Dietetic Technicians
What Dietetic Technicians Do
Assist in the provision of food service and nutritional programs, under the supervision of a dietitian. May plan and produce meals based on established guidelines, teach principles of food and nutrition, or counsel individuals.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 0.7%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.8/5
- English Languageimportance 4.5/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 4.2/5
- Mathematicsimportance 4.0/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 4.0/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.9/5
- Food Productionimportance 3.9/5
- Administrativeimportance 3.8/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Contact With Others4.8/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.7/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.7/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
- Health and Safety of Other Workers4.5/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.5/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators98% skill match
- Optometrists97% skill match
- Anesthesiologists97% skill match
- Occupational Health and Safety Technicians97% skill match
- Animal Trainers95% skill match
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors95% skill match
- Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers95% skill match
- Medical Dosimetrists95% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
- Instructingimportance 3.1/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Persuasionimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Appointment scheduling software
- Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro
- CBORD Nutrition Service Suite
- Computrition Nutrition Care Management NCM Select
- CyberSoft NutriBase
- Cybersoft Primero Software Suite
- DietMaster Systems Clinical Nutrition
- ESHA Research The Food Processor
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Empathy
- Social Orientation
- Sincerity
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- SocialHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- RealisticMedium
- InvestigativeMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where dietetic technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Jackson, MI7.94× national avg
- 2Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI6.03× national avg
- 3Lexington Park, MD4.92× national avg
- 4Altoona, PA4.15× national avg
- 5Redding, CA3.79× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Registered NursesAdvancement
- Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral ArrangersCareer Change
- Fire Inspectors and InvestigatorsCareer Change
- Occupational Health and Safety TechniciansCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Dietetics/Dietitian
- Purdue University Global (West Lafayette, IN)
- Purdue University Global (West Lafayette, IN)grads earn ~$47,367
- University of Western States (Portland, OR)grads earn ~$55,740
- Logan University (Chesterfield, MO)grads earn ~$59,817
- Sonoran University of Health Sciences (Tempe, AZ)
Foodservice Systems Administration/Management
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, VA)grads earn ~$74,005
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Lincoln, NE)grads earn ~$61,092
- University of Houston (Houston, TX)grads earn ~$49,724
- The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL)grads earn ~$57,002
- The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL)grads earn ~$64,913