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Diet technician vs dietetic assistant

The differences between diet technicians and dietetic assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a diet technician and a dietetic assistant. Additionally, a diet technician has an average salary of $33,164, which is higher than the $32,415 average annual salary of a dietetic assistant.

The top three skills for a diet technician include patients, patient care and food service. The most important skills for a dietetic assistant are patients, customer service, and tray line.

Diet technician vs dietetic assistant overview

Diet TechnicianDietetic Assistant
Yearly salary$33,164$32,415
Hourly rate$15.94$15.58
Growth rate2%-
Number of jobs24,8586,491
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4141
Years of experience22

What does a diet technician do?

A Diet Technician identifies patients with nutritional risk using scoring guidelines and initiates referrals for dietetic assessment. They oversee food production or service and assist dietitians or nutritionists in food service supervision and planning.

What does a dietetic assistant do?

The dietetic assistant main job responsibility is to assist in treating patients with nutritional problems. They inform and advise the healthcare professionals and the public on the importance of a good diet and nutrition for patients to stay healthy and fit. Typically, they assist in creating a nutritious hospital menu and monitors the patients' food intake by checking patients' records. Also, they teach patients how to use feeding tubes and pump weight in a manner that is easy to understand, and they help people with digestive problems effectively lose and gain weight the right way.

Diet technician vs dietetic assistant salary

Diet technicians and dietetic assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Diet TechnicianDietetic Assistant
Average salary$33,164$32,415
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $41,000Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between diet technician and dietetic assistant education

There are a few differences between a diet technician and a dietetic assistant in terms of educational background:

Diet TechnicianDietetic Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorDieteticsDietetics
Most common college--

Diet technician vs dietetic assistant demographics

Here are the differences between diet technicians' and dietetic assistants' demographics:

Diet TechnicianDietetic Assistant
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 13.4% Female, 86.6%Male, 20.9% Female, 79.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 14.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 14.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between diet technician and dietetic assistant duties and responsibilities

Diet technician example responsibilities.

  • Interview patients, determine dietary requirements and record dietary plans in medical charts using precise medical terminology.
  • Provide education to patients and family members of patients with medically restrict diets to promote optimal nutritional intake.
  • Determine WIC eligibility by identifying risk factors.
  • Conduct research and create PowerPoint presentations for wellness programs.

Dietetic assistant example responsibilities.

  • Communicate information clearly about allergies and campus health movements through presentations, phone calls, and emails.
  • Conduct interviews to develop personal menu or food choices taking into account allergies and other health risks.
  • Consult new patients and assist in offering dietary advice under supervision of license dietitians.
  • Collect data from scientific literature about nutrition care topics and calorie and protein recommendations for patients with different conditions.
  • Assist the nutrition in identifying and encouraging the residents to maintain specific dietary needs/restrictions for residents at an inpatient rehabilitation facility.
  • Conduct research and create PowerPoint presentations for wellness programs.

Diet technician vs dietetic assistant skills

Common diet technician skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • Patient Care, 10%
  • Food Service, 9%
  • Allergies, 5%
  • Nutrition Education, 5%
  • Diet Orders, 4%
Common dietetic assistant skills
  • Patients, 37%
  • Customer Service, 18%
  • Tray Line, 7%
  • Patient Satisfaction, 5%
  • Patient Care, 4%
  • Room Service, 3%

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