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Dietitian Assistant

A program that prepares individuals to assist registered dietitians in planning, preparing and serving meals to individuals with specific dietary needs. Includes instruction in equipment use, food preparation, diet regulations, food handling, safety and sanitary standards and administrative techniques and procedures.

Types of Degrees Dietitian Assistant Majors Are Earning

Those studying Dietitian Assistant can earn 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

Programs in Dietitian Assistant build 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

Coursework 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

Skills emphasized 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.
• Writing — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

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.
• Problem Sensitivity — 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
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	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
Gnutrition	Analytical or scientific software	—
NutriGenie Optimal Nutrition	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
CyberSoft NutriBase	Data base user interface and query software	—
Patient electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
ESHA Research The Food Processor	Analytical or scientific software	—
Desktop publishing software	Desktop publishing software	—
USDA Child Nutrition Database	Data base user interface and query software	—
Food Service Solutions FoodCo	Inventory management software	—
eTritionWare	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Cybersoft Primero Software Suite	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Dietitian Assistant graduates include:

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

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?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Dietitian Assistant graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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

Online study 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services	5,186
Dietetics/Dietitian	3,028
Clinical Nutrition/Nutritionist	919
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Other	465
Dietetic Technician	159

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.