The median pay for Dietitians and Nutritionists is $76,400 a year ($36.73/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 7.7% through 2035, with about 5,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 29-1031
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Dietitian in four numbers
- Median pay
- $76,400a year, or $36.73/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $49KTop 10% $104K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +7.7%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+7.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +7.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5,70086,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202586.3K
- Projected 203593K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 86.3K Projected 2035 93K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Associate's3.3%
- Bachelor's10%
- Post-bacc certificate53.3%
- Master's33.3%
Highest education held by dietitians and nutritionists Segment Value Associate's 3.3% Bachelor's 10% Post-bacc certificate 53.3% Master's 33.3%
Also advertised as: Clinical Dietician, Clinical Dietitian, Clinical Nutritionist, Dietitian, Nutritionist, Oncology Dietitian.
Pay
How much do Dietitians and Nutritionists make?
Every dietitian in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$76,400
Middle half earn $63,080 to $89,340
- 10th
- $49,090
- 25th
- $63,080
- 75th
- $89,340
- 90th
- $103,720
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $49,090 |
| 25th | $63,080 |
| Median | $76,400 |
| 75th | $89,340 |
| 90th | $103,720 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $76,400
- Median hourly wage
- $36.73/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $77,130
- People employed
- 77,570
Versus all US occupations
At $76,400, Dietitians and Nutritionists earn 50% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $25,420 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 26% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $103,720 or more while the bottom 10% earn $49,090, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 52% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($98,850), but once local prices are taken into account West Virginia leads at $99,936 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Dietitians and Nutritionists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $98,850 | $89,279 | 8,720 |
| 2West Virginia | $89,440 | $99,936 | 520 |
| 3Alaska | $87,980 | $85,952 | 130 |
| 4New Jersey | $84,450 | $77,616 | 2,870 |
| 5Washington | $84,220 | $78,701 | 1,450 |
| 6Oregon | $84,180 | $81,443 | 700 |
| 7New York | $82,480 | $76,426 | 5,330 |
| 8District of Columbia | $82,150 | $74,749 | 270 |
| 9Hawaii | $81,920 | $74,506 | 370 |
| 10Connecticut | $80,600 | $77,792 | 860 |
Job outlook
Is Dietitian a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +7.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | +7.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Dietitians and Nutritionists to change 7.7% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.2× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 6,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 5,700 openings are projected each year, 6.6% of the 86,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Interest in the role of food and nutrition in promoting wellness and preventive care, particularly in medical settings, continues to increase.
The importance of diet in preventing and controlling certain illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease, is well established. More dietitians and nutritionists will be needed to provide care for people who have, or are at risk of developing, these conditions.
Moreover, as the population ages and looks for ways to stay healthy, there will be more demand for dietetic and nutrition services.
Getting in
How to become a Dietitian
To enter the occupation, dietitians and nutritionists typically need a bachelor's or master’s degree. They also typically are required to have supervised training through an internship. Many states require dietitians and nutritionists to be licensed.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Internship/residency
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as dietitians and nutritionists.
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate53.3%
- Master's Degree33.3%
- Bachelor's Degree10%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree3.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 53.3% |
| Master's Degree | 33.3% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 10% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 3.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Dietitian 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.
Dietitians and nutritionists are experts in the use of food and nutrition to promote health and manage disease. They plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to help people lead healthy lives.
Day-to-day tasks
- Assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions, and current health plans to develop and implement dietary-care plans and provide nutritional counseling.
- Counsel individuals and groups on basic rules of good nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to improve their quality of life.
- Incorporate patient cultural, ethnic, or religious preferences and needs in the development of nutrition plans.
- Evaluate laboratory tests in preparing nutrition recommendations.
- Advise patients and their families on nutritional principles, dietary plans, diet modifications, and food selection and preparation.
- Record and evaluate patient and family health and food history, including symptoms, environmental toxic exposure, allergies, medication factors, and preventive health-care measures.
- Consult with physicians and health care personnel to determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patient or client.
- Develop recipes and menus to address special nutrition needs, such as low glycemic, low histamine, or gluten- or allergen-free.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most dietitians and nutritionists work full time. They may work evenings and weekends to meet with clients who are unavailable at other times.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where dietitians and nutritionists work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Hospitals; state, local, and private27%
- Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals11%
- Nursing and residential care facilities9%
- Self-employed workers9%
- Outpatient care centers8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 27% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 11% |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | 9% |
| Self-employed workers | 9% |
| Outpatient care centers | 8% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Writing3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Learning Strategies3.8
- Active Learning3.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Service Orientation3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Coordination3.8
- Instructing3.8
- Persuasion3.4
- Systems Evaluation3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Instructing | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.4 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Desktop communications software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Internet browser software
- Medical software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Dietitian?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Dietitian |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social5.5
- Investigative4.8
- Enterprising3.4
- Conventional3.4
- Realistic3.0
- Artistic2.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Dietitian
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with dietitians and nutritionists highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Dietitian$76,400
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Dietitian | $76,400 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within dietitian
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Dietitian appears on
Questions
Dietitian: frequently asked questions
How much do Dietitians and Nutritionists make?
Dietitians and Nutritionists earn a median of $76,400 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 50% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $36.73/hr. The middle half earn between $63,080 and $89,340. The top 10% earn $103,720 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Dietitian?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Dietitians and Nutritionists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 53.3% hold post-baccalaureate certificate.
Is Dietitian a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.7% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 5,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Dietitian do?
Dietitians and nutritionists are experts in the use of food and nutrition to promote health and manage disease. A core O*NET task: assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions, and current health plans to develop and implement dietary-care plans and provide nutritional counseling. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Dietitians and Nutritionists the most?
The highest state medians for Dietitians and Nutritionists are California ($98,850), West Virginia ($89,440), Alaska ($87,980) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, West Virginia moves to the top at $99,936.
What personality type suits a Dietitian?
O*NET scores Dietitians and Nutritionists highest on the Social, Investigative and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.