---

Dietitian Assistant

Types of Degrees Dietitian Assistant Majors Are Earning

Those studying Dietitian Assistant may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	5
Associate’s Degree	14
Bachelor’s Degree	254
Master’s Degree	334

What Dietitian Assistant Majors Need to Know

Studies in Dietitian Assistant develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Dietitian Assistant graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Dietitian Assistant emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Dietitian Assistant program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Dietitian Assistant careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Dietitian Assistant graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.8 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.5 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.4 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.3 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Dietitian Assistant professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
CyberSoft NutriBase	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
The Nutrition Company FoodWorks	Analytical or scientific software	—
Gnutrition	Analytical or scientific software	—
USDA Child Nutrition Database	Data base user interface and query software	—
Cybersoft Primero Software Suite	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Desktop publishing software	Desktop publishing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Presentation software	Presentation software	—
Computrition Nutrition Care Management NCM Select	Medical software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Dietitian Assistant graduates include:

• Certified Dietary Manager (CDM)
• Diet Aide
• Nutrition Services Attendant
• Nutrition Technician
• Menu Planner
• Nutrition Associate
• Registered Dietetic Technician (DTR)
• School Nutrition Manager
• Cook Chill Technician (CCT)
• Nutrition Services Assistant
• School Nutrition Assistant
• Dietary Assistant
• Nutrition Coordinator
• Dietetic Assistant
• Dietary Technician (Dietary Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Dietitian Assistant graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	34.6%
Postsecondary certificate	26.9%
Some college courses	14.6%
Less than a high school diploma	9.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.5%
Bachelor’s degree	6.7%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Dietitian Assistant?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 80.5% of Dietitian Assistant degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	495	80.5%
Men	120	19.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Dietitian Assistant graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	370	60.2%
Asian	27	4.4%
Hispanic or Latino	77	12.5%
Black or African American	83	13.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.5%
Two or More Races	14	2.3%
Race Unknown	36	5.9%
International Students	5	0.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Dietitian Assistant Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Dietitian Assistant 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 Dietitian Assistant Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Dietitian Assistant. 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
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{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 Dietitian Assistant Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Dietitian Assistant 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
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services	51.31
Clinical Nutrition/Nutritionist	51.3102
Dietetic Technician	51.3103
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Other	51.3199
Dietetics/Dietitian	51.3101

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.