Dietitian Hourly Pay, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 4,206 US job postings by 1,209 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for dietitians: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 4,206 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for dietitians in US job postings is $39.00 an hour (1,023 postings from 322 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $34.50 to $44.44 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $37.89 an hour (274 postings).
- The skills that most set dietitian postings apart are medical nutrition therapy, nutrition education, nutrition assessment.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Dietitian job postings in the US, October 2026
- $39.00/hr
- Median advertised pay (1,023 postings)
- $34.50–$44.44
- Middle 50% of postings
- $37.89/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 4,206
- US job postings from 1,209 employers
How much does a dietitian make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $39.00 an hour, from 1,023 US job postings by 322 employers that state pay. That is about $79,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 1,023 US dietitian job postings: median $79,000 a year ($39.00 an hour), middle half $70,000 to $89,000.
- Median: $79,000 ($39.00/hr)
- 25th percentile: $70,000
- 75th percentile: $89,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.1% |
| $30K–$40K | 0.6% |
| $40K–$50K | 1.5% |
| $50K–$60K | 6.9% |
| $60K–$70K | 15.0% |
| $70K–$80K | 27.0% |
| $80K–$90K | 24.5% |
| $90K–$100K | 12.2% |
| $100K–$110K | 4.6% |
| $110K–$120K | 2.9% |
| $120K–$130K | 0.4% |
| $130K–$140K | 1.1% |
| $150K–$160K | 0.1% |
| $170K–$180K | 2.5% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | Most common titles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $39.00 | $34.50–$44.44 | 511 | Registered Dietitian, Dietitian, Clinical Dietitian |
| Postings that state an annual salary | $77,000 | $66K–$86K | 289 | Registered Dietitian, Dietitian, Clinical Dietitian |
| All pay postings, annualised | $79,000 | $70K–$89K | 1,023 | – |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Dietitians and Nutritionists (29-1031) at $76,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for a dietitian?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $37.89 an hour (274 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $37.89/hr | 274 |
| 2-4 years | withheld | 181 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 15 |
Highest-paying dietitian jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Dietitian | $38.38/hr | 999 | 317 |
Dietitian pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $44.30/hr | $40.64–$50.00 | 130 | 10.8% |
| New York | $38.46/hr | $34.86–$43.27 | 112 | 8.1% |
Skills employers ask for in dietitian job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 28% |
| Medical nutrition therapy | 14% |
| Interpersonal skills | 12% |
| Organizational skills | 10% |
| Nutrition education | 8% |
| Nutrition assessment | 8% |
| Nutrition counseling | 8% |
| Compassionate | 8% |
| Work independently | 7% |
| Counseling | 7% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set dietitians apart
- Medical nutrition therapy425.6× as often as in all postings · 14%
- Nutrition education398.9× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Nutrition assessment423.6× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Nutrition counseling373.2× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Nutrition assessments431.8× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Nutrition care process435.4× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Counseling24× as often as in all postings · 7%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a dietitian job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a dietitian do?
Employers post these jobs as Registered Dietitian, Clinical Dietitian, Registered Dietician, Nutritionist, Dietician and other titles. The largest specializations are Registered Dietitian (97%).
The closest official occupation is Dietitians and Nutritionists (29-1031.00). Its most important tasks:
- Assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions, and current health plans to develop and implement dietary-care plans and provide nutritional counseling.
- Evaluate laboratory tests in preparing nutrition recommendations.
- Counsel individuals and groups on basic rules of good nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to improve their quality of life.
- Advise patients and their families on nutritional principles, dietary plans, diet modifications, and food selection and preparation.
- Incorporate patient cultural, ethnic, or religious preferences and needs in the development of nutrition plans.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a dietitian?
Among 1,224 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. 2% say 0 years and 55% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 1,224 US dietitian job postings: median 1 year, and 55% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 3% |
| 1 yr | 52% |
| 2 yrs | 29% |
| 3-4 yrs | 12% |
| 5-7 yrs | 3% |
| 8-9 yrs | 0% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 62%, Part-time 38% of the 706 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a dietitian: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Registered Dietitian | 462 (38.2%) |
| Dietitian | 246 (20.3%) |
| Clinical Dietitian | 159 (13.2%) |
| Registered Dietician | 112 (9.3%) |
| Nutritionist | 82 (6.8%) |
| Dietician | 53 (4.4%) |
| Registered Dietitian (RD) | 46 (3.8%) |
| Registered Dietitian Nutritionist | 27 (2.2%) |
| WIC Nutritionist | 23 (1.9%) |
| Clinical Dietician | 20 (1.7%) |
| Clinical Dietitian II | 15 (1.2%) |
| Clinical Dietitian I | 14 (1.2%) |
| Clinical Nutrition Manager | 12 (1.0%) |
| Registered Dietitian I | 11 (0.9%) |
| Nutritionist II | 11 (0.9%) |
| Registered Dietitian PRN | 11 (0.9%) |
| Clinical Registered Dietitian | 10 (0.8%) |
| Registered Dietitian Part Time | 10 (0.8%) |
| Outpatient Dietitian | 9 (0.7%) |
| Clinical Dietitian PRN | 9 (0.7%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Dietitian job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutritionist | 123 | 82 | – | – | – |
| Registered Dietician | 167 | 112 | – | – | communication, medical nutrition therapy, interpersonal skills |
| Registered Dietitian | 1,329 | 462 | $38.46/hr | 1 year | communication, interpersonal skills, medical nutrition therapy |
Dietitian vs Nutritionist
| Dietitian | Nutritionist | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 801 | 123 |
| Employers | 246 | 82 |
| Median advertised pay | – | – |
| Median experience asked | 1 year | – |
| Skills that stand out | – | – |
Registered Dietitian vs Nutritionist
| Registered Dietitian | Nutritionist | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 1,329 | 123 |
| Employers | 462 | 82 |
| Median advertised pay | $38.46/hr | – |
| Median experience asked | 1 year | – |
| Skills that stand out | – | – |
Registered Dietician vs Nutritionist
| Registered Dietician | Nutritionist | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 167 | 123 |
| Employers | 112 | 82 |
| Median advertised pay | – | – |
| Median experience asked | – | – |
| Skills that stand out | – | – |
Dietitian compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitian | $39.00/hr | 1 year | 4,206 | – |
| Nurse Midwife | – | 2 years | 1,206 | 15 |
| Physician Assistant | $150K | 2 years | 2,412 | 16 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $142K | 2 years | 21,109 | 16 |
| Physical Therapist | $104K | 1 year | 29,758 | 13 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Midwife | 15 | – |
| Physician Assistant | 16 | $150K |
| Nurse Practitioner | 16 | $142K |
| Physical Therapist | 13 | $104K |
| Occupational Therapist | 15 | $52.00/hr |
| Pharmacist | 16 | $68.00/hr |
Applying for dietitian jobs?
- Dietitian resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find dietitian jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
What is the starting salary for a dietitian?
What are the highest-paying dietitian jobs?
How much does a Registered Dietitian make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 19 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.