How Much Do Dietitians Make?

Image by BillionPhotos.com via Adobe Stock

If you’ve found yourself on a page about how much dietitians make, you may be entertaining the thought of becoming one in the future. This article takes an in-depth look at what job growth and salaries of dietitians will look like for the coming years.

Dietitians are essential in designing nutrition programs for patients that protect their health, alleviate symptoms of illnesses, and prevent allergic reactions. They are responsible for providing medical nutrition for patients in settings like hospitals and nursing homes, and work in consultation with doctors and other healthcare professionals to coordinate dietary needs.

On a larger scale, community dietitians work to develop nutrition programs that target particular segments of a community by assessing their needs as a group. They're also responsible for coordinating wellness programs, assessing and improving public awareness of dietary needs, and managing organization budgets that they work within.

If you’re considering a career in healthcare, becoming a dietitian can be a very attractive option due to the high growth rate of 16%, which is significantly higher than the average for all jobs - 7%, job security, and comparatively good pay.

How Much Do Dietitians Make?

How much a dietitians can make via salary can vary greatly depending on the location of the job, experience of the individual, and the current demand for dietitians. Use the table at the end of this article to find out whether your state, or the state you eventually want to work in, pays its dietitians above or below the national average.

As represented in the graph below, dietitians can expect to earn a median hourly wage of $27.28, or $56,737 per year:

Return on Investment

In order to become a dietitian, candidates must first complete a bachelor's degree program, then an ACEND-Accredited practice program that lasts between 6 - 12 months, and, finally, take the Registration Examination for Dietitians.

For the healthcare industry, this is the standard entry-level education required for most positions. Although their salaries are not the highest in the industry, they are certainly not the lowest either.

If you're interested enough in the field, have the drive and commitment to complete the requirements, and are smart about your borrowing, you can become a dietitian with very little debt and plenty of room for advancement.

Best States for Phlebotomist Salaries

A major factor in determining what your salary may look like is the location in which you plan to work. However, this principle applies to nearly all occupations largely due to the varying cost-of-living rates across the country.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects salary and employment data for nearly all positions, nationwide. The following table includes all data compiled from the BLS from each state including total number of jobs and wages as of May 2016.

Search or sort the table to find out what you can expect to make if dietary science is in your future:

*Location quotients serve as a statistical representation of the concentration of a resource, like jobs, with a broader base area.