Dietetic Technician

To be a successful Dietetic Technician you should…

• be interested in the relationship between nutrition and health
• want the opportunity to help others
• want to be a part of the health care team
• like a diverse work environment
• be interested in food, health promotion, disease prevention, and health care
• have the ability to communicate well with a wide variety of people
• have good organizational skills
• pay attention to detail

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What will my job be like?

Dietetic technicians help assess, plan, implement, and evaluate nutrition services and programs for hospitals, schools, businesses, and others. They usually work as members of health care teams and are supervised by a registered dietitian and/or administrator.

Where could I work?

Dietetic technicians may be employed by hospitals, public health nutrition programs, long-term care facilities, school lunch programs, and nutrition programs for the elderly or food service management firms.

Other workplace settings:

• Day Care Centers
• Diet and Fitness Center
• Educational Institutions
• Food Service Industry
• Governmental Departments
• Health Maintenance Organizations
• Prisons
• Restaurants

What is the average annual salary?

$34,914

What is the future of this career?

Employment of dietitians is expected to grow about as fast as the average through 2014, due to increased emphasis on disease prevention by improved dietary habits.

What type of education and/or training do I need?

Dietetic technicians generally complete a 2-year associate degree program. Graduates of programs approved by the American Dietetic Association are eligible for the registration examination of the ADA to become registered

Where can I get the education and/or training?

• Briarwood College, Southington
• Gateway Community College, New Haven
• Naugatuck Valley Community College, Naugatuck
• St. Joseph College, West Hartford
• University of Connecticut–Nutritional Sciences, Storrs
• University of New Haven, West Haven

Do I need a license or certification for this career?

Licensure is required in the state of Connecticut. Prerequisite: Connecticut requires current certification as a Registered Dietitian by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) or to have taken CDR’s registration examination for Dietitians and hold an acceptable Master’s or Doctoral degree primarily focused on human nutrition or dietetics.

Where can I get more information?

American Dietetic Association
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60606
(800) 877-1600
www.eatright.org