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Clinical dietitian vs nutrition counselor

The differences between clinical dietitians and nutrition counselors 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 nutrition counselor. Additionally, a clinical dietitian has an average salary of $59,133, which is higher than the $49,744 average annual salary of a nutrition counselor.

The top three skills for a clinical dietitian include patients, patient care and medical nutrition therapy. The most important skills for a nutrition counselor are patients, counsel clients, and blood pressure.

Clinical dietitian vs nutrition counselor overview

Clinical DietitianNutrition Counselor
Yearly salary$59,133$49,744
Hourly rate$28.43$23.92
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs57,50034,105
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Clinical dietitian vs nutrition counselor salary

Clinical dietitians and nutrition counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Clinical DietitianNutrition Counselor
Average salary$59,133$49,744
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $80,000Between $30,000 And $82,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyUniversity of California-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between clinical dietitian and nutrition counselor education

There are a few differences between a clinical dietitian and a nutrition counselor in terms of educational background:

Clinical DietitianNutrition Counselor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorDieteticsDietetics
Most common collegeUniversity of Maryland - College ParkPurdue University

Clinical dietitian vs nutrition counselor demographics

Here are the differences between clinical dietitians' and nutrition counselors' demographics:

Clinical DietitianNutrition Counselor
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 8.7% Female, 91.3%Male, 14.2% Female, 85.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 8.6% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 8.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between clinical dietitian and nutrition counselor duties and responsibilities

Clinical dietitian example responsibilities.

  • Provide personalize nutrition counseling to clients managing diabetes, lipid disorders, hypertension & obesity.
  • Collaborate with diabetes educator to achieve AADE accreditation for the diabetes education program and to provide education as an instructor.
  • Develop nutrition assessments and provide individual nutrition interventions for post-surgical/medical patients entering rehabilitation.
  • Provide nutritional care for general medical population; assess nutritional status of ICU patients and implement nutritional intervention.
  • Perform nutrition evaluations and education for rehab patients; complete MDS forms and participate in interdisciplinary team meetings.
  • Sole nutrition department member participating in daily and weekly integrative team rounds for oncology and high risk maternity patients.
  • Show more

Nutrition counselor example responsibilities.

  • Provide ambulatory care to all outpatients including, diabetics, pediatric, allergy / GI issues, weight loss.
  • Take measurements for BMI as needed.
  • Assist and develop custom/specialized menus for participants who require meal accommodations due to allergies, intolerances, or medical conditions.
  • Assist in clinical inpatient setting as needed, where TPN consultations are frequently perform.

Clinical dietitian vs nutrition counselor skills

Common clinical dietitian skills
  • Patients, 35%
  • Patient Care, 9%
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy, 7%
  • Home Health, 5%
  • Nutrition Services, 3%
  • Diabetes, 3%
Common nutrition counselor skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • Counsel Clients, 8%
  • Blood Pressure, 6%
  • Weight Management, 5%
  • Diabetes Management, 4%
  • Eating Disorders, 4%

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