How much do nutritionists and dietitians make?

Nutritionist salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Dietitians and Nutritionists (SOC 29-1031) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Nutritionists and dietitians in the US earned a median of $76,400 a year ($36.73 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $63,080 to $89,340.

Median annual pay: $76,400; Mean $77,130
Median hourly pay: $36.73; Mean $37.08
Typical range (10th–90th): $49.1K–$104K; $49,090 to $103,720
US jobs: 77,570; +7.7% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a nutritionist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: West Virginia

Nutritionist pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$49,090
25th percentile$63,080
Median$76,400
75th percentile$89,340
90th percentile$103,720

Half of all nutritionists and dietitians earned more than $76,400 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $49,090; the top 10% made over $103,720. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $63,080 to $89,340.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$49,090	$23.60	$4,091
25th	$63,080	$30.33	$5,257
Median (50th)	$76,400	$36.73	$6,367
75th	$89,340	$42.95	$7,445
90th	$103,720	$49.87	$8,643
Mean (average)	$77,130	$37.08	$6,428

Nutritionist salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for nutritionists and dietitians by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. California $98,850
2. West Virginia $89,440
3. Alaska $87,980
4. New Jersey $84,450
5. Washington $84,220

Lowest-paying states

51. Mississippi $63,700
50. Wyoming $64,370
49. Arizona $64,410
48. Maine $64,610
47. South Dakota $64,890

Best after cost of living: West Virginia. Its median of $89,440 is worth about $99,936 at national-average prices, more than in California once prices are counted.


Alabama	$66,190	43	$74,519	29	$31.82	780	0.37
Alaska	$87,980	3	$85,952	3	$42.30	130	0.41
Arizona	$64,410	49	$63,977	51	$30.97	1,800	0.56
Arkansas	$65,540	44	$75,388	24	$31.51	650	0.50
California	$98,850	1	$89,279	2	$47.52	8,720	0.48
Colorado	$75,510	18	$73,274	36	$36.30	1,640	0.57
Connecticut	$80,600	10	$77,792	16	$38.75	860	0.51
Delaware	$78,060	11	$78,210	14	$37.53	290	0.59
District of Columbia	$82,150	8	$74,749	27	$39.50	270	0.39
Florida	$76,050	17	$73,539	35	$36.56	4,370	0.44
Georgia	$73,200	23	$76,018	22	$35.19	2,020	0.41
Hawaii	$81,920	9	$74,506	30	$39.38	370	0.59
Idaho	$71,610	26	$74,989	25	$34.43	420	0.49
Illinois	$73,520	22	$73,551	34	$35.35	2,840	0.47
Indiana	$66,450	42	$71,200	42	$31.95	1,670	0.52
Iowa	$72,690	24	$82,826	4	$34.95	630	0.40
Kansas	$66,830	41	$74,199	31	$32.13	580	0.41
Kentucky	$69,520	35	$77,108	18	$33.43	1,040	0.52
Louisiana	$70,460	29	$79,880	7	$33.87	800	0.42
Maine	$64,610	48	$66,574	49	$31.06	510	0.80
Maryland	$77,800	12	$74,124	32	$37.41	1,430	0.52
Massachusetts	$76,660	16	$72,487	39	$36.86	2,860	0.79
Michigan	$66,850	40	$69,478	44	$32.14	2,370	0.54
Minnesota	$77,540	13	$78,624	13	$37.28	1,180	0.40
Mississippi	$63,700	51	$73,258	37	$30.63	540	0.47
Missouri	$65,450	45	$72,068	40	$31.47	1,700	0.58
Montana	$71,580	27	$75,630	23	$34.42	230	0.45
Nebraska	$70,160	30	$77,866	15	$33.73	570	0.56
Nevada	$69,030	36	$69,044	47	$33.19	560	0.36
New Hampshire	$71,840	25	$68,968	48	$34.54	440	0.64
New Jersey	$84,450	4	$77,616	17	$40.60	2,870	0.67
New Mexico	$74,730	20	$81,042	6	$35.93	500	0.58
New York	$82,480	7	$76,426	21	$39.66	5,330	0.55
North Carolina	$67,560	38	$71,624	41	$32.48	2,780	0.56
North Dakota	$70,040	31	$78,733	11	$33.67	270	0.64
Ohio	$69,530	34	$74,946	26	$33.43	3,060	0.55
Oklahoma	$69,560	33	$79,187	9	$33.44	1,230	0.72
Oregon	$84,180	6	$81,443	5	$40.47	700	0.35
Pennsylvania	$67,410	39	$69,087	46	$32.41	4,270	0.70
Rhode Island	$71,300	28	$69,711	43	$34.28	360	0.72
South Carolina	$69,970	32	$74,635	28	$33.64	950	0.41
South Dakota	$64,890	47	$73,251	38	$31.20	210	0.46
Tennessee	$67,620	37	$73,604	33	$32.51	1,230	0.37
Texas	$74,440	21	$76,697	19	$35.79	5,320	0.38
Utah	$65,310	46	$66,060	50	$31.40	1,120	0.65
Vermont	$77,450	14	$79,064	10	$37.24	160	0.52
Virginia	$77,380	15	$76,535	20	$37.20	1,510	0.37
Washington	$84,220	5	$78,701	12	$40.49	1,450	0.41
West Virginia	$89,440	2	$99,936	1	$43.00	520	0.73
Wisconsin	$74,930	19	$79,632	8	$36.03	1,330	0.45
Wyoming	$64,370	50	$69,446	45	$30.95	120	0.43

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for nutritionists and dietitians

277 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$122,910	$111,308	610
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$117,380	$101,528	1,210
Vallejo, CA	$111,430	$102,720	100
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$103,760	$94,417	40
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$102,580	$96,166	550
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$102,060	$93,807	100
Salinas, CA	$101,640	$93,212	60
Napa, CA	$101,050	$89,779	40
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$99,720	$92,518	110
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$98,870	$88,366	620

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	5,490	$86,690	$77,015
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	3,060	$95,450	$84,048
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	2,150	$74,860	$72,996
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	2,030	$73,560	$71,007
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	2,000	$77,840	$71,897
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	1,340	$77,180	$78,253
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	1,320	$77,540	$75,216
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	1,280	$64,420	$62,352
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	1,220	$81,750	$75,080
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	1,210	$117,380	$101,528

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves nutritionist pay: employers and settings

Employer type is one of the clearest pay drivers. Federal government employers, such as VA medical centers, pay a median of $93,850 (well above private employers at $76,380). Local governments, which run many public health programs, pay less: $66,610. Among private settings, outpatient care centers pay $80,790 and general hospitals $78,110. Nursing homes pay $77,750 and food service contractors $74,240.

Location matters as well. California has the highest median at $98,850, followed by West Virginia at $89,440, Alaska at $87,980, New Jersey at $84,450, and Washington at $84,220. The lowest medians are in Arizona at $64,410, Wyoming at $64,370, and Mississippi at $63,700. After adjusting for living costs, West Virginia comes out on top at $99,936.

Across the occupation, pay runs from $49,090, the 10th percentile, to $103,720, the 90th; that is the spread across all dietitians, not a measure of experience. Clinical jobs in hospitals and federal health systems generally call for the RD credential, so it opens the settings shown above, and some dietitians move into management. Private practice income varies widely and depends on building a client base and getting insurance contracts.

Where nutritionists and dietitians work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	26.2%	$78,110
Special Food Services	10%	$74,240
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	9%	$75,350
Outpatient Care Centers	8.9%	$80,790
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	7.6%	$77,750
Offices of Physicians	5%	$74,980

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	63,670	$76,380
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	2,790	$93,850
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	4,360	$72,090
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	6,750	$66,610

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Nutritionist pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$76.4K $57.9K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $57,910 in 2015 to $76,400 in 2025, up 32% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $78,283 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 2% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What nutritionists and dietitians do

A dietitian or nutritionist uses food to prevent and treat disease. In a hospital, a clinical dietitian reviews lab results, weight changes and medications, works out how many calories and how much protein a patient needs, and sets up special diets or tube feedings with the medical team. In an outpatient clinic or private practice, they counsel people with diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, food allergies or eating disorders and help them change how they shop, cook and eat. Community nutritionists run programs for groups such as pregnant women, children or older adults, and management dietitians run food service in hospitals, schools and prisons.

Hospitals are the largest employer, at 26.2% of jobs, followed by food service contractors, therapy practices, outpatient centers and nursing homes. About 8.5% are self-employed and see private clients or consult. The work is mostly done sitting with patients or at a computer charting. The two titles are not the same: "registered dietitian" is a protected credential with set training, while "nutritionist" is regulated in some states and unregulated in others.

A typical day

Screen hospital patients for malnutrition and calculate their calorie, protein and fluid needs
Read lab values, weight history and medication lists to decide what the diet needs to fix
Write nutrition care plans, including texture-modified diets and tube or IV feeding recommendations
Counsel clients with diabetes, kidney disease or high cholesterol on meal planning and label reading
Follow up on progress and adjust the plan when weight, blood sugar or lab results change
Plan menus and check recipes for nursing homes, schools or hospital kitchens
Teach classes or run community programs on prenatal, child or senior nutrition

Also called: dietitian, dietician, registered dietitian, clinical dietician, clinical dietitian, clinical nutritionist, oncology dietitian, outpatient dietitian.

How to become a nutritionist

Full guide

To become a registered dietitian, you need a graduate degree, coursework from an ACEND-accredited program, 1,000 hours of supervised practice, and a pass on the CDR registration exam, then a state license in most states. That usually takes about 6 years after high school.

Typical time: 6 years; Fastest: About 5-6 years
Minimum education: Graduate degree plus ACEND-accredited dietetics coursework and supervised practice (for the RD credential); a bachelor's degree for some nutritionist roles where state law allows
License: Required in many states; some states regulate only the titles, and a few have no rules for nutritionists
Typical training cost: $41.9K–$75.5K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a nutritionist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 6 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $41.9K–$75.5K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $76,400; $25,420 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 55–99%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($25,420 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 1.6–3.0 years after training ends (6 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for nutritionists and dietitians

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +7.7%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 86,300; 93,000 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 5,700; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 8.5%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects jobs for dietitians and nutritionists to grow 7.7% from 2025 to 2035, from 86,300 to 93,000, about twice the 3.5% average for all occupations, with about 5,700 openings a year. Growth comes from the role diet plays in managing diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses, from a larger older population, and from growing interest in preventive care, especially in medical settings. Many employers prefer candidates who hold a credential such as the RD or CNS.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Nutritionist salary FAQ

How much do nutritionists and dietitians make an hour?

The median hourly wage for nutritionists and dietitians was $36.73 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $23.60 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $49.87. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays nutritionists and dietitians the most?

California has the highest median pay for nutritionists and dietitians, $98,850 a year, followed by West Virginia ($89,440) and Alaska ($87,980). After adjusting for each state's price level, West Virginia comes out ahead at about $99,936 in national-average dollars.

Do nutritionists and dietitians make six figures?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of nutritionists and dietitians earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $76,400, and the top 10% earn more than $103,720. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?

A registered dietitian (RD or RDN) has met national requirements set by the Commission on Dietetic Registration: an accredited program, a graduate degree, 1,000 hours of supervised practice and a national exam. "Nutritionist" is a broader title. Some states license it or restrict who can use it, while in others anyone can use it. Every RD can call themselves a nutritionist, but not every nutritionist is an RD.

Can a nutritionist work in a hospital?

Hospitals generally hire registered dietitians for clinical roles, because medical nutrition therapy, tube feeding orders and work with physicians usually require the RD credential and, in many states, a license. Nutritionists without an RD more often work in community programs, wellness, health coaching, food companies or private practice where state law allows. If you want a hospital career, plan for the RD route.

Do dietitians work weekends?

Most dietitians work full time, mostly on weekdays, but hospital and nursing home dietitians may take weekend or holiday rotations because patients need care every day. Outpatient and private practice dietitians may see clients in the evening or on Saturdays to fit around work schedules. Food service and school jobs usually follow the facility's meal schedule, and school jobs often follow the academic year.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1031
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1031.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Dietitians and Nutritionists, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
RDN eligibility requirements, Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) · checked October 28, 2026
Students and Advancing Education, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Registered Dietitian (RD) / Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) · checked October 28, 2026
Become a CNS Supervisor, American Nutrition Association · checked October 28, 2026
2024 Graduate Degree Requirements - Registration Eligibility, Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) · checked October 28, 2026
2026 RD Exam Handbook for Candidates, Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) · checked October 28, 2026
Professional Development Portfolio Guide 2026, Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) · checked October 28, 2026
FAQs About Types of ACEND Accredited Programs, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) · checked October 28, 2026

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