Nutrition director vs nursing director

The differences between nutrition directors and nursing directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a nutrition director and a nursing director. Additionally, a nursing director has an average salary of $87,643, which is higher than the $80,617 average annual salary of a nutrition director.

The top three skills for a nutrition director include patients, nutrition services and menu planning. The most important skills for a nursing director are patients, term care, and home health.

Nutrition director vs nursing director overview

	Nutrition Director	Nursing Director
Yearly salary	$80,617	$87,643
Hourly rate	$38.76	$42.14
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	32,743	76,956
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Associate Degree, 44%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a nutrition director do?

A Nutrition Director directs and supervises all aspects of an organization's nutrition guidelines and initiatives. They also ensure the provision of safe, nutritious food services to members of organizations.

What does a nursing director do?

A nursing director's role is to oversee and evaluate all nurse staff in a hospital or organization, ensuring their efficiency at providing care towards patients. A nursing director's responsibilities mainly revolve around administrative tasks such as coordinating with physicians and other consultants, producing reports, conducting assessments, managing the budget and expenditures, and resolving issues. Furthermore, a nursing director must keep and maintain accurate records, ensuring all procedures adhere to the highest health standards and aligns with the hospital's policies and regulations.

Nutrition director vs nursing director salary

Nutrition directors and nursing directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Nutrition Director	Nursing Director
Average salary	$80,617	$87,643
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $165,000	Between $64,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	Tewksbury, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	Eagle Pack Pet Food	Oculus
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between nutrition director and nursing director education

There are a few differences between a nutrition director and a nursing director in terms of educational background:

	Nutrition Director	Nursing Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Associate Degree, 44%
Most common major	Dietetics	Nursing
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Nutrition director vs nursing director demographics

Here are the differences between nutrition directors' and nursing directors' demographics:

	Nutrition Director	Nursing Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2%	Male, 11.6% Female, 88.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between nutrition director and nursing director duties and responsibilities

Nutrition director example 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.
Cater to even the most severe allergies and intolerances.
Develop and revise processes and forms for screening, assessment, MDS reviews and other nutrition interventions.

Nursing director example responsibilities.

Manage FTE'S of the units.
Manage FTE numbers by following staffing grids.
Lead in the implementation of whole house telemetry.
Manage and provide inpatient nursing care for all aspects of general surgery.
Manage and coordinate all aspects of nursing and ancillary services for successful operation of the SNF.
Complete comprehensive assessments for all LTC residents which include managing falls, pain, skin integrity, and medications.

Nutrition director vs nursing director skills

Common nutrition director skills

Patients, 22%
Nutrition Services, 8%
Menu Planning, 6%
Food Safety, 5%
Nutrition Education, 5%
Patient Satisfaction, 4%

Common nursing director skills

Patients, 16%
Term Care, 8%
Home Health, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Infection Control, 5%

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Nutrition Director
Nutrition Director vs Nursing Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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