How To Become A Nutrition Director: What It Is and Career Path

What is a nutrition director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A nutrition director oversees an organization's nutrition guidelines. He/She may also create or update the policies in accordance with current standard practices. If he/she works in a food setting, he/she will monitor the content and overall nutrition in the food.

A nutrition director can work in hospitals or schools. A day in the life may include creating menus, reviewing ingredient lists, educating staff, and creating reports on nutrition status. Nutrition directors may also be involved in creating a budget for the kitchen and procuring ingredients.

To become a nutrition director, you'll require a bachelor's degree in food & nutrition or relevant fields. You'll also require certification from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the licencing board in your state of practice. Employers may favor professionals with a diverse experience while hiring to fill this role.

ScoreNutrition DirectorUS Average

Salary

6.3

Avg. Salary $80,617

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.1

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.72%

Asian 8.04%

Black or African American 11.43%

Hispanic or Latino 14.50%

Unknown 4.27%

White 61.03%

Gender

female 75.18%

male 24.82%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a nutrition director

Explore nutrition director education requirements

Most common nutrition director degrees

Bachelor's

56.7 %

Master's

20.2 %

Associate

12.3 %

Start to develop specific nutrition director skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	22.41%
Nutrition Services	7.67%
Menu Planning	5.76%
Food Safety	5.18%
Nutrition Education	4.67%

Complete relevant nutrition director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New nutrition directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a nutrition director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real nutrition director resumes.

Gain additional nutrition director certifications

Nutrition director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific nutrition director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for nutrition directors include Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) and Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS).

More About Certifications

Research nutrition director duties and responsibilities

Manage the WIC budget and execute budget amendments for the fiscal year.
Manage food allergies and special diets by providing nutritious alternatives and creating student-specific menus.
Ensure all menus meet USDA requirements.
Enter all MDS forms need for facility.

Get nutrition director experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a nutrition director. The most common roles before becoming a nutrition director include clinical dietitian, food service director team lead and registered dietitian.

Prepare your nutrition director resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your nutrition director resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a nutrition director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable nutrition director resume templates

Build a professional nutrition director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your nutrition director resume.