The Average Salary of Registered Dietitians

Registered dietitians work primarily in hospitals, nursing care facilities and other health care centers, planning food and nutrition programs and supervising meal preparation. Many dietitians specialize, becoming a clinical dietitian, consultant or management dietitian. Dietitians require a bachelor's degree at minimum to obtain employment. Licensing, certification and registration requirements vary by state.

Salary and Benefits

Registered dietitians earn from $38,341 to $52,564, based on December 2010 data from Payscale. Bonuses account for a small portion of the total pay package, from $488 to $2,097. The majority of dietitians enjoy health benefits, with only 24 percent lacking coverage. Medical is the most common health benefit, followed closely by dental and to a lesser extent vision.

Experience

Experience plays a role in determining a registered dietitian's salary, but it can take many years to see any meaningful increase. Entry-level dietitians, with less than one year experience, earn from $29,858 to $49,132, based on Payscale November 2010 data. Registered dietitians with one to four years' experience earn approximately the same income, from $35,109 to $48,845. With five to nine years' experience, income increases approximately 15 percent to a range of $40,907 to $55,471. Individuals with 10 or more years' experience will see their earnings peak in the range of $35,000 to $66,000.

Industry

Dietitians work in industries including health care, hospital, health care services, and acute care hospital. While the salary range is similar across most industries, registered dietitians earn up to 10 percent less working in acute care hospital environments. The national average salary for registered dietitians working in health care ranges from $36,559 to $52,003, according to Payscale November 2010 data. This contrasts with those individuals working in acute care hospitals, who earn $30,252 to $44,764.

Company Size

Registered dietitians working in large companies earn more money. Individuals working in large corporations, with greater than 5,000 employees, earn from $41,271 to $57,790, according to Payscale November 2010 data. Their counterparts working in small companies of 10 to 50 employees, earn $89,305 to $46,605.

Gender

The registered dietitian workforce is dominated by women at a ratio of 9 to 1. Payscale November 2010 data show that male dietitians earn from $40,662 to $50,000, while their female counterparts earn $35,531 to $49,783.

Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects average employment growth for registered dietitians, an increase of 9 percent between 2008 and 2018. Job growth will primarily result from a growing and aging population creating the demand for nutritional counseling. Hospitals will continue to require dietitians in large numbers, but job growth might slow should outside food service agencies contract for this work. Registered dietitians with specialized training, certification or an advanced degree enjoy the best employment opportunities. An aging population and growing number of diabetics means that dietitians specializing in renal and diabetic nutrition and gerontological nutrition will find the greatest opportunity.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Dieticians and Nutritionists
• Payscale: Registered Dietitian Salary, Average Salaries
• Payscale: Registered Dietitian Salary, Average Salaries by Years Experience
• Payscale: Registered Dietitian Salary, Average Salaries by Industry
• Payscale: Registered Dietitian Salary, Average Salaries by Gender
• Payscale: Registered Dietitian Salary, Average Salaries by Company Size