Dietitians and Nutritionists Salary: $73,850 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 76,570 dietitians and nutritionists work nationally, and $73,850 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 3.3% annual growth; much hiring sits in health care and social assistance.
Dietitians and Nutritionists: what the data shows
Common questions about dietitians and nutritionists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a dietitians and nutritionists?
Dietitians and Nutritionists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 29-1031.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 76,570 workers.
What does a dietitians and nutritionists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Assisting and Caring for Others, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Documenting/Recording Information, Working with Computers, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a dietitians and nutritionists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $73,850 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $96,955 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $66,078 |
| 25th percentile | $80,377 |
| Median (50th) | $96,185 |
| 75th percentile | $108,624 |
| 90th percentile | $130,924 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Biology, Medicine and Dentistry, English Language, Therapy and Counseling. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is dietitians and nutritionists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 17.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 38.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 76,570.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do dietitians and nutritionistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 76,570 | 16.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 61,930 | 13.6% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 51,390 | 11.3% |
| Hospitals | 45,430 | 10.0% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 40,440 | 8.9% |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | 18,260 | 4.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Dietitians and Nutritionists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistants | 793,460 | $44,200 |
| Physician Assistants | 155,540 | $133,260 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 307,390 | $129,210 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | 487,920 | $43,460 |
| Registered Nurses | 3,282,010 | $93,600 |
| Dental Hygienists | 200,000 | — |
| Occupational Therapists | 152,280 | $98,340 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Dietitians and Nutritionists workforce.
Employment Over Time
76,570 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Dietitians and Nutritionists grew from 22,740 in 2009 to 38,060 in 2025 (67.4%).
Historical employment for Dietitians and Nutritionists from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$73,850 Median pay (BLS national)
Dietitians and Nutritionists earn $73,850 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Salary distribution for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Employment Growth Projections
3.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
44,706 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 17.5%
52,513 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 38.0%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Dietitians and Nutritionists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Dietitians and Nutritionists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Wage Trends by Industry
-0.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 9,630 employees, $94,390 avg wage
- TX: 6,900 employees, $67,100 avg wage
- NY: 5,500 employees, $80,500 avg wage
- FL: 4,800 employees, $70,180 avg wage
- PA: 4,040 employees, $68,810 avg wage
- NC: 2,620 employees, $66,540 avg wage
- NJ: 2,450 employees, $83,080 avg wage
- IL: 2,420 employees, $69,570 avg wage
- MA: 2,390 employees, $82,380 avg wage
- OH: 2,290 employees, $69,970 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 5,370 employees, $85,140 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 3,190 employees, $90,540 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,060 employees, $73,890 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 1,890 employees, $81,400 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 1,820 employees, $71,500 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,650 employees, $70,990 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 1,550 employees, $102,290 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,430 employees, $68,530 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 1,270 employees, $73,830 avg wage
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 1,040 employees, $67,800 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Dietitians and Nutritionists in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Dietitians and Nutritionists is about 76,570 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Dietitians and Nutritionists in 2023 were Health Sciences, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Dietitians and Nutritionists workers.
Education level distribution for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Skills
Dietitians and Nutritionists need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Dietitians and Nutritionists include Biology, Medicine and Dentistry, English Language, Therapy and Counseling, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Dietitians and Nutritionists include Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Speech Clarity.
Required abilities for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Dietitians and Nutritionists.
Daily Activities
Dietitians and Nutritionists spend their time on activities such as Assisting and Caring for Others, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Documenting/Recording Information, Working with Computers.
Most important work activities for Dietitians and Nutritionists.
About
Dietitians and Nutritionists
Dietitians and Nutritionists earn $73,850 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
29-1031 - Dietitians and Nutritionists
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Dietitians and Nutritionists reports an average salary of $96,955.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 76,570 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.