DIETETICS & NUTRITION

Registered Dietitian

To be a successful Registered Dietitian you should...

be interested in the relationship between nutrition and health; be interested in food, health promotion, disease prevention, and health care; have the ability to communicate well with a wide variety of people; have the ability to work as a team member; have good organizational skills; pay attention to detail.

What will my job be like?

Registered dietitians are experts on how food and nutrition apply to health. They assess the nutritional needs of sick and healthy people while developing and implementing nutritional programs for them. They supervise dietary personnel, manage budgets, and educate people about good nutrition.

Specialties

  • Clinical Therapeutic Dietetics
  • Education
  • Management
  • Research
  • Sports Nutrition

Where could I work?

Many RDs are self-employed, working as consultants to facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes, and seeing individual clients. Most dietitians work a regular 40-hour week, although some work weekends.

Other workplace settings:

  • Corporate Wellness Programs
  • Food and Nutrition-related Businesses
  • Community and Public Health Settings
  • Universities
  • Pharmaceutical Companies
  • Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Diet Workshops
  • Federal Government
  • Food Service
  • Physical Fitness Facilities
  • Public Schools
  • Social Service Agencies

Average Annual Salary

$73,850 per year

What is the future of this career?

Employment of dietitians and nutritionists is projected to grow 7 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.

About 6,100 openings for dietitians and nutritionists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. 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.

Type of Education/Training

The first component of education a dietitian must complete is a program of study approved by The American Dietetic Association. These programs of study are at the undergraduate level. The second component of education is an approved supervised practice component in an internship.

Where could I get the education/training?

  • Fairfield University
  • University of Bridgeport - Nutrition Institute
  • University of Connecticut - Nutritional Sciences
  • University of New Haven
  • University of Saint Joseph

Licensing/Certification

Licensure is required in the state of Connecticut. Prerequisites: Current certification as a Registered Dietitian by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) or have taken CDR’s Registration Examination for Dietitians and hold an acceptable master’s or doctoral degree primarily focused on human nutrition or dietetics.

More Information

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606
312-899-0040
www.eatright.org