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Job outlook for dietetic interns in the United States
Dietetic internship job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected dietetic internship job growth rate is 7% from 2018-2028.
About 5,100 new jobs for dietetic interns are projected over the next decade.
Dietetic internship salaries have increased 7% for dietetic interns in the last 5 years.
There are over 9,263 dietetic interns currently employed in the United States.
There are 52,765 active dietetic internship job openings in the US.
The average dietetic internship salary is $64,038.
Are dietetic internship jobs in demand?
Dietetic internship job and salary trends over time
Dietetic internship jobs over time
Dietetic internship job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,263 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 9,213 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 9,399 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 8,982 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 8,747 | 0.00% |
Average dietetic internship salary over time
Dietetic internship salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $64,038 | $30.79 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $62,190 | $29.90 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $61,277 | $29.46 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $60,302 | $28.99 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | $59,805 | $28.75 | +1.7% |
Dietetic internship jobs by state
Most common states for dietetic interns
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 13 | 2% |
| 2 | California | 39,536,653 | 239 | 1% |
| 3 | New York | 19,849,399 | 123 | 1% |
| 4 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 60 | 1% |
| 5 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 56 | 1% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 48 | 1% |
| 7 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 45 | 1% |
| 8 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 43 | 1% |
| 9 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 37 | 1% |
| 10 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 25 | 1% |
| 11 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 18 | 1% |
| 12 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 15 | 1% |
| 13 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 12 | 1% |
| 14 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 12 | 1% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 10 | 1% |
| 16 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 9 | 1% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 8 | 1% |
| 18 | Delaware | 961,939 | 6 | 1% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 6 | 1% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 4 | 1% |
Dietetic Internship job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of dietetic internship experts
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
University of Alabama at Birmingham
North Carolina State University
University of Akron
Shannon Aguilar MS,RD,LD
Assistant Professor of Practice, Didactic Program DirectorWhat will help Dietetic Interns increase their earning potential?
Shannon Aguilar MS,RD,LD: Learn from each job and take something with you as you grow your skills, knowledge, and experience. Don't be upset/discouraged if you don't get the perfect job first. Eventually, you will learn your strengths and areas of interest may change during your career. Think outside the box and there are so many opportunities for dietitian's that you may not think of so collaborating with other dietitian's through professional organizations like eatrigh.org and/or your state affiliation organization and dietetic practice groups (DPG's) in your area of interest.
What general advice would you give to a Dietetic Internship?
Pinkin Panchal MS, RDN: Due to the high demand for RDNs in various settings and the recent advanced education requirements, new practitioners can remain competitive through salary negotiation and sign on bonuses for entry level positions. As you become an experienced practitioner, acquiring advanced level certifications through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) in focus practice area will enhance expertise as well as obtaining leadership positions in the field.
Tara Kelly MS, RDN
InstructorUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham
Dietetics And Clinical Nutrition Services
What general advice would you give to a Dietetic Internship?
Tara Kelly MS, RDN: For starters, apply to the job. Even if you're worried that you don't meet every qualification listed it is absolutely worth applying to any job you're interested in, because you'll never know if you're the employers ideal candidate unless you try. There are ample specialty trainings and certifications you can enroll in as a graduate to continue refining your expertise, make yourself more marketable, and increase your earning potential. You can also do this by continuing your education to earn an advanced degree or other specialty education to help you in your profession. These may not be dietetics-specific, but skills like being able to do statistics or speak a foreign language could help in certain job settings. If you're not sure where to start with this, look at those job postings that you currently don't think you qualify for and take note of the qualifications on the listing that you feel you're lacking. Are any of these skills that you can learn to make yourself a more qualified applicant for jobs like this and others like it?
What Dietetic Internship skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tara Kelly MS, RDN: Being able to effectively communicate nutrition information to consumers from all backgrounds and walks of life is a skill I believe will always be important in this field. As a society we are also growing accustomed to getting information quickly and in smaller doses (think, social media!), so being able to communicate important, science-based nutrition information in brief, concise ways is a very important skill today and I believe will be even more important in the years to come. Additionally, the personalized approach to nutrition care is only going to continue to become more and more important in the coming years. There's a growing, societal interest in being more mindful of our health and the foods we consume to nourish ourselves, and, with this, I believe many more people will proactively seek guidance from professionals to best meet their unique nutritional needs.
What will help Dietetic Interns increase their earning potential?
Tara Kelly MS, RDN: There's still so much to learn as a new graduate, and one of the best ways I think graduates can continue to learn as early career professionals is by networking with and learning from others in the profession. You can even begin doing this before you graduate! Networking is a great way to get to know others in the profession and learn more about the field in general, including different types of dietetics jobs you may have never considered before. Plus, you never know what unique opportunities networking may lead to. There's still so much to learn as a new graduate, so don't be afraid to seek out connections, ask questions, and continue learning.
What Dietetic Internship skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Sandra Poirier: * Definitely join the American Dietetic Association for networking and maintaining your RD certification.
* Volunteer to write articles for local newspapers to assist your community with knowledge about the importance of good nutrition throughout life.
* If you would like to travel and live internationally, there are many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) that are focused on feeding special populations globally.
Natalie Cooke PhD, RDN
Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs for Nutrition ScienceNorth Carolina State University
What hard/technical skills are most important for Dietetic Interns?
Natalie Cooke PhD, RDN: Different fields in healthcare will have competencies that they expect their professionals to have mastered. For example, a working group from the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior created a list of Nutrition Educator Competencies for Promoting Healthy Individuals, Communities, and Food Systems (https://www.sneb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Competencies_Page_21.pdf). These competencies are organized into ten categories: (1) Basic Food and Nutrition Knowledge; (2) Nutrition Across the Lifecycle; (3) Food Science; (4) Physical Activity; (5) Food and Nutrition Policy; (6) Agricultural Production and Food Systems; (7) Behavior and Education Theory; (8) Nutrition Education Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation; (9) Written, Oral, and Social Media Communication; and (10) Nutrition Education Research Methods. A technical skill for a nutrition educator in the area of "Written, Oral, and Social Media Communication" is: "Engage and educate through simple, clear, and motivational language appropriate for diverse audiences." These technical or discipline-focused skills can be gained through engaging in internships and gaining work experience under the direction of nutrition educators and/or registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs).
One way to learn what hard/technical skills are required of jobs is to start looking at job descriptions years before planning to apply for a job. That way, a student can carefully select experiences to help develop those skills over time, making them a stronger applicant for the job they wish to apply for in the future.
What will help Dietetic Interns increase their earning potential?
Leann Schaeffer: Regardless of what area you are working in for your first RDN position it is extremely important to network with other RDNs in the community and in the profession. Building a network of fellow RDNs is beneficial in sharing best practices, job opportunities, and supporting our profession.