Dietitian and Nutritionist

Career Overview

Dietitians and nutritionists are experts in the use of food and nutrition to promote health and manage disease. They advise people on what to eat in order to lead a healthy lifestyle or achieve a specific health-related goal. Use the search box to find the video made by Laura!

Education

A four-year bachelor’s degree in nutrition, dietetics, or a related field is required to obtain this position. Some organizations may require a master's degree, which may take an additional two-three years to earn.

Future Outlook

Employment of dietitians and nutritionists is projected to grow 8 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Work Environment

Dietitians and nutritionists typically work in hospitals and nursing or residential facilities.

Recommended High School Courses

Chemistry
Biology
Psychology
Communication
Nutrition
Computer Applications
Health & fitness

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Monitor medical facility activities to ensure adherence to standards or regulations.
Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
Provide health and wellness advice to patients, program participants, or caregivers.
Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
Manage healthcare operations.
Order medical supplies or equipment.
Present medical research reports.
Direct healthcare delivery programs.
Advise communities or institutions regarding health or safety issues.
Manage preparation of special meals or diets.
Supervise medical support personnel.
Train caregivers or other non-medical personnel.
Prepare healthcare training materials.
Conduct health or safety training programs.
Train medical providers.
Design public or employee health programs.
Consult with others regarding safe or healthy equipment or facilities.

Schools

American University

Appalachian State Univers...

Baylor University

Bob Jones University

Boston University

Bowling Green State Unive...

Bradley University

Cal Poly Pomona

Cal Poly- San Luis Obispo...

California State Universi...

Central Arizona College

College Of Saint Elizabet...

College Of St. Benedict A...

Drew University

Drexel University

East Carolina University

East Tennessee State Univ...

Eastern Illinois Universi...

Eastern Kentucky Universi...

Eastern Michigan Universi...

Emory University

Everett Community College

Florida International Uni...

Florida State University

Framingham State Universi...

Franciscan Missionaries O...

Idaho State University- M...

Indiana State University

Indiana University Of Pen...

Indiana University-bloomi...

Iowa State University

Logan University

Madonna University

Marshall University

Mcneese State University

Metropolitan State Univer...

Murray State University

New York University

North Carolina A & T Stat...

North Carolina Central Un...

North Dakota State Univer...

Northwestern Health Scien...

Oklahoma State University

Pennsylvania State Univer...

San Diego State Universit...

South Dakota State Univer...

St. Catherine University

Suny At Oneonta

Suny Buffalo State Colleg...

Suny College Of Agricultu...

Suny College Of Human Eco...

Suny Farmingdale State Co...

Suny Plattsburgh

Texas A & M University- C...

Texas Women's University

University Of Alaska Anch...

University Of Bridgeport

University Of Central Ark...

University Of Connecticut

University Of Kentucky

University Of Maine- Oron...

University Of Massachuset...

University Of Memphis

University Of Mississippi

University Of New England

University Of North Flori...

University Of Rhode Islan...

University Of Tennessee-...

Utah State University

Viterbo University

Acadia University

Canadian School Of Nat...

Mcgill University

Mount St. Vincent Univ...

Ryerson University

University Of Alberta

University Of British...

University Of Guelph

University Of Prince E...

University Of Saskatch...

University Of Toronto-...

Potential Scholarships

5 Strong Scholarship

Agnes M. Lindsay Scholars...

Approx Salary Expectation

Currency:

Low End:

$38,890.00 /yr

Avg/Med:

$61,270.00 /yr

High End:

$87,360.00 /yr

Related Careers

General Office Clerk

Pharmacy Technician

Social & Community Services Workers

Clinical/Mental Health Counselors

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.