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Highest Paid Dietitian Jobs

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What are the highest paid dietitian jobs?

Are you curious about the highest paying nutrition jobs or dietitian jobs? You may have heard that being a dietitian may mean you will not make a high salary. This doesn’t have to be true though. There are dietetic jobs out there that pay profitable salaries.

If you were wondering how you can make more money as a dietitian, or how you can increase your dietitian salary, we have compiled a list of some of the Highest Paid Dietitian Jobs. We have included the job titles of the highest dietitian salary and the highest nutritionist salary (this article does not cover that salary for dietetic technicians).

Our dietetic profession has evolved and grown so much over the last few years. As a result, there are so many new opportunities emerging all the time to explore as a dietitian. Whether you are an entrepreneur working for yourself or working in a traditional setting as a dietitian, there are multiple niches and job settings that offer high paying salaries.

This article continues to be updated to include even more dietitian job titles as demand for our unique skills increases. We also have salary resources such as salary calculators, salary surveys from national job boards, and resources for salary and compensation negotiation.

    About registered dietitian nutritionists

    Dietitian nutritionists, also known as registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs), are nutrition experts who provide medical nutrition therapy and counseling to patients with various health conditions. They help individuals achieve better overall health through tailored meal plans, weight management, and disease prevention strategies. This article explores the highest paid dietitian jobs, focusing on the roles that require a minimum of a master's degree in nutrition sciences or a related field.

    How to become a registered dietitian nutritionist

    Before learning about the highest paid dietitian jobs, here are the professional educational requirements for dietitian nutritionists.

    To become an RDN, one must first earn a bachelor's degree from a didactic program in dietetics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

    In addition to a bachelor's degree, aspiring RDNs must complete a supervised practice program, typically lasting six to twelve months. After receiving a verification statement from the program, candidates must then pass the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam.

    While a minimum of a bachelor's degree is required to become an RDN, and beginning in 2024, a master's degree will be required.

    Graduate studies in nutrition or dietetics or other areas, such as marketing and communications, can provide more in-depth knowledge and practical experience, making RDNs with advanced degrees more competitive in the job market.

    Dietitian salary resources and tools

    There are several reliable resources that can provide information on the average dietitian salary, in addition to self-reports from fellow dietitians currently in practice.

    Please note that the salaries for these job titles may vary depending on factors such as geographical location, years of experience, education level, and the specific industry in which they work. Dietitians practicing in New York and California tend to have an average annual pay higher than dietitians working in other states.

    Additionally, these job titles may require advanced education, certifications, or specialized experience to qualify for higher-paying positions.

    • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Compensation and Benefits Survey: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics conducts a comprehensive survey of compensation and benefits for registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) and nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered (NDTRs). This survey provides valuable insights into salary trends, benefits, and other factors impacting the profession based on reported data from Academy Members. Visit the Academy's website at https://www.eatrightpro.org/ to learn more about the survey and how to access its results (note that the survey may only be available to Academy members).
    • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Salary Calculator: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also provides a salary calculator based on a statistical model developed with data from the Academy's Compensation and Benefits Survey of the Dietetics Profession. These definitions from the Academy's Compensation and Benefits Survey will help you when calculating salary. The Salary Calculation Worksheets are based on multiple regression statistical models to predict help compensation by accounting for the effects of all influential variables at the same time. Again, this data is based on historically reported data, so you can use this as baseline information and not what you should be basing your high end for salary negotiation.
    • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS is a principal source of information on various occupations, including dietitians and nutritionists. Their Occupational Outlook Handbook provides data on median annual wages, job outlook, and more. Visit their website at https://www.bls.gov/ to access this information.
      • Website: BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
      • Instructions: Visit the BLS website and search for "dietitians and nutritionists" to access the data on median annual wage, hourly wage, and employment levels.

    • PayScale: PayScale is a popular online salary, benefits, and compensation information platform. They provide data on the average salary for dietitians based on factors such as experience, location, and education. Visit their website at https://www.payscale.com/.
      • Website: PayScale
      • Instructions: Visit the PayScale website and search for "dietitian" or "nutritionist" to access salary data based on factors such as location, years of experience, and level of education.

    • Glassdoor: Glassdoor is a website that offers insights into various jobs and companies, including salary information. You can search for average salaries of dietitians and read reviews from employees in the field. Visit their website at https://www.glassdoor.com/.
      • Website: Glassdoor
      • Instructions: Browse through the Glassdoor website and search for specific companies or job titles to access salary data and reviews submitted by employees.

    • Indeed: Indeed is a job search platform that also provides salary information based on user-reported data. You can search for dietitian salaries and compare them based on factors such as experience and location. Visit their website at https://www.indeed.com/.
      • Website: Indeed
      • Instructions: Search for specific dietitian or diet tech job titles or browse through job listings on Indeed to access salary information based on user-submitted data.

    • Mint.com: Mint.com is a financial platform that also offers salary reports based on income reported to the IRS in box 1 of W-2 (from consenting TurboTax customers). It also offers salary information by company in addition to geography. It is a new feature and currently states, "The average total salary for a Registered Dietitian is $52,500 per year. This is based on data from 6,530 TurboTax users who reported their occupation as Registered Dietitian and includes taxable wages, tips, bonuses, and more. Registered Dietitian salary can vary between $22,500 to $88,000 depending on factors including education, skills, experience, employer & location."
    • Salary.com: Salary.com is another online platform that offers information on salary, benefits, and compensation for various professions. Their data can provide insights into the average salary of dietitians, as well as salary ranges based on different factors. Visit their website at https://www.salary.com/.
      • Website: Salary.com
      • Instructions: Explore the Salary.com website and search for "dietitian" to access salary data specific to different locations and experience levels.

    Job Titles with the Highest Dietitian Salaries

    Here is the list of the highest paying dietitian jobs in 2025, according to salary references and self-reports from dietitians currently holding these job titles.

    You will notice that many of these job titles are non-traditional roles, such a nutrition blogger. It turns out that many traditional jobs, such as a clinical dietitian in a hospital and public health dietitians, did not make the list of the highest paid job titles for dietitians.

    Note that this is a report of salaries and not total compensation benefits, such as health insurance, which many traditional employers provide.

    1. Consultant Dietitian. $58,920 – $71,840 annually according to the 2016 US Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to ZipRecruiter.com, the average annual Consultant Dietitian salary as of August, 2022 is $60,528. The majority pay between $51,500 to $70,500 per year. Consultant dietitians contract with companies in a variety of settings, from health spas, private medical practices, sports organization, nursing homes, and more. Consultant Dietitians are traditionally also termed, Long Term Care Dietitians, when working in skilled nursing facilities or other similar long term health care facilities.
    2. Technology Dietitians. $80,820 - $110,00 annually. Dietitians working in the technology industry have responsibilities ranging from developing online educational materials and content, food photography, cooking videos, and more.
    3. Supervisory Dietitian. $102,040 - $132,649 annually. Supervisory dietitians have similar job responsibilities to clinical nutrition managers where they direct and coordinate medical nutrition therapy services, act as liaisons between different departments and programs, coordinate clinical nutrition activities, and manage other team members.
    4. Coaching or Counseling Dietitian. $104,00 - $162,240 annually. Many companies hire dietitians for coaching and counseling either in-person or virtual. These types of companies range from online apps, medical consulting firms, corporate wellness companies, and more.
    5. Online Coaching or Counseling Private Practice Dietitian. $100,000+ annually. Online nutrition counseling has grown tremendously in the last 5 years with the inclusion of courses, webinars, memberships, group counseling and individual counseling. And there are numerous dietitians coaching other dietitians in how to structure this business.
    6. Group Coaching Private Practice Dietitian. $100,00+ annually. Dietitians is private practice can take their coaching or counseling skills from one-on-one sessions to group sessions. Group coaching sessions can offer an opportunity to increase revenue by serving multiple clients simultaneously. Clients also benefit from the interaction with fellow group members. In this role, dietitians can either work independently or as part of a larger practice. They work with diverse groups, including individuals looking to lose weight, improve gut health, manage chronic diseases, or improve their athletic performance. I
    7. Director of Nutrition. $125,879 - $156,829 annually. Directors of nutrition generally oversee activities within the organization including managing employees, working with outside vendors and other business entities, developing and leveraging relationships with other governmental agencies, developing programs for the institution, and maintaining existing processes, procedures, contracts, and programs.
    8. Nutrition Communications. $100,000+ annually. As a nutrition expert for a company either as a consultant paid by the project or paid via a retainer relationship (e.g., 20 hours/week at $100/hr), this can be a lucrative job that you create on your own terms on behalf of the company brand. This book* is an excellent authoritative guide on nutrition communications. A dietitian in nutrition communications is also known as a Media Dietitian.
    9. Eating Disorders Dietitian. $81,900 - $210,900 annually. This data comes from the AND Salary and Compensation Report 2019. A dietitian who specializes in eating disorders will typically work in an in-patient or out-patient clinical setting. And those dietitians with an advanced degree can make upwards of $256,300 annually! Working as an Eating Disorders Dietitian can be hard work but rewarded generously. Here's an article describing job opportunities as an Eating Disorder Dietitian.
    10. Worksite Wellness Dietitian. $100,000+ annually. As a nutrition expert, you can pitch small to medium-sized companies (on LinkedIn or through other connections you may have) to provide Lunch and Learn (virtually or in-person) sessions for their employees as a value added benefit. You can also offer individual nutrition counseling sessions for their employees. You can offer a package of monthly or quarterly wellness sessions. Here is an article teaching you how to find Worksite Wellness managers or brokers.
    11. Sales Account Executive. $100,000+ annually plus bonus. Account Executives who work in sales or manage those in sales can work with a medical or pharmaceutical company to earn $100,000+ annually plus a bonus commission. Employers might include, Abbott or Mead Johnson.
    12. Nutrition Blogger. $100,000+ annually. Nutrition bloggers, fitness bloggers, and health bloggers (as dietitian jobs or side hustles) can earn $100,000+ annually from revenue generating sources based on blog page traffic. The more traffic the blog receives, the more money it can make. Advertising revenue can be earned based on the Page RPM, which is the average earnings per thousand page views or traffic sessions. Bloggers can also earn income from affiliate sales (e.g., Amazon Affiliates sales) on high traffic pages. High traffic blog pages can also be great "storefronts" for ebooks, courses, 1:1 coaching or counseling services, and more. High paying blog pages all start with knowing Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Here are two SEO tools that we recommend (affiliate links): SEO Made Simple Course* and RankIQ*. Nutrition blogging is a great area to pursue if you are interested in a virtual job or remote work or work-from-home dietitian job.

    Highest paid dietitian job titles compared with national averages

    As a comparison, the average annual salary for a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in the United States varies according to the reports, but here a a few references:

    Dietitian salary survey reference

    Curious about the highest paid dietitian salaries by location? We also compiled the Highest Paid Dietetic Jobs by Location in the United States from the annual Compensation and Benefits Survey by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It includes a breakdown of which cities pay dietitians the most money along with practice areas that have the highest pay rate.

    The survey results can give you negotiation power at the job interview stage of job searching or during a performance evaluation.

    The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also publishes a Salary Calculator, located here. This is helpful if you want to drill down for a specific location and practice area for job searching and salary negotiation.

    The Highest Paid Jobs as a Dietitian by Location


    Dietitian Salary Negotiation

    There are many job opportunities out there with high paying dietitian salaries and nutritionist salaries. To get these high-paying positions, make connections, learn, gain experience, and put your best foot forward to apply.

    If you are looking to successfully negotiate a salary increase at the job you already have I highly recommend this book* on salary negotiation - which I reference about in my Dietetic Job Interviewing Webinar. You can watch other instructional videos on our YouTube channel to learn new skills and opportunities as a dietitian to optimize your salary options (and subscribe to our YouTube channel while you are there!).

    Also check out our Dietitian Salary Negotiation Guide for a comprehensive approach to strategizing your compensation package as a dietitian.


    How to make more money as a dietitian without changing jobs

    Alrighty, so maybe you aren't ready to switch from the area of dietetics you really like for a different area of dietetics that you know will pay better. Another idea is make more money on side.

    Here's the list of dietitians offering services to help add to your income with a side hustle or as a way to improve your existing business.

    You might be interested in ways to make money online as a dietitian with this article. Also check out Stacey's Dietetic Career Picks for a list of dietitians teaching dietitians to make more money.


    Dietitians helping other dietitians make more money

    Here is a list of fellow dietitians helping other dietitians make more money with coaching, courses, and services.

    Learn how to successfully pass the RDN exam - Jenny Westercamp, RD, at All Access Dietetics
    Jenny has many career courses in addition to a a super successful program guiding you to getting matched to a Dietetic Internship with her Getting Matched course on All Access Dietetics. Get a 20% discount with code NUTRITIONJOBS on the Get Matched course with this link.* She's really great. I've known her since she started the business!

    Learn how to become a paid freelance nutrition writer - Ana Reisdorf, MS, RD
    She is an expert freelance nutrition writer and has lots of resources so you can start working in the field of nutrition writing too.

    Learn to make money blogging with SEO - Erica Julson, RD, of the Unconventional RD
    It's time you start earning money blogging! My dietitian friend Erika has a course with actionables - sign up here and start making more money. In her courses she also teaches you about SEO optimization so that your blog results in more traffic, which can lead to more sources of income.*

    Learn to master social media - Rachel Paul, RD, PhD, of Beat The Algorithm
    Learn from the Instagram leader. She'll teach you how to grow your IG following to get more business and make more money. Rachel is a fellow San Francisco dietitian who has helped so many dietitians and entrepreneurs with her wildly popular and successful courses. Her courses are quick, easy, and relatable, showing you EXACTLY how to do this!*

    Learn to become a Nutrition Entrepreneur - Heather Neal, RDN, at Dietitian HQ
    Heather at Dietitian HQ has a Membership Society for Dietitians wanting to build a nutrition business. *

    Become a Media Dietitian - Dietitian Amy Gorin is the founder of the Master the Media Program* and coaches you to become a Media Dietitian and how to land brand partnerships as an expert with influence. Amy is one of the most-quoted media dietitians in America, having completed and written more than 2,000 combined media interviews and bylined articles. She’s a former editor of Prevention, Health, Parents, American Baby, and Weight Watchers Magazine—and loves sharing her media know-how with other dietitians. Her mission is to help you get your name in the news so you can earn more freedom in your income and time, as well as exponential career fulfillment. She has rolling enrollment for her coaching program. It is by far the most comprehensive program out there for dietitians and I highly recommend!

    Additional resources


    Get On The List

    Looking to take your dietetic career to the next level? Consider joining the NutritionJobs Career List! Our newsletter is packed with resume help and LinkedIn tips, dietitian job postings, dietitian salary data, career resources, and tools to help you thrive as a dietitian on your way to more awesomeness. Don’t miss out on Stacey’s curated picks, checklists, and downloads. Subscribe today and stay ahead of the curve as a nutrition professional.

    Search for Jobs on NutritionJobs

    Are you looking for a new job or just want to see what else is out there? Browse all jobs on NutritionJobs today. Also, check out the Featured Jobs on NutritionJobs. Share with a friend in need, as well!

    Search Salaries on DietitianSalaries.com

    Are you curious about which dietitian job titles pay the most, or the least? Search the sortable database of real dietitian salaries from thousands of dietitians in real-time on DietitianSalaries.com.

    About the Authors

    Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, is a Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist specializing in Weight Management and Sports Nutrition for youth and adults. She writes articles for multiple publications, provides customized nutrition coaching, and is a brand spokesperson. She is founder of Family. Food. Fiesta.and MIJA. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.

    Stacey Dunn-Emke, MS, RDN, is the Founder Owner of NutritionJobs and DietitianSalaries.com and is an established dietetic career expert. She helps steer dietetic and nutrition professionals to a successful job search process with the top-ranked dietetic job board platform, NutritionJobs.com. Stacey is the author of The Dietetic Resume Guide and numerous dietetic career action-ables. She gives the tools to create a modern standout dietetic resume to land that job interview, help with job interview prep, and with creating Compelling LinkedIn profiles. Stacey has interviewed and hired many dietitians. Since running NutritionJobs in 2000, she has reviewed thousands of dietetic resumes. She works closely with dietetic hiring managers and recruiters to know the standout elements on a resume that land a job interview. Stacey speaks on successful compensation negotiation at professional conferences and frequently consults with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at FNCE and co-created the webinar series, Dietetic Career Hack: The Complete Networking and Resume Guide and Dietetic Career Hack Part II: Interviewing Tips and Tricks. Her previous dietitian jobs have been in clinical, nutrition support, and research.

    Affiliate Links

    Please note: This page may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase a product using my affiliate link, I will receive a small commission or bonus. This will in no way impact the price you pay. Affiliate links on this page are denoted with an asterisk (*).

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