Post job

Nutrition assistant vs dietetic assistant

The differences between nutrition assistants and dietetic assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a nutrition assistant and a dietetic assistant. Additionally, a dietetic assistant has an average salary of $32,415, which is higher than the $32,229 average annual salary of a nutrition assistant.

The top three skills for a nutrition assistant include patients, kitchen equipment and food service. The most important skills for a dietetic assistant are patients, customer service, and tray line.

Nutrition assistant vs dietetic assistant overview

Nutrition AssistantDietetic Assistant
Yearly salary$32,229$32,415
Hourly rate$15.49$15.58
Growth rate2%-
Number of jobs7,7316,491
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4141
Years of experience22

What does a nutrition assistant do?

A Nutrition Assistant makes sure that patients in a healthcare unit are fed according to their dietary needs. They assist in kitchen prep and cooking food.

What does a dietetic assistant do?

The dietetic assistant main job responsibility is to assist in treating patients with nutritional problems. They inform and advise the healthcare professionals and the public on the importance of a good diet and nutrition for patients to stay healthy and fit. Typically, they assist in creating a nutritious hospital menu and monitors the patients' food intake by checking patients' records. Also, they teach patients how to use feeding tubes and pump weight in a manner that is easy to understand, and they help people with digestive problems effectively lose and gain weight the right way.

Nutrition assistant vs dietetic assistant salary

Nutrition assistants and dietetic assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Nutrition AssistantDietetic Assistant
Average salary$32,229$32,415
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $40,000Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying CityPortland, OR-
Highest paying stateOregon-
Best paying companyBrigham and Women's Hospital-
Best paying industryHospitality-

Differences between nutrition assistant and dietetic assistant education

There are a few differences between a nutrition assistant and a dietetic assistant in terms of educational background:

Nutrition AssistantDietetic Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorDieteticsDietetics
Most common college--

Nutrition assistant vs dietetic assistant demographics

Here are the differences between nutrition assistants' and dietetic assistants' demographics:

Nutrition AssistantDietetic Assistant
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 17.2% Female, 82.8%Male, 20.9% Female, 79.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 14.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 14.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between nutrition assistant and dietetic assistant duties and responsibilities

Nutrition assistant example responsibilities.

  • Coordinate all walk-through visible inspections to achieve overall cleanliness and order within each facility.
  • Initiate customer relations and assist patients with their dietary menu selections and restrictions.
  • Input children diet and cost via POS system.
  • Inform other DTR members and students of career opportunities and CEU events.
  • Attend conferences and trainings as required, maintain require DTR CEU's and portfolio.
  • Comply with HACCP guidelines and ensures proper washing and sanitizing of work areas and equipment.
  • Show more

Dietetic assistant example responsibilities.

  • Communicate information clearly about allergies and campus health movements through presentations, phone calls, and emails.
  • Conduct interviews to develop personal menu or food choices taking into account allergies and other health risks.
  • Consult new patients and assist in offering dietary advice under supervision of license dietitians.
  • Collect data from scientific literature about nutrition care topics and calorie and protein recommendations for patients with different conditions.
  • Assist the nutrition in identifying and encouraging the residents to maintain specific dietary needs/restrictions for residents at an inpatient rehabilitation facility.
  • Conduct research and create PowerPoint presentations for wellness programs.

Nutrition assistant vs dietetic assistant skills

Common nutrition assistant skills
  • Patients, 20%
  • Kitchen Equipment, 10%
  • Food Service, 8%
  • Compassion, 7%
  • Food Intake, 5%
  • Work Ethic, 4%
Common dietetic assistant skills
  • Patients, 37%
  • Customer Service, 18%
  • Tray Line, 7%
  • Patient Satisfaction, 5%
  • Patient Care, 4%
  • Room Service, 3%

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs