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The differences between clinical dietitians and nutrition specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a clinical dietitian has an average salary of $59,133, which is higher than the $53,989 average annual salary of a nutrition specialist.
The top three skills for a clinical dietitian include patients, patient care and medical nutrition therapy. The most important skills for a nutrition specialist are patients, PET, and nutritional care.
| Clinical Dietitian | Nutrition Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $59,133 | $53,989 |
| Hourly rate | $28.43 | $25.96 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 57,500 | 20,074 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| 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.
Nutrition specialists are skilled professionals who possess detailed knowledge of foods that are necessary for human health and growth. These specialists are required to provide comprehensive nutrition services to patients who are admitted to community health centers and specialty clinics for medical nutrition therapy. They must create diets and meal plans for patients based on their medical and dietary needs. Nutrition specialists must also organize community outreach efforts and other funded nutrition programs to encourage participation from professionals and lay groups.
Clinical dietitians and nutrition specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Dietitian | Nutrition Specialist | |
| Average salary | $59,133 | $53,989 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $80,000 | Between $34,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University of California | Children's Hospital Colorado |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical dietitian and a nutrition specialist in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Dietitian | Nutrition Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Dietetics | Dietetics |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between clinical dietitians' and nutrition specialists' demographics:
| Clinical Dietitian | Nutrition Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.7% Female, 91.3% | Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5% |
| 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, 9.5% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |