Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between dietary aides and nutrition 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 nutrition assistant. Additionally, a nutrition assistant has an average salary of $32,229, 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 nutrition assistant are patients, kitchen equipment, and food service.
| Dietary Aide | Nutrition Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $28,005 | $32,229 |
| Hourly rate | $13.46 | $15.49 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 44,494 | 7,731 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A dietary aide is responsible for assisting food preparations and ensuring that the meals adhere to an individual's specific diet plans. Dietary aides must strictly follow sanitation standards and hygiene procedures to guarantee the safety and quality of the service. They also help in facilitating kitchen maintenance, keeping every area clean and organized. Dietary aides must also have comprehensive knowledge of nutritional guidelines to provide information and share suggestions as necessary to improve the service and preparations.
A Nutrition Assistant makes sure that patients in a healthcare unit are fed according to their dietary needs. They assist in kitchen prep and cooking food.
Dietary aides and nutrition assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dietary Aide | Nutrition Assistant | |
| Average salary | $28,005 | $32,229 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $35,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | Portland, OR |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Lifespan | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a dietary aide and a nutrition assistant in terms of educational background:
| Dietary Aide | Nutrition Assistant | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Dietetics |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between dietary aides' and nutrition assistants' demographics:
| Dietary Aide | Nutrition Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8% | Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 6% | 6% |