrition Sciences | $42,425 | $79,391 | $11,677 |
| [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh-1884) | Nutrition Sciences | $38,266 | $75,508 | $19,630 |
| [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university-3134) | Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $30,289 | $74,005 | $20,500 |
| [California State University-Fresno](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-fresno-369) | Nutrition Sciences | $33,844 | $73,522 | not reported |
| [University of Georgia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-georgia-2912) | Nutrition Sciences | $24,347 | $70,867 | $13,250 |
| [New York University NYU](https://www.collegesref.com/college/new-york-university-nyu-1866) | Nutrition Sciences | $24,449 | $70,508 | not reported |
| [University of Massachusetts-Lowell](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-massachusetts-lowell-2953) | Nutrition Sciences | not reported | $69,604 | $25,750 |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | Nutrition Sciences | $37,212 | $68,930 | $17,644 |

## Related careers

- [Dietetic Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/dietetic-technicians): $37,640 median pay
- [Nurse Practitioners](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nurse-practitioners): $132,300 median pay
- [Family Medicine Physicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/family-medicine-physicians): $244,180 median pay
- [Pediatricians, General](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/pediatricians-general): $210,040 median pay
- [Clinical Nurse Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-nurse-specialists): $97,550 median pay
- [Naturopathic Physicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/naturopathic-physicians): $115,210 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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.