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Nutrition counselor vs research dietitian

The differences between nutrition counselors and research dietitians 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 counselor and a research dietitian. Additionally, a research dietitian has an average salary of $57,712, which is higher than the $49,744 average annual salary of a nutrition counselor.

The top three skills for a nutrition counselor include patients, counsel clients and blood pressure. The most important skills for a research dietitian are patients, data collection, and principal investigators.

Nutrition counselor vs research dietitian overview

Nutrition CounselorResearch Dietitian
Yearly salary$49,744$57,712
Hourly rate$23.92$27.75
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs34,10550,771
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Nutrition counselor vs research dietitian salary

Nutrition counselors and research dietitians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Nutrition CounselorResearch Dietitian
Average salary$49,744$57,712
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $82,000Between $33,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between nutrition counselor and research dietitian education

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

Nutrition CounselorResearch Dietitian
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorDieteticsDietetics
Most common collegePurdue UniversityUniversity of Maryland - College Park

Nutrition counselor vs research dietitian demographics

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

Nutrition CounselorResearch Dietitian
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 14.2% Female, 85.8%Male, 5.4% Female, 94.6%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 9.7% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between nutrition counselor and research dietitian duties and responsibilities

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.

Research dietitian example responsibilities.

  • Manage all IRB submissions, sponsor communications, participate in monitoring visits, drug reconciliation and dispensing.
  • Assist with testing and QA of new programs, workflows and software systems.
  • Provide dietary counseling to patients enroll in major pharmaceutical trials and in-house studies.
  • Provide nutrition assessment and calculate individualized nutrition prescriptions to ensure patients' nutritional needs are met.
  • Coordinate a high-risk research site for international study focuse on FDA and CE mark approval of implant insulin delivery technology.
  • Provide individualized nutrition consultations for sports nutrition, weight-loss, diabetes, hypertension and hormonal changes.

Nutrition counselor vs research dietitian skills

Common nutrition counselor skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • Counsel Clients, 8%
  • Blood Pressure, 6%
  • Weight Management, 5%
  • Diabetes Management, 4%
  • Eating Disorders, 4%
Common research dietitian skills
  • Patients, 59%
  • Data Collection, 10%
  • Principal Investigators, 5%
  • Informed Consent, 4%
  • Study Protocols, 3%
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy, 3%

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