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What is a dietetic assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

A dietetic assistant is a healthcare support worker that assists food and nutrition dietitians in the treatment, diagnoses, and treatment of various dietary and nutritional issues. He/she may also offer advice or teach patients, healthcare professionals, or the public about various aspects of diet and nutrition. Parts of the responsibility of a dietetic assistant may also include helping both healthy and sick people to navigate their dietary needs. This may include helping them to choose food from a menu, monitoring their diet, and explaining their diet and nutritional plan to them.

Basic qualification in a health or social care field is needed for this role.

Completing a course in nutrition, food preparation or nutrition education will be beneficial as well. Since you will be working closely with patients or clients, good communication skills and excellent interpersonal relationship skills will be necessary for this role. You should also be organized and be good at managing time and resources. The average salary for this role is about $30,000.

ScoreDietetic AssistantUS Average
Salary
2.5

Avg. Salary $32,415

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity
9.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.58%

Asian 5.85%

Black or African American 14.47%

Hispanic or Latino 12.28%

Unknown 4.68%

White 62.13%

Gender

female 79.10%

male 20.90%

Age - 40
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Dietetic assistant career paths

Key steps to become a dietetic assistant

  1. Explore dietetic assistant education requirements

    Most common dietetic assistant degrees

    Bachelor's

    67.6 %

    High School Diploma

    11.1 %

    Associate

    10.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific dietetic assistant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients37.05%
    Customer Service17.72%
    Tray Line6.96%
    Patient Satisfaction5.43%
    Patient Care4.41%
  3. Complete relevant dietetic assistant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New dietetic assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a dietetic assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real dietetic assistant resumes.
  4. Research dietetic assistant duties and 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.
  5. Prepare your dietetic assistant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your dietetic assistant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a dietetic assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable dietetic assistant resume templates

    Build a professional dietetic assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your dietetic assistant resume.
    Dietetic Assistant Resume
    Dietetic Assistant Resume
    Dietetic Assistant Resume
    Dietetic Assistant Resume
    Dietetic Assistant Resume
    Dietetic Assistant Resume
    Dietetic Assistant Resume
    Dietetic Assistant Resume
    Dietetic Assistant Resume
  6. Apply for dietetic assistant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a dietetic assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first dietetic assistant job

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Average dietetic assistant salary

The average dietetic assistant salary in the United States is $32,415 per year or $16 per hour. Dietetic assistant salaries range between $25,000 and $41,000 per year.

Average dietetic assistant salary
$32,415 Yearly
$15.58 hourly

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How do dietetic assistants rate their job?

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Dietetic assistant reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2023
Pros

Hands on, direct patient care. Rewarding.

Cons

Underappreciated. Not many positions available.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Cons

At the end of the day, you’re body is so tired. From doing this much heavy work you’d expect a decent pay check. You won’t make enough to rent an apartment with this job.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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