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Registered dietitian vs outpatient dietitian

The differences between registered dietitians and outpatient 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 registered dietitian and an outpatient dietitian. Additionally, an outpatient dietitian has an average salary of $62,717, which is higher than the $58,227 average annual salary of a registered dietitian.

The top three skills for a registered dietitian include patients, patient care and home health. The most important skills for an outpatient dietitian are patients, medical nutrition therapy, and patient care.

Registered dietitian vs outpatient dietitian overview

Registered DietitianOutpatient Dietitian
Yearly salary$58,227$62,717
Hourly rate$27.99$30.15
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs6,14410,972
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a registered dietitian do?

A Registered Dietitian assesses the health of individual patients with medical conditions such as diabetes or renal failure. They work in hospitals, doctors' offices, nursing homes, or other care facilities.

What does an outpatient dietitian do?

An Outpatient Dietitian is responsible for providing medical nutrition therapy, such as nutrition assessment, nutrition support, patient intervention, and education. They also identify the educational needs of others, develop formal educational training programs or classes, and teach or instruct others.

Registered dietitian vs outpatient dietitian salary

Registered dietitians and outpatient dietitians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Registered DietitianOutpatient Dietitian
Average salary$58,227$62,717
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $78,000Between $38,000 And $102,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyCVS Health-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between registered dietitian and outpatient dietitian education

There are a few differences between a registered dietitian and an outpatient dietitian in terms of educational background:

Registered DietitianOutpatient Dietitian
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorDieteticsDietetics
Most common collegeUniversity of Maryland - College ParkUniversity of Maryland - College Park

Registered dietitian vs outpatient dietitian demographics

Here are the differences between registered dietitians' and outpatient dietitians' demographics:

Registered DietitianOutpatient Dietitian
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 7.9% Female, 92.1%Male, 7.5% Female, 92.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 9.3% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 8.5% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between registered dietitian and outpatient dietitian duties and responsibilities

Registered dietitian example responsibilities.

  • Help patients maintain nutritional adequacy while managing food allergies.
  • Manage the anemia status of patients by reviewing necessary lab data and initiating or adjusting medication doses.
  • Manage the in-store dietitian program providing nutrition education, culinary workshops, food demonstrations, and nutritional assessments.
  • Develop and conduct weight loss programs; provide nutritional counseling for cardiac rehabilitation patients.
  • Diet education to nonsurgical patients on eating disorders, diabetes and other nutrition relate conditions.
  • Cover all topics ranging from weight management to oncology.
  • Show more

Outpatient dietitian example responsibilities.

  • Manage the anemia status of patients by reviewing necessary lab data and initiating or adjusting medication doses.
  • Perform nutritional education, complete comprehensive assessments, calculate patient needs for nutrition support and determine patients at risk for malnutrition.
  • Create educational lesson discussing hypertension prevention, risk factors, MNT.
  • Monitor patients' nutrition status, laboratory values, diet tolerance, and motivate them to adhere to dietary/medications recommendations.
  • Provide clinical nutrition coverage as needed for medical-surgical, telemetry, intensive care unit, behavioral health and rehabilitative floors.

Registered dietitian vs outpatient dietitian skills

Common registered dietitian skills
  • Patients, 33%
  • Patient Care, 9%
  • Home Health, 7%
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy, 6%
  • Culinary, 6%
  • Rehabilitation, 5%
Common outpatient dietitian skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy, 11%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Nutrition Services, 5%
  • Home Health, 4%
  • Healthcare Professionals, 4%

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