---

Food, Nutrition & Related Services

Types of Degrees Food, Nutrition & Related Services Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Food, Nutrition & Related Services can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	13
Associate’s Degree	335
Bachelor’s Degree	1,969
Master’s Degree	1,500
Doctor’s Degree	18

What Food, Nutrition & Related Services Majors Need to Know

Studies in Food, Nutrition & Related Services develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Food, Nutrition & Related Services emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Food, Nutrition & Related Services program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Food, Nutrition & Related Services careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Food, Nutrition & Related Services professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
ValuSoft MasterCook	Data base user interface and query software	—
ESHA Research The Food Processor	Analytical or scientific software	—
Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro	Analytical or scientific software	—
The Nutrition Company FoodWorks	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates include:

• Dietary Aide
• Menu Planner
• Nutrition Counselor
• Nutrition Coordinator
• Pediatric Dietician
• Oncology Dietitian
• Diet Counselor
• Renal Dietitian
• Holistic Nutritionist
• Diet Consultant
• Research Dietitian
• Clinical Dietician
• Outpatient Dietitian
• Registered Dietician
• Registered Dietitian

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-baccalaureate certificate	35.8%
Master’s degree	30.5%
Doctoral degree	12.4%
Bachelor’s degree	7.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.4%
Postsecondary certificate	2.0%
Less than a high school diploma	1.7%
Some college courses	0.9%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%
First professional degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Food, Nutrition & Related Services?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 78.9% of Food, Nutrition & Related Services degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,050	78.9%
Men	817	21.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,111	54.6%
Asian	326	8.4%
Hispanic or Latino	621	16.1%
Black or African American	380	9.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	21	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	7	0.2%
Two or More Races	145	3.7%
Race Unknown	139	3.6%
International Students	117	3.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Food, Nutrition & Related Services Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$35,066
4 years	$41,526
5 years	$47,346

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $47,346 — roughly 35% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Food, Nutrition & Related Services Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Food, Nutrition & Related Services. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	4	7
Bachelor’s	6	7
Master’s	21	15

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Food, Nutrition & Related Services Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates earn a median of $41,526 four years after completion — roughly 9% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Family Consumer Human Sciences	19
Apparel and Textiles	19.09
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies	19.04
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services	19.02
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General	19.01
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Other	19.99
Housing and Human Environments	19.06
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services	19.07
Work and Family Studies	19.00
Work and Family Studies	19.10

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.