How Much Do Dietitians Make?
The salary of dietitians depends on several factors, including geography, the specialization of the dietitian, how much education the dietitian has and the type of employer. Dietitians are in charge of providing healthful eating plans and follow-up care for clients. Dietitians can be found in hospitals, assisted-living centers, government agencies, schools, nursing homes and other places where healthful eating and nutritional education is required. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2009, the median salary of a dietitian in the United States was $50,590.
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Types
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies four types of dietitians: clinical dietitians, community dietitians, management dietitians and consultant dietitians. Clinical dietitians work in hospitals and other health care facilities. Community dietitians work at clinics and government agencies. Management dietitians work in large institutions such as schools and prisons. Consultant dietitians are often self-employed and work as consultants to companies that need to institute health eating habits for their employees, clients or for proposals. Of these specializations, community and management dietitians make the most--$60,200 median salary for dietitians working in education and research, and $60,000 for those working in food and nutrition management.
Geography
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The top five best-paying states for dietitians, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics are Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, California and Hawaii. Dietitians in these states earned median wages of between $59,390 and $62,260 annually. High-paying metropolitan areas that the BLS identified include the Bethesda, Maryland area, the San Jose/Sunnyvale, California area, the Oakland/Fremont, California area, Waterbury, Connecticut, and Leominster/Fitchburg/Gardner, Massachusetts. These city areas pay dietitians median wages between $69,380 and $83,320 annually.
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Health Care
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Health care facilities pay dietitians slightly more than the median salary, depending on the type of facility. For example, dietitians who work in home health care services (visiting and treating patients in their homes) earned a median wage of $59,620 in 2009. Dietitians who worked in hospitals earned a median salary of $52,090, and those who worked in nursing facilities earned $51,660.
Goverrnment Services
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Dietitians working in federally funded government agencies earned one of the highest wages, at a median $65,970 annually. In contrast, dietitians who worked for local government agencies (such as health care clinics run by the city or county) earned a median wage of $48,560 annually.
Potential
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the job outlook for dietitians is expected to grow almost 10 percent between 2006 and 2016. Job growth is related to the growing concern over the health of Americans, particularly as it relates to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. The aging of the population and the increased need for dietitians in nursing homes and assisted living facilities also will contribute to the increased need in this industry.
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