How to hire a public health dietitian

How to hire a public health dietitian, step by step

Here's a step-by-step public health dietitian hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a public health dietitian job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new public health dietitian
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a public health dietitian do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the public health dietitian you need to hire. Certain public health dietitian roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a public health dietitian to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a public health dietitian that fits the bill.

   This list presents public health dietitian salaries for various positions.

   Type of Public Health Dietitian	Description	Hourly rate
   Public Health Dietitian	Dietitians and nutritionists are experts in the use of food and nutrition to promote health and manage disease. They advise people on what to eat in order to lead a healthy lifestyle or achieve a specific health-related goal.	$14-55
   Nutrition Internship	Nutrition interns are individuals who are on the job training for the tasks performed by licensed nutritionists or dieticians. The interns provide a nutrition care process that includes prescription of parenteral and enteral recommendations and analysis of laboratory values... Show more	$11-25
   Nutritional Consultant	A Nutritional Consultant provides assistance regarding food service and nutritional programs. They help patients improve their health and control of disease.	$14-60

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Public Health
   • Patients
   • WIC Program
   • Nutrition Services
   • Medical Nutrition Therapy
   • Community Nutrition
   • Nutritional Risk
   • Health Promotion
   • Nutrition Assessments
   • Diabetes
   • Nutrition Programs
   • Nutrition Education Materials
   • Community Organizations
   • Home Health

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the anemia status of patients by reviewing necessary lab data and initiating or adjusting medication doses.
   • Partner with certify diabetes educator on consulting gestational diabetic patients on glucose monitors and diabetic eating guidelines.
   • Provide diabetes education to community groups.
   • Implement and develop diabetes information newsletters.
   • Provide medical nutrition therapy for medically high risk patients.
   • Write quarterly project newsletters, create tools need to properly assess for obesity causing behaviors and develop educationmaterials as needed.

   More public health dietitian duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your public health dietitian job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A public health dietitian salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, public health dietitians' average salary in alabama is 54% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level public health dietitians earn 73% less than senior-level public health dietitians.
   • Certifications. A public health dietitian with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a public health dietitian's salary.

   Average public health dietitian salary

   $60,855yearly

   $29.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level public health dietitian salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average public health dietitian salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$82,069	$39
   2	District of Columbia	$76,351	$37
   3	Alaska	$74,619	$36
   4	Oregon	$72,863	$35
   5	Connecticut	$67,940	$33
   6	Hawaii	$64,338	$31
   7	Nevada	$60,565	$29
   8	Virginia	$59,872	$29
   9	Iowa	$53,514	$26
   10	Texas	$53,259	$26
   11	Michigan	$53,059	$26
   12	Utah	$51,542	$25
   13	Florida	$46,494	$22
   14	Arkansas	$46,131	$22

   Average public health dietitian salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amazon	$92,770	$44.60	36
   2	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz	$80,506	$38.70	1
   3	PeaceHealth	$68,253	$32.81	13
   4	Atrium Health Floyd	$63,713	$30.63	50
   5	Logan Health	$62,544	$30.07	2
   6	Vanderbilt University Medical Center	$62,206	$29.91	13
   7	Baptist Health	$61,275	$29.46	14
   8	Lake County	$59,144	$28.43	4
   9	Compass Group USA	$58,124	$27.94	950
   10	Indian Health Service	$57,368	$27.58	23
   11	Universal Health Services	$57,071	$27.44	410
   12	Georgetown University	$56,568	$27.20	3
   13	Union General Hospital	$56,550	$27.19	1
   14	My Florida Regional Mls	$54,400	$26.15
   15	Johnson County	$53,613	$25.78	25
   16	Intermountain Healthcare	$50,042	$24.06	5
   17	Texas Health Resources	$49,689	$23.89	27
   18	New York State Restaurant Association	$49,408	$23.75
   19	Orange County	$45,051	$21.66	4
   20	County of Riverside	$37,253	$17.91	4

4. Writing a public health dietitian job description

   A public health dietitian job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a public health dietitian job description:

   Public health dietitian job description example

   The WIC dietitian is responsible for providing comprehensive nutritional services to pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants and children up to age 5 years; performs related duties as required.
   Why Nationwide Children's Hospital?
   
   The moment you walk through our doors, you feel it. When you meet our patient families, you believe it. And when you talk with anyone who works here, you want to be part of it. Welcome to Nationwide Children's Hospital, Where Passion Meets Purpose.
   
   Here, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are integrated into our core values and practices. We are passionate about building, sustaining and evolving an inclusive and equitable environment. We are seeking individuals who live these values and want to share their experiences and efforts in support of our collective mission.
   
   We're 14,000 strong. And it takes every one of us to improve the lives of the kids we care for, and the kids around the world we'll never meet. Kids who live healthier, fuller lives because of the knowledge we share. We know it takes a Collaborative Culture to deliver on our promise to provide the very best, innovative care and to foster new discoveries, made possible by the most groundbreaking research. Anywhere.
   
   Ask anyone with a Nationwide Children's badge what they do for a living. They'll tell you it's More Than a Job. It's a calling. It's a chance to use and grow your talent to make an impact that truly matters. Because here, we exist simply to help children everywhere.
   
   Nationwide Children's Hospital. A Place to Be Proud.
   
   Responsibilities
   
   * Provides comprehensive information regarding the program to potential and enrolled program participants according to WIC policies and procedures.
   * Performs nutritional assessment of participants by obtaining anthropometric measurements, hemoglobin, and diet history to determine WIC eligibility.
   * Counsels all program participants including those who are high-risk regarding appropriate nutritional intake and encourages compliance with follow-up visits (nutrition education encounters).
   * Revises information pamphlets/materials and monitors inventory supplies.
   * Studies, interprets, and utilizes current research and literature relating to nutritional care.
   * Prepares daily, monthly and other reports as required by State WIC and Nationwide Children's Hospital policy. Maintains quality assurance standards.
   * Attends and participates in staff meetings and that of the interdisciplinary team if required.
   * Maintains accurate patient records, and makes appropriate referrals to physicians, social services and other disciplines as necessary.
   * Promotes breastfeeding through information, education, counseling and support.
   * May consult with physicians and other health care providers to determine adequate nutritional needs and diet restrictions of the participant.
   * May supervise assigned staff.
   * May communicate with potential and enrolled program participants who have limited English language skills.
   * Will be responsible for precepting a variety of students.
   * Performs other duties as assigned.
   * Plans and presents nutrition related programs in addition to attending continuing education classes in order to maintain registration status.
   
   Qualifications
   
   Qualifications and Skills:
   
   * Bachelor's degree in nutrition, American Dietetic Association registration, and valid licensure to practice as a dietitian from the Ohio Board of Dietetics, or Limited Dietitian Permit with licensure within 6 months of issuance.
   * Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices in the field of dietetics.
   * General knowledge of the health benefits and promotion of breastfeeding.
   * Ability to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with work associates and a diversity of program participants.
   * Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
   * Analytical and organizational skills required to evaluate patient's nutritional needs with age/developmental appropriateness and to formulate and implement care plans.
   * Ability to communicate in a language or languages other than English.
   * General knowledge of modern office practices.
   * Ability to operate a computer and utilize applicable software programs.
   * General knowledge of supervisory practices and principles.
   * Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license.
   * Maintains patient confidentiality.
   
   MINIMUM PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
   
   Sitting: Frequently (34-66%)
   
   Talking on phone/in person: Constantly (67-100%)
   
   Typing on a keyboard: Constantly (67-100%)
   
   Standing/walking: Frequently (34-66%)
   
   The above list of duties is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this classification. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive list of duties performed by the individual so classified, nor is it intended to limit or modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. EEO/MF/Vet/Diasbility

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right public health dietitian for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with public health dietitians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit public health dietitians who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your public health dietitian job on Zippia to find and recruit public health dietitian candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit public health dietitians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new public health dietitian

   Once you've selected the best public health dietitian candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new public health dietitian. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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