Description: Dietitians are experts in food, nutrition, and health. They provide guidance about healthy lifestyles, create recipes and diet plans, and help clients to achieve specific health-related goals.

Knowledge Required: Dietitians possess knowledge of dietetics, nutrition, food science, and food preparation. They evaluate the health of their clients and provide customized advice to clients.

Skills: Strong communication, compassion, time management, interpersonal skills, technical aptitude in the fields of biology, chemistry and physics.

Career Path: Certification is required along with a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, nutrition or a related field from an accredited university. A master’s degree or doctorate is recommended, however, it is not required for certification. Students must complete a 1,200-hour post-bachelor’s internship under the supervision of a licensed dietitian approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree and have met the internship requirement are then qualified to sit for the Registered Dietetics exam administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

Best Cities for this job: Stockton, CA; Redding, CA; Vallejo, CA; Pitssfield, MA; Rochester, MN; Trenton-Ewing, NJ; Vineland, NJ; Alexandria, LA; Greeley, CO; Poughkeepsie, NY.

Median Annual Income: National: $59,300 CA: $ 72,000.

Future Growth: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that jobs for dietitians will grow by 20% from 2015 to 2020, faster than average for all occupations.

From the field: “…I really like the fact that I get to help people and make a difference in their health and hopefully help them live a longer, healthier life.” – Kim G.

Did You Know:  The word dietetics originates from the Greek word diaita, meaning ‘way of life’.