Dietitians and Nutritionists
Dietitians and Nutritionists (SOC 29-1031) earn a median $76,400 a year ($36.73 an hour) in the United States, with 77,570 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What dietitians and nutritionists do
Dietitians and nutritionists apply the science of food to health, assessing what people eat and developing plans to prevent or manage disease. Clinical dietitians review laboratory results and medical histories, set up diets for patients with particular health conditions, and confer with physicians and other health care staff about each patient's needs and restrictions. Others plan and run food service or nutrition programs, teach individuals and groups about healthy eating, develop recipes and menus for special needs such as gluten-free or allergen-free diets, and conduct nutritional research. Some supervise a department that provides quantity food service. A plan takes account of a client's cultural, ethnic or religious preferences, allergies, medications and family health history. Education data show that most respondents hold a post-baccalaureate certificate or a master's degree. O*NET lists titles that include clinical, community, administrative and consultant dietitian, which reflects how varied the settings are.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a post-baccalaureate certificate as the typical level of education for this occupation (53 percent).
Also called: Administrative Dietitian, Clinical Dietician, Clinical Dietitian, Clinical Nutritionist, Community Dietitian.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $23.60 | $30.33 | $36.73 | $42.95 | $49.87 | $37.08 | 77,570 |
| Annual | $49,090 | $63,080 | $76,400 | $89,340 | $103,720 | $77,130 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where dietitians and nutritionists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $34.99 | $40.03 | $47.52 | $53.20 | $62.91 | $47.49 | 8,720 | 0.48 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $72,780 | $83,270 | $98,850 | $110,660 | $130,850 | $98,780 | ||||
| West Virginia | Hourly | $26.61 | $34.26 | $43.00 | $44.42 | $49.58 | $39.36 | 520 | 0.73 | 1.47 |
| Annual | $55,350 | $71,270 | $89,440 | $92,390 | $103,130 | $81,860 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $33.70 | $37.66 | $42.30 | $46.88 | $50.95 | $42.22 | 130 | 0.41 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $70,100 | $78,330 | $87,980 | $97,510 | $105,970 | $87,810 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $30.13 | $36.33 | $40.60 | $47.37 | $55.00 | $42.05 | 2,870 | 0.67 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $62,670 | $75,570 | $84,450 | $98,530 | $114,400 | $87,460 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $29.86 | $34.73 | $40.49 | $48.05 | $51.93 | $40.95 | 1,450 | 0.41 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $62,100 | $72,230 | $84,220 | $99,940 | $108,010 | $85,170 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $34.99 | $40.03 | $47.52 | $53.20 | $62.91 | $47.49 | 8,720 | 0.48 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $72,780 | $83,270 | $98,850 | $110,660 | $130,850 | $98,780 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $29.86 | $34.63 | $39.66 | $47.16 | $50.88 | $40.75 | 5,330 | 0.55 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $62,100 | $72,040 | $82,480 | $98,100 | $105,830 | $84,760 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $19.25 | $29.31 | $35.79 | $40.66 | $47.58 | $34.94 | 5,320 | 0.38 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $40,040 | $60,960 | $74,440 | $84,570 | $98,960 | $72,670 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $24.00 | $30.29 | $36.56 | $39.44 | $44.97 | $35.23 | 4,370 | 0.44 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $49,920 | $62,990 | $76,050 | $82,040 | $93,530 | $73,270 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $20.85 | $26.35 | $32.41 | $37.91 | $44.31 | $32.69 | 4,270 | 0.71 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $43,370 | $54,810 | $67,410 | $78,850 | $92,150 | $68,000 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $43.23 | $48.05 | $59.09 | $65.13 | $74.68 | $57.15 | 610 | 0.54 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $89,910 | $99,940 | $122,910 | $135,470 | $155,340 | $118,870 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $32.71 | $45.62 | $56.43 | $65.10 | $69.65 | $53.56 | 1,210 | 0.51 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $68,040 | $94,890 | $117,380 | $135,420 | $144,860 | $111,400 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $37.97 | $45.92 | $53.57 | $62.29 | $71.24 | $54.36 | 100 | 0.67 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $78,970 | $95,500 | $111,430 | $129,560 | $148,190 | $113,070 | ||||
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | Hourly | $36.43 | $43.71 | $49.88 | $60.58 | $61.02 | $49.81 | 40 | 0.44 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $75,770 | $90,910 | $103,760 | $126,000 | $126,920 | $103,600 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | $36.84 | $45.03 | $49.32 | $56.05 | $66.83 | $50.18 | 550 | 0.51 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $76,630 | $93,660 | $102,580 | $116,580 | $139,000 | $104,370 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $30.87 | $37.73 | $41.68 | $48.52 | $55.00 | $42.93 | 5,490 | 0.58 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $64,210 | $78,480 | $86,690 | $100,920 | $114,400 | $89,300 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $35.50 | $39.23 | $45.89 | $49.84 | $56.02 | $45.10 | 3,060 | 0.49 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $73,840 | $81,600 | $95,450 | $103,680 | $116,510 | $93,810 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $23.22 | $29.92 | $35.99 | $42.81 | $47.23 | $35.78 | 2,150 | 0.74 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $48,300 | $62,230 | $74,860 | $89,050 | $98,230 | $74,410 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $23.58 | $30.95 | $35.36 | $39.24 | $44.12 | $35.40 | 2,030 | 0.45 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $49,040 | $64,380 | $73,560 | $81,630 | $91,780 | $73,620 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $31.02 | $34.86 | $37.43 | $45.63 | $51.71 | $40.01 | 2,000 | 0.74 | 1.48 |
| Annual | $64,520 | $72,500 | $77,840 | $94,910 | $107,570 | $83,210 | ||||
Top industries employing dietitians and nutritionists
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals employ 26.2% of dietitians and nutritionists nationally (20,290 jobs) at a median $78,110 a year ($37.55 an hour), followed by Special Food Services (10.0%) and Offices of Other Health Practitioners (9.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 20,290 | 26.2% | $78,110 | $37.55 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 7,740 | 10.0% | $74,240 | $35.69 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300 | 6,980 | 9.0% | $75,350 | $36.23 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | 6,930 | 8.9% | $80,790 | $38.84 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) NAICS 623100 | 5,930 | 7.6% | $77,750 | $37.38 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (77,570). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $61,650 for dietitians and nutritionists in May 2021 and $76,400 in May 2025, with employment of 66,690 and 77,570.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $61,650 | $29.64 | 66,690 |
| May 2022 | $66,450 | $31.95 | 69,880 |
| May 2023 | $69,680 | $33.50 | 73,860 |
| May 2024 | $73,850 | $35.50 | 76,570 |
| May 2025 | $76,400 | $36.73 | 77,570 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $47.52 | $98,850 | $72,780 | $130,850 | 8,720 | 0.48 | 0.96 |
| 2 | West Virginia profile | $43.00 | $89,440 | $55,350 | $103,130 | 520 | 0.73 | 1.47 |
| 3 | Alaska profile | $42.30 | $87,980 | $70,100 | $105,970 | 130 | 0.41 | 0.82 |
| 4 | New Jersey profile | $40.60 | $84,450 | $62,670 | $114,400 | 2,870 | 0.67 | 1.34 |
| 5 | Washington profile | $40.49 | $84,220 | $62,100 | $108,010 | 1,450 | 0.41 | 0.82 |
| 6 | Oregon profile | $40.47 | $84,180 | $65,400 | $105,020 | 700 | 0.35 | 0.71 |
| 7 | New York profile | $39.66 | $82,480 | $62,100 | $105,830 | 5,330 | 0.55 | 1.10 |
| 8 | District of Columbia profile | $39.50 | $82,150 | $50,010 | $111,530 | 270 | 0.39 | 0.78 |
| 9 | Hawaii profile | $39.38 | $81,920 | $65,330 | $100,610 | 370 | 0.59 | 1.19 |
| 10 | Connecticut profile | $38.75 | $80,600 | $61,570 | $100,140 | 860 | 0.51 | 1.01 |
| 11 | Delaware profile | $37.53 | $78,060 | $57,810 | $111,600 | 290 | 0.60 | 1.19 |
| 12 | Maryland profile | $37.41 | $77,800 | $61,470 | $100,900 | 1,430 | 0.52 | 1.04 |
| 13 | Minnesota profile | $37.28 | $77,540 | $62,660 | $94,580 | 1,180 | 0.40 | 0.80 |
| 14 | Vermont profile | $37.24 | $77,450 | $61,960 | $102,500 | 160 | 0.52 | 1.04 |
| 15 | Virginia profile | $37.20 | $77,380 | $44,940 | $103,130 | 1,510 | 0.37 | 0.74 |
| 16 | Massachusetts profile | $36.86 | $76,660 | $63,310 | $107,150 | 2,860 | 0.79 | 1.58 |
| 17 | Florida profile | $36.56 | $76,050 | $49,920 | $93,530 | 4,370 | 0.44 | 0.88 |
| 18 | Colorado profile | $36.30 | $75,510 | $59,840 | $114,350 | 1,640 | 0.57 | 1.14 |
| 19 | Wisconsin profile | $36.03 | $74,930 | $58,040 | $91,520 | 1,330 | 0.45 | 0.90 |
| 20 | New Mexico profile | $35.93 | $74,730 | $56,260 | $91,660 | 500 | 0.58 | 1.16 |
| 21 | Texas profile | $35.79 | $74,440 | $40,040 | $98,960 | 5,320 | 0.38 | 0.76 |
| 22 | Illinois profile | $35.35 | $73,520 | $51,330 | $115,190 | 2,840 | 0.47 | 0.93 |
| 23 | Georgia profile | $35.19 | $73,200 | $47,250 | $96,430 | 2,020 | 0.41 | 0.83 |
| 24 | Iowa profile | $34.95 | $72,690 | $50,720 | $92,940 | 630 | 0.40 | 0.81 |
| 25 | New Hampshire profile | $34.54 | $71,840 | $33,280 | $92,810 | 440 | 0.64 | 1.28 |
| 26 | Idaho profile | $34.43 | $71,610 | $47,870 | $87,780 | 420 | 0.49 | 0.98 |
| 27 | Montana profile | $34.42 | $71,580 | $60,280 | $90,740 | 230 | 0.45 | 0.90 |
| 28 | Rhode Island profile | $34.28 | $71,300 | $51,060 | $100,770 | 360 | 0.72 | 1.44 |
| 29 | Louisiana profile | $33.87 | $70,460 | $49,230 | $91,560 | 800 | 0.42 | 0.83 |
| 30 | Nebraska profile | $33.73 | $70,160 | $57,340 | $89,550 | 570 | 0.56 | 1.12 |
| 31 | North Dakota profile | $33.67 | $70,040 | $59,860 | $86,260 | 270 | 0.64 | 1.28 |
| 32 | South Carolina profile | $33.64 | $69,970 | $40,630 | $95,020 | 950 | 0.41 | 0.82 |
| 33 | Oklahoma profile | $33.44 | $69,560 | $39,580 | $86,990 | 1,230 | 0.72 | 1.45 |
| 34 | Ohio profile | $33.43 | $69,530 | $36,970 | $91,820 | 3,060 | 0.55 | 1.10 |
| 35 | Kentucky profile | $33.43 | $69,520 | $31,820 | $89,710 | 1,040 | 0.52 | 1.04 |
| 36 | Nevada profile | $33.19 | $69,030 | $35,820 | $101,400 | 560 | 0.36 | 0.72 |
| 37 | Tennessee profile | $32.51 | $67,620 | $40,860 | $90,200 | 1,230 | 0.37 | 0.75 |
| 38 | North Carolina profile | $32.48 | $67,560 | $48,910 | $88,860 | 2,780 | 0.56 | 1.13 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania profile | $32.41 | $67,410 | $43,370 | $92,150 | 4,270 | 0.71 | 1.41 |
| 40 | Michigan profile | $32.14 | $66,850 | $48,420 | $84,530 | 2,370 | 0.54 | 1.08 |
| 41 | Kansas profile | $32.13 | $66,830 | $56,320 | $90,310 | 580 | 0.41 | 0.81 |
| 42 | Indiana profile | $31.95 | $66,450 | $43,050 | $84,320 | 1,670 | 0.52 | 1.05 |
| 43 | Alabama profile | $31.82 | $66,190 | $50,970 | $87,450 | 780 | 0.37 | 0.74 |
| 44 | Arkansas profile | $31.51 | $65,540 | $44,700 | $174,060 | 650 | 0.50 | 1.00 |
| 45 | Missouri profile | $31.47 | $65,450 | $43,980 | $85,900 | 1,700 | 0.58 | 1.16 |
| 46 | Utah profile | $31.40 | $65,310 | $35,860 | $99,770 | 1,120 | 0.65 | 1.29 |
| 47 | South Dakota profile | $31.20 | $64,890 | $50,260 | $88,710 | 210 | 0.46 | 0.91 |
| 48 | Maine profile | $31.06 | $64,610 | $35,360 | $129,180 | 510 | 0.80 | 1.60 |
| 49 | Arizona profile | $30.97 | $64,410 | $43,150 | $92,370 | 1,800 | 0.56 | 1.11 |
| 50 | Wyoming profile | $30.95 | $64,370 | $42,770 | $100,930 | 120 | 0.43 | 0.85 |
| 51 | Mississippi profile | $30.63 | $63,700 | $42,810 | $86,260 | 540 | 0.47 | 0.94 |
Part of Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 29-1031 Dietitians and Nutritionists.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 29-1031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 29-1031.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.