Nutritionists employed in the United States generally report earning an annual salary in the range from $27,337 to $67,437 including bonuses according to the salary information provided by Payscale.
The basic yearly pay for nutritionists is typically in the range between $29,159 and $67,893, and the bonuses can amount to up to $2,985 a year according to Payscale’s salary data. Nutritionists with the professional certification of Registered Dietitian (RD) generally earn an income in the range from $41,985 to $72,000 a year according to Payscale’s data.
Average salary
The average salary for nutritionists employed in the United States is $47,000 a year according to the salary data reported by Indeed, $54,000 a year accoding to HealthcareWorkerSalary.com, and $41,437 a year according to Payscale.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a mean annual salary of $56,170 and a median annual wage of $55,240 a year for this occupation.
10% of nutritionists working in the U.S. earn $77,590 a year or more, and the 10% on the lower end of the scale report earning an income of up to $34,500 a year. 25% of nutritionists earn up to $44,190 annually, and 75% of these professionals are paid an annual salary of up to $67,540 a year according to the BLS data.
Nutritionist salaries can vary considerably from industry to industry. Based on the salary figures reported by the BLS, the top paying industries for nutritionists are animal food manufacturing, where the median annual pay for this profession is $88,100, followed by miscellaneous nondurable goods merchant wholesalers, where nutritionists make $74,270 annually on average, and the federal executive branch, where nutritionists earn an average yearly salary of $69,360 according to the BLS.
Nutritionists employed in grantmaking and giving services earn an average annual income of $66,590, and those employed by insurance carriers are paid around $64,700 a year. Professionals working at general medical and surgical hospitals earn $55,970 a year on average, those employed at outpatient care centers are paid around $58,450 annually, and nutritionists working at nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) earn a median annual wage of $56,240.
Professionals employed by the local government earn around $50,440 a year, and those working in personal care services are paid around $61,580 a year.
Nutritionists employed at specialty hospitals (not including psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals) earn $59,960 a year on average.
Those working in special food services are paid around $53,650 annually, and professionals employed at psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals earn an average annual pay of $56,680 according to the salary data reported by the BLS.
Salary range
The salary range for nutritionists employed in the United States varies depending on a number of factors, including work experience. Nutritionists with 1 to 4 years of experience usually report earning an annual pay in the range from $28,690 to $55,122, and those with 5 to 9 years of work experience under their belt are typically paid between $32,107 and $72,129 annually. Nutritionists with 10 to 19 years of work experience in the field generally earn salaries in the range from $34,183 to $54,045 a year, and professionals with 20 or more years of work experience are typically paid an annual income in the range from $39,305 to $112,329 according to the salary statistics reported by Payscale.
Image: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Nutritionist salaries can also vary considerably from industry to industry. Professionals working in the public health program administration generally report earning an annual income in the range from $35,024 to $68,071, those employed at hospitals are typically paid between $36,534 and $48,605 annually, and nutritionists working in the health care sector generally make between $26,639 and $59,180 a year according to Payscale’s salary data.
Starting salary
The average starting salary for nutritionists in their first year on the job is typically in the range from $23,399 to $58,326 a year according to the salary data reported by Payscale.
Nutritionists with less than a year of work experience generally earn an hourly wage in the range from $9.83 to $20 according to Payscale’s data.
Benefits
Along with their basic yearly salary and bonuses, nutritionist usually get a variety of benefits and perks, and these can sometimes reflect their annual income.
Nutritionists who have life and disability insurance as part of their benefits package generally report earning an annual pay in the range from $30,201 to $64,564, those who have paid vacations and holidays typically make between $29,397 and $115,733 a year, and professionals who have 401(k) plans are usually paid between $32,343 and $111,827 annually.
Nutritionists who have 401(a) plans report earning salaries in the range from $30,640 to $75,000 a year, and those who have paid sick leave are typically paid an income in the range from $35,697 to $110,938 a year according to Payscale’s salary data.
Hourly wage
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a mean hourly salary of $27 and a median wage of $26.56 per hour for this profession. 10% of the best paid nutritionists earn $37.30 per hour or more, and the 10% on the lower end of the scale are paid up to $16.59 per hour. 25% of nutritionists make $21.25 per hour or less, and 75% report being paid an hourly wage of up to $32.47 according to the BLS salary figures. In other words, the middle 50% of nutritionists working in the United States earn an hourly pay in the range from $21.25 to $32.47.
The hourly wage for nutritionists working in the U.S. can vary considerably depending on industry. Nutritionists working at general medical and surgical hospitals are paid $26.91 per hour on average, those employed at nursing care facilities make $27.04 per hour on average, and professionals working at outpatient care centers earn an average hourly pay of $28.10 according to the BLS salary data.
Nutritionists working for the local government earn around $24.25 per hour, those working in personal care services are paid $29.61 per hour on average, and professionals working in special food services make $25.79 per hour on average. Nutritionists employed at specialty hospitals (except psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals) earn around $28.83 per hour, and those working at psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals make $27.25 per hour on average.
Nutritionists working in the animal food manufacturing industry earn $42.36 per hour on average, those employed by insurance carriers are paid around $31.11 per hour, and professionals working in grantmaking and giving services make $32.01 per hour on average. The average hourly wage for nutritionists employed by the federal executive branch is $33.35, and professionals working in the miscellaneous nondurable goods merchant wholesalers sector are typically paid around $35.71 per hour according to the salary data reported by the BLS.
The average hourly pay for nutritionists can also vary considerably from state to state. Nutritionists employed in California earn $33.03 per hour on average, those based in New York make $28.75 per hour on average, and professionals working in Pennsylvania earn an average hourly salary of $22.77. Nutritionists employed in Texas are typically paid around $25.56 per hour, and those based in Florida earn around $27.22 per hour according to the BLS data.
Nutritionists working in Rhode Island are generally paid around $29.59 per hour, and those based in Minnesota make $26.91 per hour on average. Professionals employed in Kentucky earn around $24 per hour, and those employed in New Jersey earn $29.65 per hour on average. Nutritionists in Maryland are paid around $39.73 per hour, and those based in Nevada earn a median hourly salary of $34.54. Professionals based in Hawaii are typically paid around $31.27 per hour, and those working in Alaska have an average hourly rate of $30.56 according to the salary figures reported by the BLS.
Based on the salary data reported by HealthcareWorkerSalary.com, the median hourly pay for nutritionists working in the U.S. is $28. 10% of nutritionists earn $33 per hour or more, and the 10% on the lower end of the pay scale are paid $22 per hour or less.
The hourly rate for these professionals can also vary depending on work experience. For example, nutritionists with 1 to 4 years of experience generally earn an hourly pay in the range from $12 to $25.44, and those with 5 to 9 years of work experience under their belt are typically paid between $14.08 and $59.18 per hour according to the salary figures reported by Payscale.
Nutritionists’ hourly salaries can also vary depending on the type of employer. For instance, nutritionists employed by companies generally earn between $13.18 and $59.18 per hour, and those employed by private practices and firms are typically paid an hourly wage in the range from $16.25 to $27.50. Professionals employed by non-profit organizations make between $10.07 and $23.84 per hour, and those working for the state and local government report being paid an hourly salary in the range from $13.23 to $21.85 based on Payscale’s salary data.
Salary by state
Nutritionists’ annual pay depends on geographical location and can vary considerably from state to state. Nutritionists based in New York typically report earning a yearly income in the range from $30,410 to $71,015, with salaries in the city of New York ranging from $41,271 to $61,042 a year. Nutritionists working in California are generally paid between $38,000 and $61,250 annually, and professionals employed in Pennsylvania make between $26,500 and $47,500 a year. Nutritionists working in Texas are generally paid between $26,280 and $38,119 annually, and professionals working in Georgia typically earn an annual pay in the range from $32,492 to $42,500 according to the salary statistics reported by Payscale.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the top paying states for nutritionists are Maryland, where the average salary for this profession is $82,650 a year, followed by Nevada, where nutritionists earn around $71,840 annually, and California, where they make $68,700 a year on average. Nutritionists working in Hawaii are paid $65,050 a year on average, and those based in Alaska earn a median annual salary of $63,560.
Nutritionists based in Rhode Island earn an average annual pay of $61,540, those working in Pennsylvania are paid $47,360 a year on average, and professionals employed in Minnesota make $55,970 annually on average. Nutritionists in Kentucky earn an average income of $49,930 a year, and those employed in New Jersey make $61,660 a year on average.
Nutritionists employed in New York earn $59,810 a year on average, those based in Texas are paid around $53,170 annually, and professionals working in Florida earn an average yearly income of $56,610 according to the salary data reported by the BLS.
Other income factors
Nutritionists’ annual earnings can also vary depending on the type of employer. Nutritionists working for non-profit organizations generally earn salaries in the range from $16,455 to $66,000 a year, those working at hospitals are typically paid between $33,531 and $58,175 annually, and professionals employed by companies make between $29,361 and $82,724 a year.
Nutritionists working for the state or local governent generally report earning an annual pay in the range from $25,921 to $55,752, and those employed by private practices and firms are usually paid between $30,000 and $50,868 a year according to the salary figures reported by Payscale.
Academic degree is another factor that can affect a nutritionist’s yearly income. For example, nutritionists with a bachelor’s degree generally earn salaries in the range from $30,410 to $64,111 a year, and those with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition report being paid between $32,427 and $42,729 a year according to Payscale’s data.