 Employment
and Earnings
Dietitians and
nutritionists hold about 57,000 jobs in the United States. More than
half of all jobs are in hospitals, nursing care facilities, outpatient
care centers, or offices of physicians and other health practitioners.
State and local government agencies provide additional jobs -- mostly in
correctional facilities, health departments, and other
public-health-related areas. Some dietitians and nutritionists are
employed in special food services, an industry made up of firms
providing food services on contract to facilities such as colleges and
universities, airlines, correctional facilities, and company cafeterias.
 Other
jobs are in public and private educational services, community care
facilities for the elderly (which includes assisted-living facilities),
individual and family services, home health care services, and the
Federal Government -- mostly in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Some dietitians are self-employed, working as consultants to facilities
such as hospitals and nursing care facilities or providing dietary
counseling to individuals.
In terms of earnings,
the median annual wages of dietitians and nutritionists were $50,590 in
May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $41,060 and $61,790. The
lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,460, and the highest 10 percent
earned more than $73,410. Median annual earnings in the industries
employing the largest numbers of dietitians and nutritionists are about:
|
Outpatient
care centers |
$52,120 |
|
General
medical and surgical hospitals |
51,390 |
|
Nursing care
facilities |
51,110 |
|
Local
government |
47,390 |
|
Special food
services |
45,410 |
According to the
American Dietetic Association, median annual wages for registered
dietitians in 2007 varied by practice area as follows: $60,008 in
consultation and business; $64,002 in food and nutrition management;
$66,061 in education and research; $52,000 in clinical
nutrition/ambulatory care; $53,997 in clinical nutrition/long-term care;
$48,006 in community nutrition; and $48,984 in clinical nutrition/acute
care. Salaries also vary by years in practice, education level, and
geographic region.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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