Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between dietitians and doctors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a doctor has an average salary of $208,582, which is higher than the $58,480 average annual salary of a dietitian.
The top three skills for a dietitian include patients, medical nutrition therapy and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a doctor are patients, customer service, and emergency medicine.
| Dietitian | Doctor | |
| Yearly salary | $58,480 | $208,582 |
| Hourly rate | $28.12 | $100.28 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 6,164 | 14,571 |
| Job satisfaction | 2.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
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.
A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.
Dietitians and doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dietitian | Doctor | |
| Average salary | $58,480 | $208,582 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $78,000 | Between $106,000 And $408,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Green Bay, WI |
| Highest paying state | California | Ohio |
| Best paying company | University of California | Saint Luke's Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a dietitian and a doctor in terms of educational background:
| Dietitian | Doctor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Dietetics | Medicine |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | Duke University |
Here are the differences between dietitians' and doctors' demographics:
| Dietitian | Doctor | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.7% Female, 88.3% | Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 13% |