Clinical Nutritionist: Career and Salary Facts
Find out about the types of jobs you could pursue in clinical nutrition. Read on to learn more about career options along with salary and licensure information.
What Is a Clinical Nutritionist?
A clinical nutritionist is a nutritionist who works in a healthcare institution, such as a hospital, clinic, nursing home or doctor's office. They create diet plans for patients based on their medical needs. For instance, they may develop daily eating schedules for patients who need to manage conditions like celiac disease or PKU. Those who work in long-term care facilities may tailor menus around a specific resident's needs, such as food allergies or an all-liquid diet. While some clinical nutritionists treat patients with a wide variety of medical conditions related to diet and nutrition, others specialize in working with individuals who have a certain disease, such as diabetes or kidney disease.
Take a look at the table below for more information.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Degree Required</b></td><td>Bachelor's degree at minimum; Master's degrees are common</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Education Field of Study</b></td><td>Clinical nutrition or closely related field</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Key Skills</b></td><td>Assess nutritional needs<br/>Develop and implement dietary care plans<br/> Monitor food service operations</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Other Requirements</b></td><td>Licensure required in most states</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Growth (2020-2030)</b></td><td>11%*</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Mean Salary (2020)</b></td><td>$64,150*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatWillIDoAsAClinicalNutritionist">What Will I Do as a Clinical Nutritionist?</h3><p>If you become a clinical nutritionist, your work will generally center on nutritional assessments, program development and education. Nutritional assessments involve recording a patient's medical history, health conditions, eating patterns and other related lifestyle factors. Part of this assessment may include evaluating laboratory tests, such as blood and urine analysis. You can use this information to create action plans or programs that correct or prevent nutritional deficiencies.
</p><p>If you serve as a public health clinical nutritionist, the data you collect will be based on targeted groups, and the programs you develop will be broad-based. However, if you are a clinical nutritionist working in a hospital, you would probably provide assessments for individuals and develop customized nutritional programs for each person.
</p><h3 id="section---HowMuchEducationDoINeed">How Much Education Do I Need?</h3><p>At minimum, you need to complete a bachelor's degree program. This program can be specifically in nutrition or in a non-nutrition health discipline with core nutrition coursework. In a bachelor's degree program, you can usually take courses including biochemistry, anatomy and microbiology. Nutrition courses often cover nutritional counseling and supplementation.
</p><p>More advanced training is available at the graduate level. Master's and doctoral programs include clinical training and classroom instruction in targeted disciplines, such as nutrition in metabolic imbalance, pediatric nutrition, maternity nutrition and critical care nutrition.
</p><h3 id="section---DoIHaveToGetALicenseOrCertification">Do I Have to Get a License or Certification?</h3><p>Licensing requirements for clinical nutritionists in the U.S. vary and are administered at the state level. The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) reports that most states require licensure, but a few states only require state registration or professional certification (<i>www.cdrnet.org</i>). Licensing typically involves meeting specific state-mandated requirements before you can legally practice as a nutritionist. States requiring registration are more lenient, the CDR reported. Professional certification is offered through several organizations, including the Clinical Nutrition Certification Board.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatCouldMySalaryAndJobOutlookBe">What Could My Salary and Job Outlook Be?</h3><p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean salary for dietitians and nutritionists was $64,150 as of May 2020 (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). Clinical nutritionists holding advanced degrees and certifications face the best job prospects, the BLS reported. Job growth from 2020-2030 is expected to be 11%, which is faster than average. Those specializing in diabetes and obesity could see particularly strong job growth.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3><p>If you are looking for a job in a clinical setting, you could also consider becoming a registered nurse (RN). In this job, you could have a wide range of duties, such as examining patients and running diagnostic tests. You might also counsel patients about managing certain conditions and recovering from injuries, which can include offering nutritional advice. To become an RN, you need to have an associate's or bachelor's degree and a license to practice.
</p><p>Another option is to work as a health educator in a medical facility, also known as a patient navigator. In this job, you would help patients better understand the treatments they are receiving and direct them to the resources they need to maintain their health. The minimum educational requirement for this job is a bachelor's degree.</p>