Salary for Sport Nutritionists
The average salary for nutritionists or dietitians vary greatly depending upon where they work, how many years of experience they have and their specific fields of nutrition. That said, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual earnings of dietitians and nutritionists in May 2008 was $51,470 per year.
It should be noted that the job title of "nutritionist" is not a nationally recognized title for dietitians. Many dietitians use the moniker loosely. Some states have educational requirements for the job, while others do not. Also, many dietitians who might label themselves as "sports nutritionists" are really consulting dietitians and do a variety of consulting jobs inside and outside athletics.
-
Industry profiles
-
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also lists the annual mean wage for each dietitian industry. Below are the figures for the five largest dietitian industries as of May 2008. Each industry is listed according to highest total employment:
1. General medical and surgical hospitals ---$52,090
2. Nursing care facilities---$51,660
3. Local government (Occupational Employment Statistics, or OES, designation)---$48,560
4. Outpatient care centers---$53,150
5. Special food services---$46,510As with all careers, there are some disciplines within the dietician fields that pay higher than others. Below are the figures for the highest-paying dietician disciplines as of May 2008. Each industry is listed according to highest mean annual salary:
1. Employment services---$66,230
2. Federal executive branch (OES designation)---$65,970
3. Home health care services---$59,620
4. Vocational rehabilitation services---$59,280
5. Medical and diagnostic laboratories---$58,720
Top-paying states
-
Listed below are states with the highest average annual salaries for dieticians according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
1. Connecticut---$62,260
2. Maryland---$60,500
3. New Jersey---$60,280
4. California---$60,250
5. Hawaii---$59,390
States with highest concentration of workers
-
Below are the top five states with the highest concentration of dietician workers, from the highest:
1. Massachusetts
2. Missouri
3. District of Columbia
4. Delaware
5. North Dakota
Percentages
-
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported the mean annual salary of dietitians by percentage. They state that the bottom 10 percent of dietitians earn $31,460; the bottom 25 percent earn $41,060; the middle 50 percent earn $50,590; the upper 75 percent earn $61,790 and the top 90 percent earn $73,410 annually.
Salary by experience
-
With more experience comes greater pay for dietitians. According to payscale.com, a dietitian with less than one year of experience will earn between $28,486 and $39,305, and with one to four years they will earn between $28,886 and $41,171. Once they have achieved five to nine years of experience, it is estimated that their pay significantly rises, starting at $31,876 and going up to $50,507. Surprisingly, dietitian pay plateaus and declines at 10 to 19 years of experience grossing only $30,013 to $42,000 annually. Once dieticians accumulate 20 or more years of experience, their pay rises again and they earn between $46,000 and $84,000 annually.
-
