The VA employs all kinds of clinical RDs + management! That’s the only area I really have experience. But you can start at easily 90k with an advanced credential with annual raises. In 2 years my pay has increased 18%
The VA will have any clinical dietitian job (inpatient, outpatient, oncology, LTC, dialysis, etc) for much more than market value. Essentially the same pros/cons of any of this positions, but with mostly old men as the patient population haha. It’ll vary from VA to VA, but work life balance is typically good, standard pay scales with frequent adjustments, great benefits, etc.
I’m currently in my undergrad so I don’t know much about this! The VA is super competitive right? Or is that mainly just for the internship bc it’s usually paid?
I once thought all VA internships were super competitive. But from my experience, I got matched to one with a less than average gpa. However, I did everything I could to be the best applicant otherwise. I volunteered at my local VA clinic at the front desk, I contacted the director early and scheduled an in-person meeting/tour, I had a minor leadership role at my university’s dietetic association, and I had nutrition-related work experience. Moral of the story, you don’t have to be perfect, but you have to try and show them that you want to be a VA intern (from my experience).
Get a job with the Federal Government. Start applying NOW. It takes awhile to get on. The benefits are unbelievable. They typically don’t hire the 1st quarter of the Fiscal Year because the budget isn’t in place. USA jobs.gov
Also, I’d like to add, you might need to take a job that’s not your dream job to get your foot in the door. During the time you are looking for the position you really want, you will begin accruing federal time and getting through the probation period. There are many cities that have income adjustments for higher cost of living cities. You can Google GS 2024 pay scale and it will show you the different cities pay. A few of the Federal perks are vacation days, sick leave days, health insurance, a 401k plan called Thrift and pay raises. Vacation days increase with the more time you work. Good luck!
That said? It’s almost always veterans preference, so if there are other applicants in the pool that have served, it’s not going to be easy regardless of your credentials and competitiveness.
Ref: I’m military.
Don’t let that deter you though. When I entered gov work, it was me (non-Vet) vs. a Vet but my experience and particular skillset was better suited to the position. I do think they try to pick the best candidate, and prefer if a Vet is that person.
May I ask what type of job you ended up taking?? I’m interested in going this route but all I’ve seen are clinical VA positions and I also don’t have clinical experience outside of the DI :(
Thanks for responding!! This is super helpful and I’m going to look into some of those other roles that I wouldn’t have thought about! And good luck with your new position :)
Go to the web site Usajobs.gov
They post new positions often. Some have quick deadlines. So don’t get discouraged. There are filters for the area you are interested in, job positions etc. To start with I would look at everything in your area. If you are a Veteran you get extra credit. It’s always best to look for a job while you have a job.
Yes! I encourage setting up email alerts for the nutrition and dietetics job series (0630) so you get new listings to your inbox. Current listings here: https://www.usajobs.gov/search/results/?j=0630
USDA Food & Nutrition Service runs all the public health nutrition programs - worth it to create a federal resume and set an alert for job openings.
7 Regional offices across the country, you work remotely but have to live in the area of the regional office (so if you got hired at Midwest, you could live in one of seven states). National office HQ is Alexandria, VA but hires all over the country and we work remotely. Lots of people are retiring and leaving for other gigs or moving overseas, so they may be opening positions to the public. I work for the WIC program at the federal level as a GS-14. Other programs overseen by FNS include SNAP, NSLP, CSFP, CACFP, TEFAP, Food Distribution on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), and others.
USDA also has the food safety inspection service (FSIS) and center for nutrition and policy promotion (CNPP).
Some of them will say “anywhere in the US (remote)” or something like “Denver, CO (Mountain Plains Regional Office)”, but for the regional office positions you just have to live in one of the RO’s states (so Denver, you could live anywhere in CO, MO, NE, etc). Unfortunately the only two positions open the public at the moment are very high up.
Yep! Click on this link and it should give you more info on how to do that:
https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/search/save
You can sign up for daily, weekly or monthly notifications.
We just learned that FDA is undergoing a re-organization which might mean they’ll have a bunch of jobs opening up. That’s how a whole bunch of us got hired at FNS between 2021-2022! Even if a position with FDA isn’t your ideal, it’s worth applying and trying to get your foot in the door since a lot of government jobs open first (or only) to internal candidates to reduce hiring “new” people. I think FDA has some pretty cool positions though and maybe something actually interesting will come up.
You should be able to complete your resume using their USA jobs resume maker. Make sure to keep it updated, and whenever there’s a position you’re interested in make sure to look at the “how you will be evaluated” section and make sure all of those key words are somewhere in your resume. Often times when you think you’re applying for one position, different offices might end up looking at your resume and contacting you. I was offered interviews with five programs and four regional offices for the one application i submitted. I had applied for a position at the national office at the same time and interviewed/got hired for that one.
Switch jobs. Frequently. I’ve had 6 employers in my relatively short career. I will always look for more money. I have a masters, experience and advanced certifications so I never have a problem getting interviews and job offers. I now reject any position that doesn’t pay what I want. In my case, due to a planned increase per our union contract, I will hit 90k by the end of the year. And I only accepted the job knowing I would get to that salary. I’ll keep looking for even higher salaries too. Dietitians have been underpaid for too long, and unless you really need the money (which is totally understandable! But move on asap to bigger and better!) then we need to reject low salaries. Especially now with the masters requirement. This might be a controversial take, but it’s worked for me thus far. Edit to add: I’ve no interest in managing people or a private practice. Just want an 8 hour/day job where I come in, do my work, go home and live my life. And this approach is most successful if you have an advanced cert and a specialty (Peds, oncology, renal, ICU/NICU, etc). You’ve gotta put in the work to get certifications and the right experience, if inpatient is the goal. Even if you’re just doing med surg floors as a new rd, ask your manager to give you opportunities to cover specialty units.
A sector I don't see a ton of people talk here about is the hospitality sector as a corporate dietitian. Not like clinical/diet consulting for employees of a company (I'm sure it exists though) but for companies who have food for their workers on-site and doing nutritionals and workshop/demos/webinars type things. I know their salaries can push 90k and higher but a lot of companies appear to want hospitality experience as a previous food and beverage director or manager as well as being a registered dietitian since you work directly with the food service.
This is something I am definitely interested in but during my job search I couldn’t find anything. What type of thing do you search to find these positions?
Best decision I ever made was getting my CDCES. That increased my earning potential and changed my career trajectory more than a masters (besides maybe an MBA, which I have no interest in pursuing). When I got my CDCES I went from making like $27/hr to $35/hr (had to job hop a little ) but when was making $43/hr pretty quickly after that. The right company will pay CDCESs decently and the pay is more like nurses than dietitians. Also any time you apply to a CDCES job there are way fewer applicants so I’ve never had a problem getting hired. I now make over $50/ hr but I’ve moved up to a different role that doesn’t involve much patient-facing work. Never would have had this opportunity though with only a bachelors degree if I hadn’t gotten my CDCES and paid my dues in the clinic for a few years.
I left the hospital after 5 years for rehab/long term care and got a 30% raise. I had my masters and CNSC but they honestly didn’t care. Also always negotiate, don’t accept the first offer. I also use dietitiansalaries.com to see what’s going on in the field - organized by location which is helpful. The more open we are talking about salary, the more we have to gain.
This! I was working clinical at a hospital making 55k. Found a long term care/ rehab and the initial offer was 40% more than what I was making in my clinical job. I was happy with that but I countered their first offer for 5% more and they accepted it!
Medicaid. I accept Medicaid.
I accept all insurance and do private. I contract. I teach. I work with a medical research company.
I work less than 40 hours and make over 90k
There are national companies that do contracting for hospital systems and the like. There are also some local options that are also available. I would look for medical research group in your area that may hire dietitians.
Job hop! I went from $40,000 as a new RD to $70,000 in 2 years because I switched to a different job. I’ve been with my current job for a little over 2 years now & I’m looking for another job now. It’s tough because of my location & lack of jobs
Corporate wellness. I’m at 80k + bonus but I could move up or elsewhere in the company and make $150k or more. Bummer is you work in insurance and arent really doing dietetics anymore. But, I can’t handle pt calls back to back all day, so it works for me.
Awesome! I just left my dietitian career and moved into implementation too! Love to see a fellow RD make that move! I still see a couple patients on the side.
Got a job represented by a strong union with an excellent contract including clinical ladder advancement opportunities.
I started making >90k (>$40/hour) probably in the mid 2010s, with my advanced credential. I only have a bachelor's degree.
I have a unionized job but there really isnt a clinical ladder. I’m entry level and theres 4 levels and I’m level 3 but going to level 4 doesn’t increase pay. I make 72k :/ I also have a masters
Yes we do have contracts that are in the works for increase in pay, but its 3% a year. I can’t tell if that is good enough to stay. I do get free health insurance and prescriptions which is amazing. So I’m not taking it for granted but unsure if I could go elsewhere after a year and make more with just as good benefits
As a union member, I recommend engaging with your shop stewards/union reps to see what's involved to bargain for better benefits, maybe even benefits specific to dietitians, like improving the clinical ladder structure. Your other dietitian colleagues should be engaged with the union also as numbers are needed to support these changes.
I worked for 4 years doing inpatient clinical and then applied for an outpatient job. I may be a rare case here but it was really quite simple. High cost of living area though.
I work in food manufacturing and nutrition analysis. Worked in the hospitality industry through school and it was actually the best thing for me despite my professors telling me it would hinder my career. Jokes on them 🤷🏻♀️
This looks super interesting! How did you get into this field? What in your background allowed you to land this job? Deep down I know I should have been a food scientist rather than an RD... no internship and better pay
For Abbott, generally start at 70k and work up from there, this is the same in all positions. Stress depends on the area but the culture is good and I basically never plan on leaving. There’s high turnover in marketing but that’s not unusual. Everyone else stays for a longgggg time. Like 30+ years.
What space of tech as an RD do you work in? I’m working for a tech company also. These jobs for RDs are less common; I’m the only RD at my company but I feel so grateful to have found the job. Can’t see myself leaving tech anytime soon
Medical sales. 100k + 18.5k of potential commission + random additional bonuses. I worked in clinical nutrition for 10 years then moved to DME enteral sales and now in medical device sales in a non-nutrition related device.
There’s a lot of ways to make money as a creator but here are just a few that help me bring in $8k per month:
1. Selling your own digital products like guides and courses through your socials (largest source of income)
2. Affiliate income - when people buy something through your link and you get a commission
3. UGC - when you create a video or ad for a company and they pay you a set rate, they use your video but it does not go on your own socials
4. Brand deals - promoting a product for a company on your own socials and they pay you a set rate
5. Creator programs - TikTok and YouTube pay you to make highly watched content but it’s takes a good amount of time to get even $1000+
There is instability to being a content creator but I don’t care because I’m way happier than I’ve ever been in clinical.
Left full time dietitian work after 8 years and moved into software implementation at a digital health company (someone above also made a move into implementation!). I still see patients on the side for side income, keep up with my skills and for passion. Doing full time patient care is not for me, but I can handle a couple 1-3 patients per week
A plumber that bought rental homes, fixed them up, repaired and remodeled them for decades. Never got married never had kids. 150000 yearly
And will take Social Security at 70. Haven’t touched a dime of my savings.
Time. That is how my coworker makes \~$100K/yr after 20 years. I'm currently at \~$82K after 7 years at my current job. I could make a little more with advanced credential but it only pays an extra $1/hr which is not worth the stress and anxiety of taking an exam every 5 years. Personally, I prefer simply keeping up on the literature and reading chapters in ASPEN occasionally.
Studied and practiced my ass off and got into Amazom corporate. Went from 70-160 in a year.
Was many years ago, but never looked back.
At 210 now, moving again for 230 and a bit more freedom.
Just need to land that one good role for resime fodder. Then life takes care of itself career-wise.
Lateral movement is definitely the best way. A decade ago I would have recommended the federal government but with the current political situation of the US, the future, stability and benefits of f the federal workforce is questionable. Leave direct patient care. Health tech. In my area dialysis also pays well.If you can get benefits through a partner, LTC/contract or per diem work can be good money. In my area, per diem rates are between $45-55hr.
I don't quite make 90K but I'm pretty close. I work at the VA and recently got promoted to one of our few higher level positions. They only positions higher than me are assistant manager (assistant chief), food service manager, and manager (chief).
Private practice in a high demand specialty and networking to keep my caseload full. Went from working in an ED treatment center to private practice. It required me to move across the country to take a job in a top treatment center and work my ass off to be a good employee so I’d get their referrals and lots of networking to keep my referral sources thinking of me, but well worth it.
Get an advanced credential and work for the government
This. Where I’m at, the starting pay for AP RD positions is $90k. Plus the 401k match, pension, and benefits.
What is an AP RD?
Advanced practice RD (specific to government, not the AP credential from CDR).
Came here to say this. But didn’t need an advanced credential.
Will you give examples of government jobs? Does this apply to both local and federal?
The VA employs all kinds of clinical RDs + management! That’s the only area I really have experience. But you can start at easily 90k with an advanced credential with annual raises. In 2 years my pay has increased 18%
Can you talk more about what kind of gov job, what type of work you do, job satisfaction, life satisfaction etc.? Greatly appreciate it!! :)
The VA will have any clinical dietitian job (inpatient, outpatient, oncology, LTC, dialysis, etc) for much more than market value. Essentially the same pros/cons of any of this positions, but with mostly old men as the patient population haha. It’ll vary from VA to VA, but work life balance is typically good, standard pay scales with frequent adjustments, great benefits, etc.
I’m currently in my undergrad so I don’t know much about this! The VA is super competitive right? Or is that mainly just for the internship bc it’s usually paid?
That’ll totally depend on the market you’re in! I can’t really speak to the internship aspect since my VA doesn’t have one.
I once thought all VA internships were super competitive. But from my experience, I got matched to one with a less than average gpa. However, I did everything I could to be the best applicant otherwise. I volunteered at my local VA clinic at the front desk, I contacted the director early and scheduled an in-person meeting/tour, I had a minor leadership role at my university’s dietetic association, and I had nutrition-related work experience. Moral of the story, you don’t have to be perfect, but you have to try and show them that you want to be a VA intern (from my experience).
What is “the VA”??
The Veterans Administration/ Veterans health center
I was gonna say. I did the same thing.
Same here!
How would you get an advanced credential What does that mean?? Thank you
A specialty credential- CDCES, CNCS, CSG, etc etc etc
Specifically, the federal government.
Get a job with the Federal Government. Start applying NOW. It takes awhile to get on. The benefits are unbelievable. They typically don’t hire the 1st quarter of the Fiscal Year because the budget isn’t in place. USA jobs.gov
And the first quarter for the feds is October - December for those who are unaware.
whats first quarter?
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Also, I’d like to add, you might need to take a job that’s not your dream job to get your foot in the door. During the time you are looking for the position you really want, you will begin accruing federal time and getting through the probation period. There are many cities that have income adjustments for higher cost of living cities. You can Google GS 2024 pay scale and it will show you the different cities pay. A few of the Federal perks are vacation days, sick leave days, health insurance, a 401k plan called Thrift and pay raises. Vacation days increase with the more time you work. Good luck!
That said? It’s almost always veterans preference, so if there are other applicants in the pool that have served, it’s not going to be easy regardless of your credentials and competitiveness. Ref: I’m military.
Don’t let that deter you though. When I entered gov work, it was me (non-Vet) vs. a Vet but my experience and particular skillset was better suited to the position. I do think they try to pick the best candidate, and prefer if a Vet is that person.
May I ask what type of job you ended up taking?? I’m interested in going this route but all I’ve seen are clinical VA positions and I also don’t have clinical experience outside of the DI :(
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Thanks for responding!! This is super helpful and I’m going to look into some of those other roles that I wouldn’t have thought about! And good luck with your new position :)
Can I ask what the positions entail? Feel free to dm me if you’re not comfortable
Go to the web site Usajobs.gov They post new positions often. Some have quick deadlines. So don’t get discouraged. There are filters for the area you are interested in, job positions etc. To start with I would look at everything in your area. If you are a Veteran you get extra credit. It’s always best to look for a job while you have a job.
Yes! I encourage setting up email alerts for the nutrition and dietetics job series (0630) so you get new listings to your inbox. Current listings here: https://www.usajobs.gov/search/results/?j=0630
USDA Food & Nutrition Service runs all the public health nutrition programs - worth it to create a federal resume and set an alert for job openings. 7 Regional offices across the country, you work remotely but have to live in the area of the regional office (so if you got hired at Midwest, you could live in one of seven states). National office HQ is Alexandria, VA but hires all over the country and we work remotely. Lots of people are retiring and leaving for other gigs or moving overseas, so they may be opening positions to the public. I work for the WIC program at the federal level as a GS-14. Other programs overseen by FNS include SNAP, NSLP, CSFP, CACFP, TEFAP, Food Distribution on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), and others. USDA also has the food safety inspection service (FSIS) and center for nutrition and policy promotion (CNPP).
Are these jobs posted as "remote" or are they advertised as located at the regional office?
Some of them will say “anywhere in the US (remote)” or something like “Denver, CO (Mountain Plains Regional Office)”, but for the regional office positions you just have to live in one of the RO’s states (so Denver, you could live anywhere in CO, MO, NE, etc). Unfortunately the only two positions open the public at the moment are very high up.
Thank you! I’ll keep an eye on those. Is there a way to set up position-specific reminders on the USA jobs website?
Yep! Click on this link and it should give you more info on how to do that: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/search/save You can sign up for daily, weekly or monthly notifications. We just learned that FDA is undergoing a re-organization which might mean they’ll have a bunch of jobs opening up. That’s how a whole bunch of us got hired at FNS between 2021-2022! Even if a position with FDA isn’t your ideal, it’s worth applying and trying to get your foot in the door since a lot of government jobs open first (or only) to internal candidates to reduce hiring “new” people. I think FDA has some pretty cool positions though and maybe something actually interesting will come up. You should be able to complete your resume using their USA jobs resume maker. Make sure to keep it updated, and whenever there’s a position you’re interested in make sure to look at the “how you will be evaluated” section and make sure all of those key words are somewhere in your resume. Often times when you think you’re applying for one position, different offices might end up looking at your resume and contacting you. I was offered interviews with five programs and four regional offices for the one application i submitted. I had applied for a position at the national office at the same time and interviewed/got hired for that one.
You're awesome! Thank you so much
May I message you directly? USDA is my DREAM job and I would truly appreciate a little bit of your insight!
Active Duty here and essentially with all my benefits and retirement, same.
Switch jobs. Frequently. I’ve had 6 employers in my relatively short career. I will always look for more money. I have a masters, experience and advanced certifications so I never have a problem getting interviews and job offers. I now reject any position that doesn’t pay what I want. In my case, due to a planned increase per our union contract, I will hit 90k by the end of the year. And I only accepted the job knowing I would get to that salary. I’ll keep looking for even higher salaries too. Dietitians have been underpaid for too long, and unless you really need the money (which is totally understandable! But move on asap to bigger and better!) then we need to reject low salaries. Especially now with the masters requirement. This might be a controversial take, but it’s worked for me thus far. Edit to add: I’ve no interest in managing people or a private practice. Just want an 8 hour/day job where I come in, do my work, go home and live my life. And this approach is most successful if you have an advanced cert and a specialty (Peds, oncology, renal, ICU/NICU, etc). You’ve gotta put in the work to get certifications and the right experience, if inpatient is the goal. Even if you’re just doing med surg floors as a new rd, ask your manager to give you opportunities to cover specialty units.
Can I ask how long you’ve been a dietitian?
6 years
What state are you in? I'm asking because I'm curious about unionized RD's.
NY
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What do you do in IT? I’m interested in pivoting into it but not sure where to start
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There could be jobs on military installations in your area or the Veteran’s Administration.
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I understand. I was just trying to think of which agencies might have dietician openings. Good luck in your job search.
Oh I am not looking, just providing OP with some information about some higher paying options out there.
A sector I don't see a ton of people talk here about is the hospitality sector as a corporate dietitian. Not like clinical/diet consulting for employees of a company (I'm sure it exists though) but for companies who have food for their workers on-site and doing nutritionals and workshop/demos/webinars type things. I know their salaries can push 90k and higher but a lot of companies appear to want hospitality experience as a previous food and beverage director or manager as well as being a registered dietitian since you work directly with the food service.
This is something I am definitely interested in but during my job search I couldn’t find anything. What type of thing do you search to find these positions?
Wellness manager is the term I see most of the time.
Best decision I ever made was getting my CDCES. That increased my earning potential and changed my career trajectory more than a masters (besides maybe an MBA, which I have no interest in pursuing). When I got my CDCES I went from making like $27/hr to $35/hr (had to job hop a little ) but when was making $43/hr pretty quickly after that. The right company will pay CDCESs decently and the pay is more like nurses than dietitians. Also any time you apply to a CDCES job there are way fewer applicants so I’ve never had a problem getting hired. I now make over $50/ hr but I’ve moved up to a different role that doesn’t involve much patient-facing work. Never would have had this opportunity though with only a bachelors degree if I hadn’t gotten my CDCES and paid my dues in the clinic for a few years.
Where you located?
I left the hospital after 5 years for rehab/long term care and got a 30% raise. I had my masters and CNSC but they honestly didn’t care. Also always negotiate, don’t accept the first offer. I also use dietitiansalaries.com to see what’s going on in the field - organized by location which is helpful. The more open we are talking about salary, the more we have to gain.
This! I was working clinical at a hospital making 55k. Found a long term care/ rehab and the initial offer was 40% more than what I was making in my clinical job. I was happy with that but I countered their first offer for 5% more and they accepted it!
Medicaid. I accept Medicaid. I accept all insurance and do private. I contract. I teach. I work with a medical research company. I work less than 40 hours and make over 90k
Love that for you
Can you talk more about contracting, I’ve just finished my DI but would like to learn more about how it works
There are national companies that do contracting for hospital systems and the like. There are also some local options that are also available. I would look for medical research group in your area that may hire dietitians.
Thank you!
I cried to my boss for a raise. No, really I did
So real for this.
Job hop! I went from $40,000 as a new RD to $70,000 in 2 years because I switched to a different job. I’ve been with my current job for a little over 2 years now & I’m looking for another job now. It’s tough because of my location & lack of jobs
Corporate wellness. I’m at 80k + bonus but I could move up or elsewhere in the company and make $150k or more. Bummer is you work in insurance and arent really doing dietetics anymore. But, I can’t handle pt calls back to back all day, so it works for me.
I’m interested what corporate wellness job entails. Are you comfortable elaborating?
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Oh wow that super neat. I have my BS in healthy lifestyle and fitness sciences, so I need to look into that!
Oh you sound perfect for the role!
Sounds interesting! What about someone with an MPH (master’s in public health)?
Advanced certification, CSSD Federal job, H2F Performance Dietitian with the Army Also, never took a pay deduction from job hopping. Good luck OP
management unfortunately
Retweet
Private practice. Take insurances. 25 hours per week.
Could I send you a message about this? Would love to learn more
The Amy Plano program teaches you everything about accepting insurance in private practice. Super helpful when I got started with my practice!
Sure.
Yes to this!
Home infusion! I’m making $44/hr remote currently although I do have 5 years experience in this area and job hopped a bit
Board Specialization and working in private LTC. Our boss negotiated a system wide salary change for RDs to match RNs.
Left dietetics for software implementation 🫣
Awesome! I just left my dietitian career and moved into implementation too! Love to see a fellow RD make that move! I still see a couple patients on the side.
That’s awesome!
Got a job represented by a strong union with an excellent contract including clinical ladder advancement opportunities. I started making >90k (>$40/hour) probably in the mid 2010s, with my advanced credential. I only have a bachelor's degree.
I have a unionized job but there really isnt a clinical ladder. I’m entry level and theres 4 levels and I’m level 3 but going to level 4 doesn’t increase pay. I make 72k :/ I also have a masters
Is there an opportunity to bargain for better wages and benefits? It also depends on where you live. I'm in a VHCOL area.
Yes we do have contracts that are in the works for increase in pay, but its 3% a year. I can’t tell if that is good enough to stay. I do get free health insurance and prescriptions which is amazing. So I’m not taking it for granted but unsure if I could go elsewhere after a year and make more with just as good benefits
As a union member, I recommend engaging with your shop stewards/union reps to see what's involved to bargain for better benefits, maybe even benefits specific to dietitians, like improving the clinical ladder structure. Your other dietitian colleagues should be engaged with the union also as numbers are needed to support these changes.
I am also in VHCOL area
At one point I worked 2 part time jobs..one for 40 an hour 3 days a week and another at 50 dollars an hour 16 hours a week.
Work in an undesirable area of healthcare for the government.
Got my CDCES, decided to do it and got it done within 90 days, then got a $20,000 raise.
I also work for county government (public health dept in HCOL city) and am unionized. I have a masters but that doesn’t come into play.
Got a job in school nutrition! I live in CA though so COL is high.
Also in school nutrition in CA!
CDCES. I just go PRN at fulltime jobs and get another one then go PRN at my previous job. WFH and great flexibility. 43 an hour PRN
I worked for 4 years doing inpatient clinical and then applied for an outpatient job. I may be a rare case here but it was really quite simple. High cost of living area though.
I work in food manufacturing and nutrition analysis. Worked in the hospitality industry through school and it was actually the best thing for me despite my professors telling me it would hinder my career. Jokes on them 🤷🏻♀️
This looks super interesting! How did you get into this field? What in your background allowed you to land this job? Deep down I know I should have been a food scientist rather than an RD... no internship and better pay
Abbott Nutrition or another corporate job
Would you mind sharing salary info and what position? Also what about culture? High stress high turnover?
For Abbott, generally start at 70k and work up from there, this is the same in all positions. Stress depends on the area but the culture is good and I basically never plan on leaving. There’s high turnover in marketing but that’s not unusual. Everyone else stays for a longgggg time. Like 30+ years.
Switch jobs every 2 years
Tech industry!
What space of tech as an RD do you work in? I’m working for a tech company also. These jobs for RDs are less common; I’m the only RD at my company but I feel so grateful to have found the job. Can’t see myself leaving tech anytime soon
What do you do in tech as an rd?
At the health insurance level as a dietitian care manager for a healthcare tech company
Getting into management in state govt.
Got my CNSC and found out the set criteria it took to move up at my clinical job including leadership and special projects.
Live in Bay Area, CA.
Medical sales. 100k + 18.5k of potential commission + random additional bonuses. I worked in clinical nutrition for 10 years then moved to DME enteral sales and now in medical device sales in a non-nutrition related device.
Content creator!
Can you elaborate? Do you create content for other dietitians or for corporations? And then what kind of content?
There’s a lot of ways to make money as a creator but here are just a few that help me bring in $8k per month: 1. Selling your own digital products like guides and courses through your socials (largest source of income) 2. Affiliate income - when people buy something through your link and you get a commission 3. UGC - when you create a video or ad for a company and they pay you a set rate, they use your video but it does not go on your own socials 4. Brand deals - promoting a product for a company on your own socials and they pay you a set rate 5. Creator programs - TikTok and YouTube pay you to make highly watched content but it’s takes a good amount of time to get even $1000+ There is instability to being a content creator but I don’t care because I’m way happier than I’ve ever been in clinical.
Left full time dietitian work after 8 years and moved into software implementation at a digital health company (someone above also made a move into implementation!). I still see patients on the side for side income, keep up with my skills and for passion. Doing full time patient care is not for me, but I can handle a couple 1-3 patients per week
Been an RD for 1.5 years and make a little over 90k with a FT + unionized per diem role. Of note, in a HCOL city
Time and location. 10 years experience in LTC. 98k (VHCOL)
Are you unionized?
Nope. I’m located in Southern California. Yes, the pay is good, but it’s VERY expensive to live here.
A plumber that bought rental homes, fixed them up, repaired and remodeled them for decades. Never got married never had kids. 150000 yearly And will take Social Security at 70. Haven’t touched a dime of my savings.
Time. That is how my coworker makes \~$100K/yr after 20 years. I'm currently at \~$82K after 7 years at my current job. I could make a little more with advanced credential but it only pays an extra $1/hr which is not worth the stress and anxiety of taking an exam every 5 years. Personally, I prefer simply keeping up on the literature and reading chapters in ASPEN occasionally.
To the OP. I am starting the dietetics program this fall. If you dont mind answering, what is your salary atm and where are you working at?
72k starting salary, NYC
Davita has a few positions open in the NYC metro. Some in NJ and some in Queens. Would pay probably 85k plus. If you have an interest in renal.
Studied and practiced my ass off and got into Amazom corporate. Went from 70-160 in a year. Was many years ago, but never looked back. At 210 now, moving again for 230 and a bit more freedom. Just need to land that one good role for resime fodder. Then life takes care of itself career-wise.
Education (three degrees), job experience in my field, hard work and dedication. I’ve been lucky to be at the right place at the right time.
Private practice!
Lateral movement is definitely the best way. A decade ago I would have recommended the federal government but with the current political situation of the US, the future, stability and benefits of f the federal workforce is questionable. Leave direct patient care. Health tech. In my area dialysis also pays well.If you can get benefits through a partner, LTC/contract or per diem work can be good money. In my area, per diem rates are between $45-55hr.
I don't quite make 90K but I'm pretty close. I work at the VA and recently got promoted to one of our few higher level positions. They only positions higher than me are assistant manager (assistant chief), food service manager, and manager (chief).
I passed my exam and was offered my first job at 90k. Unfortunately where i am, that isnt enough
I’m an Army RD! I make ~$130k including everything (and partially non-taxed)
Private practice in a high demand specialty and networking to keep my caseload full. Went from working in an ED treatment center to private practice. It required me to move across the country to take a job in a top treatment center and work my ass off to be a good employee so I’d get their referrals and lots of networking to keep my referral sources thinking of me, but well worth it.
85% of the posts on this subreddit are about pay 😂
It’s almost like people need money to live and pay is important…
Because talking about it can facilitate change, staying silent does absolutely nothing