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The differences between clinical dietitians and dietitians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a clinical dietitian and a dietitian. Additionally, a clinical dietitian has an average salary of $59,133, which is higher than the $58,480 average annual salary of a dietitian.
The top three skills for a clinical dietitian include patients, patient care and medical nutrition therapy. The most important skills for a dietitian are patients, medical nutrition therapy, and rehabilitation.
| Clinical Dietitian | Dietitian | |
| Yearly salary | $59,133 | $58,480 |
| Hourly rate | $28.43 | $28.12 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 57,500 | 6,164 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A clinical dietitian is responsible for providing quality nutritional care for patients by monitoring their current health conditions, advising nutritional and dietary supplements to maintain their healthy lifestyle, and speed up their recovery process. Clinical dietitians often coordinate with other medical professionals to assess food choices and develop nutrition programs for the patients. A clinical dietitian must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry to offer the best services to the patients and accurately handle their inquiries and concerns.
A dietitian's role is to assist clients in their journey to achieve their health goals. Typically, a dietitian's responsibilities revolve around interviewing and assessing a client's diet needs and goals, learning their preferences and restrictions such as allergies, and crafting a personalized nutrition plan. Moreover, it is essential for a dietitian to monitor a client's progress and maintain information on all accounts. There are also instances where one may promote healthy eating habits to the public, all while keeping abreast of the latest nutrition studies.
Clinical dietitians and dietitians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Dietitian | Dietitian | |
| Average salary | $59,133 | $58,480 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $80,000 | Between $43,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | University of California | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical dietitian and a dietitian in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Dietitian | Dietitian | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Dietetics | Dietetics |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between clinical dietitians' and dietitians' demographics:
| Clinical Dietitian | Dietitian | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.7% Female, 91.3% | Male, 11.7% Female, 88.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 10.0% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 9.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |