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The differences between clinical dietitians and nutritionists 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 nutritionist. Additionally, a clinical dietitian has an average salary of $59,133, which is higher than the $49,877 average annual salary of a nutritionist.
The top three skills for a clinical dietitian include patients, patient care and medical nutrition therapy. The most important skills for a nutritionist are patients, public health, and wic program.
| Clinical Dietitian | Nutritionist | |
| Yearly salary | $59,133 | $49,877 |
| Hourly rate | $28.43 | $23.98 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 57,500 | 698 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 nutritionist is a health professional who helps patients choose the right things to eat and advise them on the health effects of certain foods. By being experts in food and nutrition, nutritionists assess a patient's dietary habits and create plan menus for them. They usually work closely with patients who have medical issues such as diabetes or those undergoing chemotherapy. Nutritionists are also required to speak to students or employees about the importance of good nutrition and preventing health problems through proper foods.
Clinical dietitians and nutritionists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Dietitian | Nutritionist | |
| Average salary | $59,133 | $49,877 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $80,000 | Between $30,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University of California | Cargill |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a clinical dietitian and a nutritionist in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Dietitian | Nutritionist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 nutritionists' demographics:
| Clinical Dietitian | Nutritionist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.7% Female, 91.3% | Male, 15.8% Female, 84.2% |
| 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, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 9.9% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |