Activities	Help dietitians provide food service and nutritional programs. Under the supervision of dietitians, may plan and produce meals based on established guidelines, teach principles of food and nutrition, or counsel people.
Outlook	Faster-than-average-job growth
Median Income	$26,100 per year in 2008
Work Context & Conditions	Work independently or in teams with registered dietitians in a variety of employment settings, including healthcare, business and industry, public health, food service, and research.
Minimum Education Requirements	Technical Program
Skills	Persuasion, Learning Strategies, Critical Thinking, Instructing, Active Listening, Writing, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Reading Comprehension, Speaking
Abilities	Oral Expression, Near Vision, Speech Clarity
Interviews	Antoinette Colbert

Job Category		Healthcare Practitioners & Technical
Job Description		Help dietitians provide food service and nutritional programs. Under the supervision of dietitians, may plan and produce meals based on established guidelines, teach principles of food and nutrition, or counsel people.
Working Conditions		According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), registered technicians can work in a variety to settings. They may work in hospitals, HMOs, clinics, nursing homes, retirement centers, hospices, home healthcare programs, and research facilities, helping to treat and prevent disease and administering medical nutrition therapy as an important part of healthcare teams. They may also work in schools, day-care centers, correctional facilities, restaurants, health care facilities, corporations, and hospitals, managing employees, purchasing, and food preparation, and preparing budgets within food service operations. Some registered technicians work for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs, public health agencies, Meals on Wheels, and community health programs, developing and teaching nutrition classes for the public. Some work in health clubs, weight management clinics, and community wellness centers, helping to educate clients about the connection between food, fitness, and health. Food companies, contract food management companies, or food vending and distributing operations also hire registered technicians to develop menus, oversee food service sanitation and food safety, and prepare food labeling information and nutrient analysis.
Salary Range		Median annual earnings of Dietetic Technicians were $26,100 in 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $20,500 and $33,100. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17,500 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $39,900. Salary levels vary with region, employment setting, geographical location, scope of responsibility, and supply of Dietetic Technicians.

Education Required		According to the ADA, you must complete at least a two-year associate's degree at a U.S. regionally-accredited college or university; and complete a dietetic technician program approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the ADA, including 450 hours of supervised practice experience in various community programs, healthcare, and food-service facilities.
Recommended High School Courses		Biology, Mathematics, English, Chemistry, Health
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Education and Training, English Language, Administration and Management, Mathematics, Food Production, Chemistry, Biology, Customer and Personal Service
Certification and Licensing		According to the ADA, to earn the dietetic technician, registered (DTR) credential, you must pass a national, written examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). To maintain the DTR credential, you must complete continuing professional educational requirements.

Interest Area		Social Involves working and communicating with, helping, and teaching people.
Work Values		Social Service Do things for other people. Working Conditions Good working conditions. Co-workers Have co-workers who are easy to get along with.
Skills		Persuasion Persuade others to approach things differently. Learning Strategies Use multiple approaches when learning or teaching new things. 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. Writing Communicate effectively with others in writing as indicated by the needs of the audience. Active Learning Work with new material or information to grasp its implications. Complex Problem Solving Solving novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings. 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. Near Vision Able to see details of objects at a close range (within a few feet of the observer). Speech Clarity Able to speak clearly so listeners understand.

Related Jobs		Optician, Dietitian and Nutritionist
Job Outlook		According to the ADA,The job market for dietetic technicians, registered is assumed to be similar to that for dietitians and nutritionists. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dietitians and nutritionists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2018 because of increased emphasis on disease prevention, a growing and aging population, and public interest in nutrition. Employment in hospitals is expected to show little change because of anticipated slow growth and reduced patients' lengths of hospital stay; however, faster growth is anticipated in nursing homes, residential care facilities, and physician clinics.
More Information		American Dietetic Association, American Medical Association - Health Care Careers
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Handbook, 2010-2011, Dietetic Technicians, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20052.htm#29-2051 O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/29-2051.00