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Dietary aide vs dietitian assistant

The differences between dietary aides and dietitian 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 dietary aide and a dietitian assistant. Additionally, a dietitian assistant has an average salary of $32,409, which is higher than the $28,005 average annual salary of a dietary aide.

The top three skills for a dietary aide include patients, meal trays and food service. The most important skills for a dietitian assistant are patients, patient care, and food service.

Dietary aide vs dietitian assistant overview

Dietary AideDietitian Assistant
Yearly salary$28,005$32,409
Hourly rate$13.46$15.58
Growth rate9%-
Number of jobs44,4946,672
Job satisfaction3-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age4141
Years of experience22

Dietary aide vs dietitian assistant salary

Dietary aides and dietitian assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Dietary AideDietitian Assistant
Average salary$28,005$32,409
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $35,000Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying CityVancouver, WA-
Highest paying stateWashington-
Best paying companyLifespan-
Best paying industryHospitality-

Differences between dietary aide and dietitian assistant education

There are a few differences between a dietary aide and a dietitian assistant in terms of educational background:

Dietary AideDietitian Assistant
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common majorBusinessDietetics
Most common college--

Dietary aide vs dietitian assistant demographics

Here are the differences between dietary aides' and dietitian assistants' demographics:

Dietary AideDietitian Assistant
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 28.2% Female, 71.8%Male, 17.6% Female, 82.4%
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 dietary aide and dietitian assistant duties and responsibilities

Dietary aide example responsibilities.

  • Use of slicers, grinders, deep fryers, ovens, grills and cash register.
  • Prepare cooked foods following HACCP guidelines.
  • Operate stoves, grills, fryers, ovens and microwaves.
  • Interview WIC applicants for income eligibility, nutrition foods, and health.
  • Train employees as hired to complete all assign tasks according to ServSafe guidelines.
  • Maintain a clean kitchen by cleaning the oven and stoves sweeping and mopping.
  • Show more

Dietitian assistant example responsibilities.

  • Obtain food histories, likes / dislikes, food aversions / allergies, cultural / religious observances.
  • Perform data entry, inputting patient's diets and allergies into database, includes modifying daily dietary selections.
  • Evaluate patients' diets through one-on-one discussions regarding individual dietary preferences and desire health outcomes.
  • Assist the nutrition in identifying and encouraging the residents to maintain specific dietary needs/restrictions for residents at an inpatient rehabilitation facility.
  • Store groceries using the first in first out method.

Dietary aide vs dietitian assistant skills

Common dietary aide skills
  • Patients, 15%
  • Meal Trays, 13%
  • Food Service, 11%
  • Food Handling, 9%
  • Food Carts, 6%
  • Tray Line, 5%
Common dietitian assistant skills
  • Patients, 37%
  • Patient Care, 11%
  • Food Service, 10%
  • RD, 7%
  • Culinary, 6%
  • Nutrition Education, 4%

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