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9 Nutrition Careers To Consider
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Living a healthy and vibrant life has much to do with what we put on our plates. If you have a penchant for designing meal plans and a desire to help others live healthier lives, a career in nutrition might be your calling.
In a nutrition career, you can guide individuals and communities toward more balanced nutrition and healthier lifestyles. And the field offers a variety of rewarding career paths, such as registered dietitian, nutritionist and health coach.
Read on to learn more about what it takes to launch a successful career in nutrition, including potential roles, education paths and earning potential.
What Is Nutrition?Nutrition focuses on promoting good health through food, and it's one of the fastest-growing healthcare fields. This interdisciplinary field combines elements of biology, chemistry, psychology, physiology and food science to understand how food impacts the body. Careers in nutrition typically require a bachelor's degree in nutrition or a related field.
Nutrition professionals educate individuals and communities about the role of healthy eating in overall wellness and disease prevention. They may develop personalized meal plans, establish evidence-based dietary guidelines, conduct research and implement public health initiatives. They work in diverse settings, from hospitals and research institutions to schools and corporate wellness centers.
This guide explores nutrition career options, including education requirements and earning potential for each.
9 Popular Careers in NutritionIn the field of nutrition, there are many career options available. Here's a look at our top picks.
We sourced salary data for this section from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Payscale and Glassdoor in November 2023.
Registered Dietitian (RD)Median Annual Salary: $66,450Minimum Required Education: Master's degree in nutrition or a related fieldJob Overview: Registered dietitians specialize in assessing, diagnosing and treating nutritional issues. They conduct in-depth assessments to evaluate an individual's nutrition needs based on their health status, age, gender, medical conditions and goals. An RD's expertise qualifies them to help patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
Using an evidence-based approach to nutrition, RDs can work in various settings, from hospitals and schools to private organizations. To become an RD, you must complete an internship and obtain state licensure or certification.
Nutrition ConsultantMedian Annual Salary: Approximately $73,000Minimum Required Education: Associate degreeJob Overview: These professionals advise individuals and groups on nutrition and healthy eating for optimal health. Duties typically include developing meal plans and setting nutrition goals for clients.
Nutrition consultants may specialize in various areas of nutrition, including weight management, nutrition for athletes or nutrition geared toward managing specific health conditions. Licensing and certification requirements for this career vary by state.
Health CoachAverage Annual Salary: Approximately $53,800Minimum Required Education: Bachelor's degree (for certification, with some exceptions)Job Overview: Health coaches guide people seeking a healthier lifestyle, working either one on one or in group settings. They help clients set nutrition goals and implement sustainable behavior changes, providing personalized support and motivation.
These professionals can work in many settings. For example, some may provide online coaching services, while others may work in community settings. Often, they collaborate with other healthcare professionals. Because the health coach title is unregulated, these professionals should earn certification to demonstrate credibility.
Health EducatorMedian Annual Salary: $59,990Minimum Required Education: Bachelor's degree in public health, education or a similar disciplineJob Overview: Health educators are advocates for public health. They work to help individuals and communities adopt healthy behaviors to improve their well-being. These professionals may develop educational materials, conduct public health screenings, organize community outreach initiatives and raise awareness about common health issues.
Health educators work in government agencies, corporate settings, healthcare facilities, nonprofits and community organizations. To learn more, check out our public health education career guide.
EpidemiologistMedian Annual Salary: $78,520Minimum Required Education: Master's degree in public health or a related disciplineJob Overview: Epidemiologists investigate the cause and spread of diseases to safeguard public health. They research potential causes of specific health concerns and identify and recommend possible solutions.
Epidemiologists often work in hospitals, educational institutions and government health departments. They collaborate with other healthcare professionals, including doctors and public health officials, to develop disease and infection control strategies.
Want to know more? Check out our guide on how to become an epidemiologist.
Food ScientistMedian Annual Salary: $85,730Minimum Required Education: Bachelor's degree in food science or a related fieldJob Overview: Food scientists work on various aspects of food production, such as product development, improvement and flavor enhancement. Using their background in biology and chemistry, they ensure food production meets quality and safety standards. They may also work to improve a food's nutrient content and availability.
Food scientists typically work for universities, research institutions, government agencies, food and beverage corporations, or nonprofit organizations.
Nutrition CoordinatorMedian Annual Salary: Approximately $58,000Minimum Required Education: Bachelor's degree in nutrition or a similar disciplineJob Overview: Nutrition coordinators create and implement programs to promote healthy eating. Though their specific responsibilities vary, these professionals typically develop educational materials, assess dietary needs and provide customized nutrition advice.
Nutrition coordinators work in various settings, such as community or government organizations, healthcare facilities and schools.
Registered Nutrition and Dietetics TechnicianMedian Annual Salary: $33,960Minimum Required Education: Associate degreeJob Overview: Registered nutrition and dietetics technicians support healthcare and food service management teams. They give guidance on dietary needs, conduct assessments, design meal plans and educate about healthy food choices.
These professionals may work in a variety of healthcare settings, including assisted living facilities, hospitals and clinics . They collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as registered dietitians, doctors and nurses, to optimize patient care.
Food and Nutrition Services DirectorAverage Annual Salary: Approximately $67,600Minimum Required Education: Bachelor's degree in nutrition or a related fieldJob Overview: Food and nutrition services directors oversee the operations of an organization's food service department. They ensure patients' nutritional needs are met and food quality and safety regulations are maintained. Responsibilities typically include menu planning, overseeing food preparation, and hiring and training staff.
These professionals may work in schools, hospitals, assisted living facilities and other institutions.
Nutrition vs. Dietetics: What's the Difference?The fields of dietetics and nutrition are closely related; both focus on how food and nutrients impact human health. Nutrition and dietetics professionals share foundational knowledge of the relationship between nutrients and disease. They may work in similar settings, as well, such as hospitals, schools, assisted living facilities, government organizations, nonprofits and private institutions.
Nutrition professionals typically provide counseling in meal planning and healthy eating, whereas dietetics professionals have more specialized qualifications, allowing them to provide nutrition advice to treat specific diseases and health conditions.
If you are interested in a role with a broader focus on general health promotion and education, you may want to pursue a nutrition role. On the other hand, if you are interested in working in clinical settings and managing complex medical conditions, a career in dietetics may be a good fit for you.
Organizations for Nutrition ProfessionalsThe following professional organizations may be helpful to individuals in the field of nutrition.
Registered dietitian is one of the highest-paying jobs in the field of nutrition. Dietitians who make diagnoses and administer treatments report some of the highest incomes in the field, earning a mean annual wage of $93,710, according to the BLS.
Can a nutritionist make six figures?While salaries vary based on experience, education and location, making six figures as a nutritionist is possible. One strategy to boost your overall income is to provide online coaching services.
Can you make good money being a nutritionist?Yes. If you want to maximize your earning potential, consider obtaining a master's degree in nutrition.
Guilford County Nutrition Workers Take Stance As School Leaders Work On Resolution, Says Demonstration Leader
Across Guilford County School district, some nutrition workers will be calling out of work because they say they are not getting paid enough.
As Guilford County school's nutrition staff take a stance, school system leaders are coming up with a proposed resolution to their low pay concerns, said a demonstration leader.
Monday morning, some Guilford County School employees called out of work over concerns about their pay.
The nutrition workers said the pay they receive is not enough.
So far, the school system has posted to social media, saying in part "Our top priority is the well-being of our students, and we want to assure everyone that students will be served meals today."
According to a phone call to parents from school administrators, they are aware and have been working to resolve the issues workers have.
We spoke with Eastern Guilford High School cafeteria manager Kelly Shepherd who says he's been with the district for over 12 years and his pay is not reflective of it.
Shepherd said Eastern Guilford High School is the only school in the district that does not have pay steps which is based on years of service an employee has.
Now, Shepherd said GCS has been in negotiations with nutrition workers, offering incentives like manager's bonus programs every quarter.
Recently, the state budget included raises for state employees. However, Shepherd said nutrition staff were not included in that raise.
As a result, Sheperd says they did receive a 2% increase allocated from the school board which equates to $0.35 an hour.
The school system said while the state issued a 4% increase in pay for classified workers back in October, school nutrition staff were not included in that because SNS operates as an independent, self-sustaining enterprise.
On Monday, as the crowd chanted, demonstration leaders went into the administration building where they said they had a conversation with the superintendent.
During the conversations, leaders say the school system admitted they are struggling to feed students Monday without staff.
Also, during the conversation leaders say the school system promised to deliver a statement in writing by 4 p.M. Monday. If the nutrition staff are satisfied with the written resolution, they said they will return to work Tuesday, if not, demonstrations will continue.
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Idaho Schools Served $129,459 In Nutrition Equipment Funding
The meal programs at 14 Idaho schools are really heating up or cooling down or getting mixed, depending on how they plan to spend federal funds.
A total of $129,459 was awarded to districts, high schools, middle schools and other locations for cooking, refrigeration, kitchen equipment and more by the Idaho Department of Education through the Child Nutrition Program.
Funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Equipment Assistance Grant. Twenty-four school food authorities submitted grant applications which totaled more than $535,849 worth of equipment requests, the DOE stated.
The department considered things like the age of food service equipment, lack of appropriate items, availability of existing state and local funding for equipment, strategies for adopting lunchroom changes that provide more convenience and appeal to the student, and opportunities to realize meaningful impacts on the nutrition and quality of meals.
The highest grant awarded was to the Orofino School District, which requested funds for a counterbalance walking reach truck. The district was awarded $16,680. The smallest grant went to Fruitland High School for a milk cooler for $2,299. Other schools and districts requested monies for things like dishwashers, gas ovens, refrigeration units, heated holding and proofing cabinets and mixers among other items.
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