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The differences between dietetic interns and dietitians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a dietetic internship and a dietitian. Additionally, a dietetic internship has an average salary of $64,038, which is higher than the $58,480 average annual salary of a dietitian.
The top three skills for a dietetic internship include patients, diabetes education and medical nutrition therapy. The most important skills for a dietitian are patients, medical nutrition therapy, and rehabilitation.
| Dietetic Internship | Dietitian | |
| Yearly salary | $64,038 | $58,480 |
| Hourly rate | $30.79 | $28.12 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 52,765 | 6,164 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
In a dietetic internship, an intern primarily performs support tasks to gain industry insights and experience while under a dietitian's directives and supervision. Their duties typically include conducting research and analyses, gathering and analyzing data from previous projects and studies, participating in the development of new meal and nutritional plans, and assisting in food delivery operations. They also take part in assessing a patient's health and treatment plans, providing nutrition education as necessary. Additionally, an intern must produce regular reports and uphold the facility's policies.
A dietitian's role is to assist clients in their journey to achieve their health goals. Typically, a dietitian's responsibilities revolve around interviewing and assessing a client's diet needs and goals, learning their preferences and restrictions such as allergies, and crafting a personalized nutrition plan. Moreover, it is essential for a dietitian to monitor a client's progress and maintain information on all accounts. There are also instances where one may promote healthy eating habits to the public, all while keeping abreast of the latest nutrition studies.
Dietetic interns and dietitians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dietetic Internship | Dietitian | |
| Average salary | $64,038 | $58,480 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $132,000 | Between $43,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | University of California |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a dietetic internship and a dietitian in terms of educational background:
| Dietetic Internship | Dietitian | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Dietetics | Dietetics |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between dietetic interns' and dietitians' demographics:
| Dietetic Internship | Dietitian | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8% | Male, 11.7% Female, 88.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 9.8% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 9.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |