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Dieticians, also known as nutritionists, plan meals and nutrition programs, oversee food preparation, and educate clients about healthier eating habits. They assess nutritional needs for those suffering from medical conditions, offer diet counseling as consultants, or plan meals on a large scale. Dieticians work anywhere that precise nutrition and meal proportions are necessary, including schools, hospitals, nursing care facilities, cafeterias, supermarkets, or health care clinics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that most dieticians work in general medical and surgical hospitals, nursing care facilities, and local government. Dieticians should have a strong background in nutrition, biology, and physiology, as well as excellent communication skills, since their work usually involves advising and educating others.

Dietician Salary: 2009 BLS Averages and Information

The mean annual dietician salary in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was $53,230, and the 90th percentile earned earned more than $74,690. Salary.com reports the average salary of dieticians at $52,441. Of course, if you're interested in a lucrative career, you'll have to work in a high-paying industry. The BLS reports that some of the highest-paying industries are management, scientific, and technical consulting services; the federal executive branch; home health care services; and health and personal care stores--all of which pay a mean wage of more than $60,000 annually. The highest-paying states for dieticians are Maryland, Nevada, California, Hawaii, and Connecticut.

The BLS reports that the mean dietician salary in 2009 was highest in these metropolitan areas:

• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California ($80,470)
• Bethesda-Frederick-Gaithersburg, Maryland ($79,610)
• Modesto, California ($69,780)
• San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, California ($69,410)
• Santa Rosa-Petaluma, California ($68,910)

Optimizing Your Dietician Career

Of course, if you want to make the most of your salary as a dietician, you'll have to choose carefully where you look for work. If you want to work in a city with a high percentage of dietician jobs, consider these metropolitan areas:

• Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
• Pueblo, Colorado
• Goldsboro, North Carolina

These three cities are listed by the BLS as among the five cities with the highest concentration of dieticians, meaning that job prospects are promising, and they also have relatively low costs of living. If you're interested in a state that pays above the national average and yet also enjoys costs of living that are among the lower 25 in the nation, consider looking for a job in one of the following states:

• Utah
• Minnesota
• Wisconsin

Dietician Training: Online and Traditional Options

Becoming a dietician requires at least a bachelor's degree. There are 46 states which regulate dieticians, requiring licensure, registration, or certification. To increase your marketability, it's also possible to earn certification in an area, such as diabetic or cardiovascular nutrition. It's possible to get the majority of your dietician training online, but because of the hands-on nature of some of the subject matter, including working with patients, it may be necessary to complete some in-person courses.

The BLS predicts that the employment of dietitians should grow about as fast as the average between 2008 and 2018. If you want the best job prospects, consider getting additional training, either by specializing in a particular field of dietetics, earning an advanced degree, or getting certifications beyond your state's minimum requirement.