Activities	Plan and conduct food-service or nutritional programs to assist in the promotion of health and disease control. May supervise activities of a department providing large-quantity food services, counsel individuals, or conduct nutritional research.
Outlook	Faster-than-average-job growth
Median Income	$53,250 per year in 2010
Work Context & Conditions	Dietitians and nutritionists usually work in clean, well-lighted, and well-ventilated areas. However, some dietitians work in warm, congested kitchens. Many dietitians and nutritionists are on their feet for most of the workday. Most dietitians work a regular 40-hour week, although some work weekends and work part time.
Minimum Education Requirements	Bachelor's Degree
Skills	Critical Thinking, Instructing, Active Listening, Time Management, Reading Comprehension, Speaking
Abilities	Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, Speech Clarity, Inductive Reasoning, Oral Comprehension
Interviews	Gloria Stables

Job Category		Healthcare Practitioners & Technical
Job Description		Dietitians and nutritionists plan food and nutrition programs, and supervise the preparation and serving of meals. They help prevent and treat illnesses by promoting healthy eating habits and suggesting diet modifications, such as less salt for those with high blood pressure or reduced fat and sugar intake for those who are overweight. Dietitians run food-service systems for institutions such as hospitals and schools, promote sound eating habits through education, and conduct research. Major areas of practice include clinical, community, management, and consultant dietetics. Clinical dietitians provide nutritional services for patients in institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes. They assess patients' nutritional needs, develop and implement nutrition programs, and evaluate and report the results. They also confer with doctors and other healthcare professionals in order to coordinate medical and nutritional needs. Some clinical dietitians specialize in the management of overweight patients, care of the critically ill, or of renal (kidney) and diabetic patients. In addition, clinical dietitians in nursing homes, small hospitals, or correctional facilities also may manage the food-service department. Community dietitians counsel individuals and groups on nutritional practices designed to prevent disease and promote good health. Working in places such as public health clinics, home health agencies, and health maintenance organizations, they evaluate individual needs, develop nutritional care plans, and instruct individuals and their families. Dietitians working in home health agencies provide instruction on grocery shopping and food preparation to the elderly, individuals with special needs, and children. Increased interest in nutrition has led to opportunities in food manufacturing, advertising, and marketing, in which dietitians analyze foods, prepare literature for distribution, or report on issues such as the nutritional content of recipes, dietary fiber, or vitamin supplements. Management dietitians oversee large-scale meal planning and preparation in healthcare facilities, company cafeterias, prisons, and schools. They hire, train, and direct other dietitians and food service workers; budget for and purchase food, equipment, and supplies; enforce sanitary and safety regulations; and prepare records and reports. Consultant dietitians work under contract with healthcare facilities or in their own private practice. They perform nutrition screenings for their clients, and offer advice on diet-related concerns such as weight loss or cholesterol reduction. Some work for wellness programs, sports teams, supermarkets, and other nutrition-related businesses. They may consult with food-service managers, providing expertise in sanitation, safety procedures, menu development, budgeting, and planning.
Working Conditions		Most dietitians work a regular 40-hour week, although some work weekends. Many dietitians work part-time. Dietitians and nutritionists usually work in clean, well-lit, and well-ventilated areas. However, some dietitians work in crowded, warm kitchens. Many dietitians and nutritionists are on their feet for much of the workday.
Salary Range		The median annual wage of dietitians and nutritionists was $53,250 in May 2010. The median annual wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $33,330, and the top 10 percent earned more than $75,480.

Education Required		Most dietitians and nutritionists have earned a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, foods and nutrition, food service systems management, or a related area. Programs include courses in nutrition, physiology, chemistry, and biology.  Dietitians and nutritionists typically participate in several hundred hours of supervised training, usually in the form of an internship following graduation from college. However, some programs in dietetics include this training as part of the coursework. Many dietitians and nutritionists have advanced degrees.
Recommended High School Courses		Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Communications, Health
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Administration and Management, Education and Training, Mathematics, Food Production, Chemistry, Biology, Education and Training
Certification and Licensing		Most states require licensure of dietitians and nutritionists. Other states require only state registration or certification, and a few have no state regulations. Most states have enacted state licensure or certification for dietitians or nutritionists or both. The requirements for state licensure and state certification include having a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition or a related area, supervised practice, and passing an exam. One way to become licensed is to earn the Registered Dietitian (RD) credential. While the RD is not always required, the qualifications necessary to become an RD are parallel to the qualifications necessary to become a licensed dietitian in all states that require a license. Many employers prefer or require the RD, which is administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the credentialing agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The requirements for the RD credential are similar, but not identical to the licensing requirements in many states. The RD requires dietitians to complete education and supervised practice programs. These programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). In order to maintain the RD credential, Registered Dietitians must complete continuing professional education courses.

Interest Area		Investigative Involves working with ideas and requires an extensive amount of thinking.
Work Values		Social Status Looked up to by others in their company and their community. Achievement Get a feeling of accomplishment. Social Service Do things for other people. Creativity Try out your own ideas. Security Have steady employment. Ability Utilization Make use of individual abilities. Working Conditions Good working conditions. Co-workers Have co-workers who are easy to get along with. Authority Give directions and instructions to others.
Skills		Critical Thinking Use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Instructing Teach others how to do something. Active Listening Listen to what other people are saying and ask questions as appropriate. Time Management Manage one's own time and the time of others. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Speaking Talk to others to effectively convey information.
Abilities		Oral Expression Able to convey information and ideas through speech in ways that others will understand. Deductive Reasoning Able to apply general rules to specific problems to come up with logical answers, including deciding whether an answer makes sense. Problem Sensitivity Able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. This doesn't involve solving the problem, just recognizing that there is a problem. Written Comprehension Able to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Speech Clarity Able to speak clearly so listeners understand. Inductive Reasoning Able to combine separate pieces of information, or specific answers to problems, to form general rules or conclusions. This includes coming up with a logical explanation for why seemingly unrelated events occur together. Oral Comprehension Able to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Related Jobs		Nurse, Registered, Health Educator, Technician, Registered, Dietetic
Job Outlook		Employment of dietitians and nutritionists is expected to increase 20 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than average for all occupations. In recent years, there has been increased interest in the role of food in promoting health and wellness, particularly as a part of preventative healthcare in medical settings. The importance of diet in preventing and treating illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease is now well known. More dietitians and nutritionists will be needed to provide care for people with these conditions.   An aging population also will increase the need for dietitians and nutritionists in nursing homes.
More Information		American Dietetic Association
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Dietitians and Nutritionists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dietitians-and-nutritionists.htm O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/29-1031.00