Dietitian Job Description (2026): Duties, Skills and Salary
A dietitian assesses a patient's nutritional needs and designs a plan they can realistically follow, whether that's managing diabetes, recovering from surgery, supporting an athlete's training or feeding a hospital unit safely. The clinical science matters, but so does translating it into meals someone will actually eat.
Dietitians work in hospitals, clinics, long-term care, schools, corporate wellness and private practice. Hospital and clinical roles lean on medical nutrition therapy and charting; community and private-practice roles lean more on counseling, behavior change and sometimes menu or program design.
Dietitian job description template
Copy it, replace everything in [brackets] and cut what doesn't apply. Keep the requirements to what the job really needs.
Template · replace the [brackets]
Dietitian
[Company] · [City and office days, or remote with the countries or time zones you hire in] · [Full-time]
About [Company]
[Two or three sentences on what your company does, who it serves and why this team matters now.]
About the role
[Facility] is hiring a registered dietitian to provide nutrition care for [patient population] at [department/clinic]. You'll assess patients, build nutrition care plans, and counsel [patients/clients] on managing [conditions] through food.
What you'll do
- Assess patients' nutritional status, medical history and dietary needs.
- Develop individualized nutrition care plans for conditions such as [diabetes, renal disease or malnutrition].
- Counsel patients and families on diet changes, meal planning and food-medication interactions.
- Document assessments, goals and progress in the medical record.
- Collaborate with physicians, nurses and other care team members on treatment plans.
- Monitor patient progress and adjust nutrition plans as conditions change.
- Review and approve menus for [unit/facility] to meet dietary and regulatory requirements.
- Stay current on nutrition research and clinical guidelines relevant to [specialty].
What you'll bring
- [X]+ years as a registered dietitian, or eligibility for RD/RDN credentialing.
- Current RD/RDN registration and state licensure where required.
- Strong grasp of medical nutrition therapy for [conditions relevant to the role].
- Comfortable counseling patients one-on-one and in group settings.
- Clear, accurate clinical documentation.
- Ability to translate clinical guidance into practical, culturally appropriate meal plans.
- Collaborative approach to working with physicians and the broader care team.
Nice to have
- Board certification in a specialty such as oncology, renal or sports dietetics (CSO, CSR, CSSD).
- Experience with electronic health records such as Epic or Cerner.
- Fluent in English and Spanish, or another language patients commonly speak.
- Experience with [pediatric, geriatric or critical care] populations.
What we offer
- [Pay range: e.g. $X–$Y base salary, plus bonus or equity if offered]
- [Continuing education funding, CDR renewal fees covered, flexible or hybrid scheduling for outpatient roles]
- [Health cover, retirement or pension plan, paid time off, parental leave]
- [Work authorization: whether you can sponsor a visa or hire through an employer of record]
[Our process: a recruiter call, a clinical case review where you build a sample nutrition care plan, and a final interview with the clinical nutrition manager.]
[Your equal opportunity statement, and how candidates can ask for adjustments during the process]
Put the pay range in the ad. Several US states, including California, Colorado, New York and Washington, require it in job postings, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive gives applicants the right to know the starting pay or its range before the interview.
Dietitian duties by seniority
What the job usually looks like at each level. Pitch the ad at one level and say which in the title.
Junior
- Handles routine assessments and standard care plans under supervision.
- Builds comfort with charting and common clinical protocols.
- Counsels patients on well-defined, common conditions.
Mid-level
- Manages a full caseload across varied and more complex conditions.
- Leads patient education for specialty programs or units.
- Works directly with physicians to adjust care plans as patients progress.
Senior
- Oversees nutrition care standards across a department or facility.
- Holds specialty board certification and handles the most complex cases.
- Mentors junior dietitians and may supervise dietetic interns.
Dietitian career path
- Dietetic Intern
- Registered Dietitian
- Senior/Clinical Dietitian
- Clinical Nutrition Manager
Dietitians enter through a nutrition degree, a supervised internship and the RD exam, and often start in a hospital or clinical setting to build broad experience. From there, paths split toward specialty certification, private practice, food service management, or leadership roles overseeing a nutrition department.
Similar roles
- Occupational Therapist job description
Focuses on daily living skills and function rather than nutrition specifically.
- Registered Nurse job description
Manages broader clinical care, with nutrition as one part of the patient's plan.
- Mental Health Counselor job description
Addresses behavioral and emotional health rather than nutrition and diet.
- Clinical Research Coordinator job description
Runs studies rather than providing direct ongoing patient care.
Dietitian job description FAQ
What does a dietitian do?
Assesses a patient's nutritional needs, builds an individualized care plan, counsels them on diet changes, and documents progress while working alongside the rest of the care team.
What credentials should a dietitian job description require?
Most clinical roles require RD or RDN registration through the Commission on Dietetic Registration, plus state licensure where applicable. Specialty certifications like CSO or CSSD are better listed as nice-to-have unless the role is specifically specialized.
What's the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?
Dietitian is a protected, credentialed title requiring a degree, supervised practice and a national exam. Nutritionist is used more loosely and may or may not require formal credentials, depending on the state.
Where do dietitians work besides hospitals?
Clinics, long-term care facilities, schools, corporate wellness programs and private practice all hire dietitians. The clinical core stays the same, but the mix of counseling, charting and program design shifts by setting.