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How to Become a Clinical Dietitian and Salary Outlook

How to Become a Clinical Dietitian and Salary Outlook

The Clinical Dietitian is an area of practice as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). This article explores the Clinical Dietitian job and additional education and certification, which will enhance the knowledge and skillset of the RDN.

Clinical Dietitians play an important role in improving and maintaining the health of patients by ensuring their proper nutritional needs are met with medical nutrition therapy.

This article further provides a comprehensive look into the specialized area of the Clinical Dietitian job, including what a clinical dietitian is, how to become one, job search success, and the Clinical Dietitian Salary.

What is a Clinical Dietitian

Clinical Dietitians are Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) with advanced degrees who work in healthcare settings, providing medical nutrition therapy.

The additional certification for a clinical dietitian is titled, Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS).

What Clinical Dietitians Do

This is a breakdown of what clinical dietitians do during the day. Their routines can vary but many clinical dietitian roles include these tasks:

  • Design nutrition programs to optimize the health and wellness of patients.
  • Work with doctors and staff to provide care for patients.
  • Counsel and educate patients to ensure their needs are met.
  • Assess the nutritional needs of the patients and provide medical nutrition therapy including nutrition support as needed.
  • Develop nutrition meal plans for patients.
  • Create educational materials.
  • Educate staff and employees about the latest food and nutrition research and trends.
  • Provide documentation of patient’s progress through charting and electronic medical records.
  • Some clinical dietitians work with insurance agencies and bill according to the services provided to their patients.

How to Become a Clinical Dietitian

Here are the steps to take to become a clinical dietitian. Once you become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist you can find employment as a Clinical Dietitian. If you want to further your skills, you can also become a Certified Nutrition Specialist.

Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

  • RDNs have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from an accredited university or college in the United States.
  • RDNs have completed an accredited supervised internship program including 1200 hours of practice. The program needs to be approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) which is a part of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
  • RDNs have passed a national exam administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). By passing the exam, RDNs are board certified.
  • RDNs need to maintain their accreditation by completing continuing education units (75 units within a 5-year period) and submitting those in a portfolio to the CDR.
  • Some states require specific licensure for an RDN and only licensed individuals can legally provide nutrition counseling. The laws and regulations vary from state to state. Here is a list of states which require licensure in the United States. Each state is regulated differently in how they enforce the laws, too. Depending on the state one lives in, a job as a clinical dietitian may require this licensure to practice.
  • Check out our previous post for more details on how to become an RDN.
  • Once you become an RDN, you can get a job in a clinical setting without further education and/or certificates. However, going the extra mile to become a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) will set you apart from the standard RDN title and provide more opportunities for a higher salary.

Become a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS)

  • For those who already have the RDN certification, they will also need to complete 75 continuing education credits in Personalized Nutrition within the past 5 years.
  • If no RDN certification is present, the applicant has to complete 1,000 hours of supervised clinical nutrition experience and practice under a qualified supervisor who has a CNS, Master’s, or Doctoral degree.
  • In addition to the RDN certification, you will need to have a Master’s of Science or a Doctoral degree in Nutrition or another clinical healthcare field like Dietetics.
  • The Master’s degree must be from an ACNPE-accredited program.
  • Along with the Master’s or Doctoral degree, the candidate must have completed 18 credits of nutrition at the graduate level, 3 credits of Anatomy/Physiology, 12 credits of Clinical or Life Sciences, and 2 Behavioral Science credits.
  • After all that is completed, the person can apply to become a CNS through the American Nutrition Association.
  • Applications must include:
    • Completion of 3 Personalized Nutrition case studies.
  • Submission of 2 letters of recommendation.
  • Submission of a resume or CV.
  • Transcripts from all the schools attended.
  • Once the application is accepted, one needs to take and pass a national exam for Nutrition Specialists.
  • Once the exam is passed, they will become a CNS.
  • In order to maintain the CNS certification, people need to complete 75 continuing education credits every 5 years.

Clinical Dietitian Jobs

There are many job opportunities for Clinical Dietitians and the list is continuously growing. These are the practice areas for Clinical Dietitian Jobs:

  • Private practice
  • Virtual health coaching companies
  • Insurance companies
  • Specialty healthcare organizations
  • Care coordinators
  • Hospitals - both inpatient and outpatient
  • Veteran’s hospitals
  • Nursing homes
  • Skilled nursing facilities
  • Functional medicine practices
  • Community clinics
  • Clinics
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Corporate and worksite wellness programs and facilities
  • Schools and universities
  • Research
  • Food and supplement industry

How to Find a Job as a Clinical Dietitian

  1. Optimize your experiences - If you are currently going through your dietetic internship, use the rotations to establish strong relationships with your preceptors and fellow colleagues. If there is a job opening available within the organization, many times, interns will be hired as a result of the performance they did during their internship.
  2. Network and mingle - Who you know matters and the more people you know within the dietetic industry, the more opportunities you have for others to keep their eyes and ears open for potential jobs.
  3. Use social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, to network and connect with others - These platforms have recruiters and hiring managers constantly looking for the best fit to fill the open positions. Social media platforms are also great avenues to meet more people within the industry and/or organization, company, or institution you would like to work with. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and eye-catching. For tips on How to Build an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, check out NutritionJobs’ course.
  4. Clinical Dietitian Job Email alerts and notifications - Sign up for notifications on job search websites like NutritionJobs to get notified when new jobs get posted in your location and area of choice.
  5. Niche network by joining a Dietetic Practice Group - Join the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and join a Dietetic Practice Group (DPG) to meet more people and network. Clinical Nutrition Management, Dietitians in Medical Nutrition Therapy, Dietitians in Nutrition Support, and Renal Dietitians are some of the many DPGs available.
  6. Job search tips - For more job search tips, check out 10 Job Search Tips Every Dietitian Should Know.

Clinical Dietitian Salary

Clinical Dietitian Salaries range in pay based on location and type of practice.

Depending on the city you live in, different facilities will have different hourly and salary pay rates. In addition, based on the cost of living in the area, the clinical dietitian salary rates will vary, too. To determine what to expect, review what your local market is offering in the job postings for a clinical dietitian. Also refer to fellow colleagues and other clinical dietitian professionals to inquire about the standard rate.

Indeed lists the average base salary of a Clinical Dietitian as $60,496 per year. This average is based on the job postings listed as of October 2021.

Glassdoor lists the average salary of a Clinical Dietitian as $61,380 per year. This average is based on the job postings listed as of October 2021.

Ziprecruiter lists the average salary of a Clinical Dietitian as $62,664 per year.

Zippia has a lower listing for the average salary of a Clinical Dietitian and it is noted as $51,000 per year. This average is based on job postings listed as of August 2021 on their website.

According to Indeed, the highest paying cities for Clinical Dietitians in 2021 are:

  • New York City, NY: with an average of $72,406 per year.
  • Denver, CO: with an average of $71,439 per year.
  • Porterville, CA: with an average of $70,679 per year.
  • Fort Worth, TX: with an average of $62,816 per year
  • San Antonio, TX: with an average of $61,900 per year.

According to Zippia, the average Clinical Dietitian Salary by State in 2021 is:

  • California: with an average of $71,135 per year.
  • Connecticut: with an average of $62,371 per year.
  • Massachusetts: with an average of $62,042 per year.
  • Delaware: with an average of $61,155 per year.
  • North Dakota: with an average of $61,119 per year.
  • New York: with an average of $60,975 per year.

According to Zippia, the highest paying cities for Clinical Dietitians in 2021 is:

  • San Francisco, CA: with an average of $74,138 per year.
  • New York City, NY: with an average of $61,165 per year.
  • Washington, CD: with an average of $59,947 per year.
  • Memphis, TN: with an average of $51,802 per year.
  • Indianapolis, IN: with an average of $51,628 per year.

For more information on what a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist makes in comparison to a Clinical Dietitian, check out a previous article, Highest Paid Dietetic Jobs.

Clinical Dietitian Resources

*If you have any additional suggested resources, send us a note so we can continue to update the list.

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About the Author

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 MIJA, a superfood supplement company, and Haumea Health, a fertility wellness clinic. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.

Source: Zippia.com
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