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As health, nutrition and fitness become a way of life for many Americans, the menu of
career options for dietetic professionals is expanding. From restaurants to corporations,
registered dietitians and dietetic technicians are helping people eat right and build
healthy lifestyles in a cornucopia of new settings these days.
"The traditional route for a dietitian has been to work in a hospital after
graduation," says Barbara Gollman, RD, a food and nutrition consultant in Dallas.
"In fact, more and more dietitians are seeking nontraditional career paths," she
says. During her own 11-year career, Gollman has conducted prenatal nutrition courses at
corporate wellness centers, consulted restaurants on how to develop healthier menus,
written her own cookbook and developed recipes for heart-healthy cookbooks.
Registered dietitians are also finding demand for their services increasing in nursing
homes and assisted-living facilities, health clubs and public health settings.
Additionally, some registered dietitians work as consultants to professional sports teams,
conduct nutrition research for universities or corporations and even become chefs.
"Creativity is very valued in the field today, because we can create our own
workplaces," says Gollman.
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Salaries
for Dietetic Professionals
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| According
to the American Dietetic Association, most registered
dietitians with less than five years of experience earn
between $25,000 and $45,000 a year. The average salary
for a dietetic technician is at the lower end of that
scale. "Our wages are not what we'd like them to
be," says Barbara Gollman, RD, a food and nutrition
consultant in Dallas. Part of the reason may be that the
profession's perceived value is low, because females have
traditionally dominated the field. |
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Registered dietetic technicians, with at least a two-year associate's degree, work in a
wide variety of settings. They've traditionally worked in long-term care facilities,
retirement and nursing homes, and hospitals. They're also beginning to find niches in
doctors' offices, pharmaceutical companies, education, food service management and eating
disorder clinics, says Ellen Owens-Summo, program specialist for the dietetic education
program at Central Arizona College in Coolidge, Arizona.
Succeeding as a dietetic technician may entail some unique challenges, according to
Owens-Summo. Many employers don't know about the existence of dietetic technicians, who
perform many of the same tasks as registered dietitians but aren't qualified to take care
of the sickest patients. Therefore, dietetic technicians must market themselves. "You
won't see a lot of jobs for dietetic technicians listed, but there are a lot of jobs out
there," Owens-Summo says. "Sometimes you'll see ads for registered dietitians or
nutritionists, but the employer doesn't actually need someone at that high of a skill
level."
Owens-Summo advises students entering dietetic technician programs to multi-skill by
combining their other interests with their dietetic technician degrees. For example, a
counseling or education degree paired with a dietetic technician credential can open the
door for an exciting career.
For more information about dietetic careers, visit the American Dietetic
Association.
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