CareerGPS

Dietitians and Nutritionists
Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Dietitians and Nutritionists
Employment Employment Change Average Annual Job Openings Wage & Training Levels
2020 2025 Numerical Percent New Jobs Replacement Jobs Total Median Hourly Median Annual Training Levels
735 824 89 12.12% 18 59 77 $37.17 $77,312 Bachelor's degree
Description: Plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to assist in the promotion of health and control of disease. May supervise activities of a department providing quantity food services, counsel individuals, or conduct nutritional research.
Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023)

Occupation Details

The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.

  • Assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions and current health plans to develop and implement dietary-care plans and provide nutritional counseling.
  • Consult with physicians and health care personnel to determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patient or client.
  • Advise patients and their families on nutritional principles, dietary plans and diet modifications, and food selection and preparation.
  • Counsel individuals and groups on basic rules of good nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to improve their quality of life.
  • Monitor food service operations to ensure conformance to nutritional, safety, sanitation and quality standards.
  • Coordinate recipe development and standardization and develop new menus for independent food service operations.
  • Develop policies for food service or nutritional programs to assist in health promotion and disease control.
  • Inspect meals served for conformance to prescribed diets and standards of palatability and appearance.
  • Develop curriculum and prepare manuals, visual aids, course outlines, and other materials used in teaching.
  • Prepare and administer budgets for food, equipment and supplies.
  • Purchase food in accordance with health and safety codes.
  • Select, train and supervise workers who plan, prepare and serve meals.
  • Manage quantity food service departments or clinical and community nutrition services.
  • Coordinate diet counseling services.
  • Advise food service managers and organizations on sanitation, safety procedures, menu development, budgeting, and planning to assist with the establishment, operation, and evaluation of food service facilities and nutrition programs.
  • Organize, develop, analyze, test, and prepare special meals such as low-fat, low-cholesterol and chemical-free meals.
  • Plan, conduct, and evaluate dietary, nutritional, and epidemiological research.
  • Plan and conduct training programs in dietetics, nutrition, and institutional management and administration for medical students, health-care personnel and the general public.
  • Make recommendations regarding public policy, such as nutrition labeling, food fortification, and nutrition standards for school programs.
  • Write research reports and other publications to document and communicate research findings.
  • Plan and prepare grant proposals to request program funding.
  • Test new food products and equipment.

Knowledge

81%
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
81%
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
79%
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
78%
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
76%
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
73%
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
73%
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
67%
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal m
64%
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
63%
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
58%
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
53%
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
53%
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
51%
Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills

78%
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
75%
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
75%
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
72%
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
69%
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
69%
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
69%
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
65%
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
65%
Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
65%
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
65%
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
65%
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
62%
Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
62%
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
60%
Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
60%
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
60%
Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
60%
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
60%
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
60%
Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
56%
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
53%
Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
53%
Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.

Abilities

81%
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
78%
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
72%
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
69%
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
69%
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
69%
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
69%
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
69%
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
65%
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
65%
Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
62%
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
60%
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
60%
Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
56%
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
53%
Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
53%
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
53%
Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
50%
Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes compa

Work Activities

90%
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
88%
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
87%
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
83%
Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
81%
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
81%
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
79%
Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
78%
Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
78%
Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
76%
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
76%
Interacting With Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
74%
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
74%
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
71%
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
71%
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
69%
Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
69%
Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
68%
Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
67%
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
67%
Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
65%
Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
64%
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
64%
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
64%
Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
63%
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
62%
Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
61%
Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
61%
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
61%
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
58%
Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
56%
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
55%
Staffing Organizational Units - Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
50%
Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Title Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Overall Experience Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job Training Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Job Zone Examples These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, wildlife biologists, school psychologists, surgeons, treasurers, and controllers.
Education Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Interests

Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Work Styles

Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Work Values

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.