Dietitian vs nutrition counselor

The differences between dietitians and nutrition counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a dietitian and a nutrition counselor. Additionally, a dietitian has an average salary of $58,480, which is higher than the $49,744 average annual salary of a nutrition counselor.

The top three skills for a dietitian include patients, medical nutrition therapy and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a nutrition counselor are patients, counsel clients, and blood pressure.

Dietitian vs nutrition counselor overview

	Dietitian	Nutrition Counselor
Yearly salary	$58,480	$49,744
Hourly rate	$28.12	$23.92
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	6,164	34,105
Job satisfaction	2.5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

Dietitian vs nutrition counselor salary

Dietitians and nutrition counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dietitian	Nutrition Counselor
Average salary	$58,480	$49,744
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $78,000	Between $30,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	University of California	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between dietitian and nutrition counselor education

There are a few differences between a dietitian and a nutrition counselor in terms of educational background:

	Dietitian	Nutrition Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Dietetics	Dietetics
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	Purdue University

Dietitian vs nutrition counselor demographics

Here are the differences between dietitians' and nutrition counselors' demographics:

	Dietitian	Nutrition Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 11.7% Female, 88.3%	Male, 14.2% Female, 85.8%
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, 8.6% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 8.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between dietitian and nutrition counselor duties and responsibilities

Dietitian example responsibilities.

Manage the anemia status of patients by reviewing necessary lab data and initiating or adjusting medication doses.
Prioritize initial/quarterly/consult assessments, interventions and progress monitoring for long-term care, rehabilitation and post acute patients.
Design and provide individualize nutrition counseling to promote healthy behavior modifications for a variety of home health care patients.
Counsele post-op patients to ensure dietary compliance, nutritional adequacy and formulation of weight management goals throughout their post-operative course.
Perform indirect calorimetry to measure resting metabolic rates (RMR).
Work as part of research team on a large-scale NIH clinical trial.

Nutrition counselor example responsibilities.

Provide ambulatory care to all outpatients including, diabetics, pediatric, allergy / GI issues, weight loss.
Take measurements for BMI as needed.
Assist and develop custom/specialized menus for participants who require meal accommodations due to allergies, intolerances, or medical conditions.
Assist in clinical inpatient setting as needed, where TPN consultations are frequently perform.

Dietitian vs nutrition counselor skills

Common dietitian skills

Patients, 39%
Medical Nutrition Therapy, 9%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Patient Education, 6%
Nutrition Services, 5%
Lab Results, 4%

Common nutrition counselor skills

Patients, 29%
Counsel Clients, 8%
Blood Pressure, 6%
Weight Management, 5%
Diabetes Management, 4%
Eating Disorders, 4%

Dietitian vs. similar jobs

Dietitian related careers

Dietitian related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Dietitian
Dietitian vs Nutrition Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs