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Nutrition technician vs dietetic assistant

The differences between nutrition technicians 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 technician and a dietetic assistant. Additionally, a nutrition technician has an average salary of $32,976, which is higher than the $32,415 average annual salary of a dietetic assistant.

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

Nutrition technician vs dietetic assistant overview

Nutrition TechnicianDietetic Assistant
Yearly salary$32,976$32,415
Hourly rate$15.85$15.58
Growth rate2%-
Number of jobs25,3296,491
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4141
Years of experience22

Nutrition technician vs dietetic assistant salary

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

Nutrition TechnicianDietetic Assistant
Average salary$32,976$32,415
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $40,000Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between nutrition technician and dietetic assistant education

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

Nutrition TechnicianDietetic Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorDieteticsDietetics
Most common college--

Nutrition technician vs dietetic assistant demographics

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

Nutrition TechnicianDietetic Assistant
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 20.6% Female, 79.4%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 technician and dietetic assistant duties and responsibilities

Nutrition technician example responsibilities.

  • Coordinate all walk-through visible inspections to achieve overall cleanliness and order within each facility.
  • Provide appropriate care to patients by evaluating and giving assistance to individual patient regarding meal selections.
  • Collaborate with patients under dietitian supervision to ensure compliance with diet requirements, quality care and satisfaction.
  • 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.

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 technician vs dietetic assistant skills

Common nutrition technician skills
  • Patients, 33%
  • Food Service, 8%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Food Handling, 6%
  • Breast Milk, 5%
  • Customer Service, 3%
Common dietetic assistant skills
  • Patients, 37%
  • Customer Service, 18%
  • Tray Line, 7%
  • Patient Satisfaction, 5%
  • Patient Care, 4%
  • Room Service, 3%

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