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Dietetics & Nutrition Services

Types of Degrees Dietetics & Nutrition Services Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Dietetics & Nutrition Services can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	28
Associate’s Degree	166
Bachelor’s Degree	2,190
Master’s Degree	2,728
Doctor’s Degree	60

What Dietetics & Nutrition Services Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Dietetics & Nutrition Services emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Dietetics & Nutrition Services program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Dietetics & Nutrition Services professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Dietetics & Nutrition Services graduates include:

• Nutrition Counselor
• Nutrition Coordinator
• Dietary Aide
• Menu Planner
• Therapeutic Dietitian
• Consultant Dietitian
• Sports Nutritionist
• Research Dietitian
• Nutritionist
• Administrative Dietitian
• Dietist
• Clinical Nutritionist
• Food Consultant
• Public Health Dietitian
• Diet Counselor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-baccalaureate certificate	45.2%
Master’s degree	28.2%
Bachelor’s degree	9.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.1%
Postsecondary certificate	4.1%
Some college courses	2.2%
Less than a high school diploma	1.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Dietetics & Nutrition Services?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 87.3% of Dietetics & Nutrition Services degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,526	87.3%
Men	660	12.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,304	63.7%
Asian	269	5.2%
Hispanic or Latino	668	12.9%
Black or African American	395	7.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	26	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	173	3.3%
Race Unknown	187	3.6%
International Students	160	3.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Dietetics & Nutrition Services Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Dietetics & Nutrition Services graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,296
4 years	$49,100
5 years	$54,879

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $54,879 — roughly 27% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Dietetics & Nutrition Services Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Dietetics & Nutrition 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	3	2
Bachelor’s	8	7
Master’s	34	19
Doctoral (Research)	2	1

^{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 Dietetics & Nutrition Services Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Dietetics & Nutrition Services graduates earn a median of $49,100 four years after completion — roughly 29% 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
Health Care Professions	51
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences	51.05
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	51.08
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	51.09
Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services	51.34
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems	51.33
Chiropractic	51.01
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	51.10
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	51.02
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions	51.06
Dentistry	51.04
Energy and Biologically Based Therapies	51.37

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.