Career
Dietetic technicians
Help dietitians plan meals and nutrition care.
$37,640
Median pay
+2.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
4,200
Openings a year
Associate's degree
Typical education
2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Observe and monitor patient food intake and body weight, and report changes, progress, and dietary problems to dietician.
- Conduct nutritional assessments of individuals, including obtaining and evaluating individuals' dietary histories, to plan nutritional programs.
- Prepare a major meal, following recipes and determining group food quantities.
- Supervise food production or service or assist dietitians or nutritionists in food service supervision or planning.
- Plan menus or diets or guide individuals or families in food selection, preparation, or menu planning, based upon nutritional needs and established guidelines.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on people & care, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Observe and monitor patient food intake and body weight, and report changes, progress, and dietary problems to dietician.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Writing.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $37,640 a year and 4,200 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, GeneralCIP 19.0501
- Nutrition SciencesCIP 30.1901
- Dietetics/DietitianCIP 51.3101
- Dietetic TechnicianCIP 51.3103
- Dietitian AssistantCIP 51.3104
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Dietitians and Nutritionists$76,400 · +7.7%
- Health Education Specialists$64,070 · +5.6%
- Home Health Aides
- Psychiatric Technicians$45,130 · +22.3%
- Community Health Workers$51,850 · +12.7%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.