Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between dietitians and nutrition specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a dietitian has an average salary of $58,480, which is higher than the $53,989 average annual salary of a nutrition specialist.
The top three skills for a dietitian include patients, medical nutrition therapy and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a nutrition specialist are patients, PET, and nutritional care.
| Dietitian | Nutrition Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $58,480 | $53,989 |
| Hourly rate | $28.12 | $25.96 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 6,164 | 20,074 |
| Job satisfaction | 2.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 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.
Nutrition specialists are skilled professionals who possess detailed knowledge of foods that are necessary for human health and growth. These specialists are required to provide comprehensive nutrition services to patients who are admitted to community health centers and specialty clinics for medical nutrition therapy. They must create diets and meal plans for patients based on their medical and dietary needs. Nutrition specialists must also organize community outreach efforts and other funded nutrition programs to encourage participation from professionals and lay groups.
Dietitians and nutrition specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dietitian | Nutrition Specialist | |
| Average salary | $58,480 | $53,989 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $78,000 | Between $34,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University of California | Children's Hospital Colorado |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a dietitian and a nutrition specialist in terms of educational background:
| Dietitian | Nutrition Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Dietetics | Dietetics |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between dietitians' and nutrition specialists' demographics:
| Dietitian | Nutrition Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.7% Female, 88.3% | Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5% |
| 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, 9.5% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |