Career Options

Here at CSULB, we are passionate about training future leaders in nutrition and dietetics. Becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) is one way to achieve a satisfying, intellectually stimulating career that can help improve people's lives both individually and across an entire community. Read on to learn more about the world of RDNs! 

A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) is a food and nutrition expert who has completed rigorous educational and exam requirements. See our Educational Requirements page for details. 

The RDN credential is a legally protected professional qualification — like MD for doctors or physicians — that lets the public know that the practitioner is a trained expert. This is especially important when working with the public, as 6 in 10 Americans already have at least one chronic disease. Therefore, we have to understand diseases, food-drug interactions, physiology, culture, human behavior, and even a simple consultation about diet must consider all of these things. 

There also are specialty credentials in areas of gerontological nutrition (CSG), sports dietetics (CSSD), pediatric nutrition (CSP), renal nutrition (CSR) and oncology nutrition (CSO).

Professionals may go by: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD), which are the same thing and just selected based on personal preference.  

The field of nutrition and dietetics is vibrant and diverse. RDNs work in:

  • Hospitals, HMOs, or other health care facilities, educating patients about nutrition and administering medical nutrition therapy as part of the health care team. They may also manage the foodservice operations in these settings, as well in schools, day-care centers, and correctional facilities, overseeing everything from food purchasing and preparation to managing staff.
  • Sports nutrition and corporate wellness programs, educating clients about the connection between food, fitness, and health.
  • Food and nutrition-related businesses and industries, working in communications, consumer affairs, Private practice, working under contract with health care or food companies, or in their own business. RDNs may provide services to foodservice or restaurant managers, food vendors, and distributors, or athletes, nursing home residents, or company employees.
  • Community and public health settings teaching, monitoring, and advising the public, and helping to improve their quality of life through healthy eating habits.
  • Universities and medical centers, teaching physicians, nurses, dietetics students, and others in the science of food and nutrition.

 

Enjoy Podcasts?

RD Jobs is a podcast that features a variety of dietitians on different career paths. You may enjoy listening to hear about their experiences. 

Youtube Channel: What Does a Dietitian Do?

The PA Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics created a wonderful Youtube channel that features nearly 20 different RDN interviews. We highly recommend it! 

Beyond the work, there are many perks to being an RDN, which attracts people to the profession.

Here are 10 reasons people love being registered dietitian nutritionists! 

#1. Never Get "Stuck"

It can be scary to commit to a profession, especially one that requires a lot of training.

"What if I don't end up liking the work?" 

Perhaps one of the best things about being an RDN is that there are so many places you can practice that there is something for everyone. And you are never stuck. If you find you don't like hospitals, no problem - you can work in an outpatient setting offering counseling. Or if you find you don't like patient care at all, that's fine! You can work in public health or do menu planning and food service management for a school district, hospital, resort, or other facility. If you want to work with different patients/clients, you can! 

Many dietitians have multiple career lives where they may work in a clinical/hospital setting for several years, then move into private practice, food service, or some other type of consulting. There are loads of professional training opportunities to get your skills up-to-date in a new area. 

#2. Family Friendly

Many professions require either full-time work or nothing. However, many dietitians choose to work part-time while having a family, and our profession supports that option. There are often many ways that a RDN can take shift work as needed or have a position with more flexible hours. Since many jobs for dietitians are offered part-time or per diem (by the day - selecting the days you work or picking up shifts as needed), many RDNs have more control over their schedules than some other professionals. This can be very attractive for parents who are looking for more work-life balance. 

#3. Flexibility

While not all healthcare jobs are flexible, there are many roles in dietetics that allow people to work at least partially from home (e.g. public health, telemedicine), or have more flexible working hours. This is especially true for folks working in private practice, as they can set their own schedules. 

#4. Ongoing Learning

If you love to learn, you will never be bored with the field of nutrition. To keep our RDN, credential, we must complete continuing education, which also allows us to learn and grow professionally. Plus, we have to be informed about fad diets (paleo, anyone?), and new technologies and approaches to improving health. 

#5. Creativity is Rewarded 

Working with people requires a creative mind. How do we translate the science? How do we make learning fun? How do we change the way we do things to make the healthy choice the easy choice? What visuals or media can be used to help people?

If you are a creative soul, this is a great profession for you. There are always ways we can incorporate our creativity into our menus, teaching, social media accounts, and patient care. 

We need your creative perspective to help dream up fresh approaches like:

#6. Many Opportunites for Specialization 

If you're interested in a much deeper dive in your field, you can be trained, recognized, and more competitively paid for this expertise. Here are just a few options for specialization:

#7. Entrepreneur-Friendly Profession 

If you've ever wanted to own your own business, being an RDN can open many doors.  From consulting for food companies, corporate wellness projects, or tech start-ups, to having your own private practice, having a full or side hustle is absolutely an option in our field.

Many dietitians also create successful online social media platforms, food blogs, or media partnerships that can bring income. RDNs are also often asked to consult on the development of supplements, food products, and media campaigns around food and health. 

While all future business tycoons are encouraged to gain patient experience, professional connections, and skills before diving into private practice (you don't know what you don't know!), there are absolutely opportunities to create your very own health and wellness business that can access insurance and provide holistic patient care. 


#8. Lots of Support 

We have a large and active national organization, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), as well as the state-specific California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (CAND). 

By becoming a member of the AND, we can access numerous materials and opportunities for networking both in-person and virtually. 

For example, there are Dietetic Practice Groups that offer opportunities for education, mentorship and networking - sometimes scholarships too! Examples (these are just a few) include:

  • Vegetarian Nutrition
  • Hunger and Environmental Nutrition
  • Dietitians in Integrative & Functional Medicine (DIFM)
  • Women's Health
  • Dietitians in Business and Communications (DBC)
  • Sports and Human Performance Nutrition (SHPN)
  • Food and Culinary Professionals (FCP)
  • Research (RDPG)

There are also Member Interest Groups for folks with a shared common interest. These can be a great source of mentorship and support as well! Examples (these are just a few) include:

  • Latinos and Hispanics in Dietetics and Nutrition (LAHIDAN)
  • Nat'l Organization of Blacks in Dietetics & Nutrition (NOBIDAN)
  • Indians in Nutrition and Dietetics (IND)
  • Religion Member Interest Group (RMIG)
  • Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI)
  • Disabilities in Nutrition and Dietetics (Disabilities)

Note: You can join any of these now as a student for a discounted rate! 

#9. Conferences Are Just So Fun 

Each year we have a national conference for RDNs and other food professionals called the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo®, where you get to enjoy loads of interesting speakers, food sampling till you can't eat any more, and observing lots of products and the latest trends in food technology and education. It is fun to leave with your brain full of info and arms full of swag bags filled with food samples and new literature. 

Example session topics have included the role of RDNs in managing cannabis as a supplement, how to offer culturally tailored healthcare, and the role of artificial intelligence in our field. 

If you can't travel to attend FNCE, consider coming to our smaller, but still fabulous California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference! 

#10. You Are Very Interesting at Parties

Once you become a RDN you'll always have something to talk about. For better or worse, people love to tell you about their food that they are (or are not) eating. And you'll find that food really is an interesting and energizing topic. 

Positive Future Employment Prospects.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, RDNs face an excellent job outlook, with new positions expected to grow by 16% by 2024 (much faster than the average growth for other jobs).

Employment opportunities are being influenced by the nation’s changing demographics and the increased dietary consciousness of the general public. The U.S. Department of Statistics projects an increasing population of retiring senior citizens which are expected to result in an increased demand for nutritional services in hospitals, retirement homes, and senior citizen nutrition programs. The U.S. Department of Labor projects a large proportion of women of child-bearing age participating in the workforce with a larger proportion of children in daycare and preschools which is expected to increase the demand for nutrition professionals to conduct research, develop training programs, and manage programs. 

Salary Varies by Location and Role

California has one of the highest levels of compensation nationally for RDNs, with an annual mean wage of $72,000 (note that this range can easily exceed $100,000). At this point, our current mean wages reflect RDNs both with and without graduate degrees. There is a significant range of salary levels depending on graduate degree attainment, level of expertise, the field of expertise (e.g., pediatrics, specialty services), and type of employer.

RDNs working in larger cities and urban areas like Los Angeles tend to be more highly compensated. RDNs working in for-profit companies and administrative roles are known to be some of the most highly compensated in the field. Private practice and social media work or consulting can also yield high pay.

Learn More

Anectodally from our alumni, we know that there is undoubtedly potential for making well over $100,000 in various practice settings, especially with more experience and specialization. If you're curious about what specific types of RDN jobs bring in the most money, check out this great article from NutritionJobs, called Highest Paid Dietitian Jobs, which offers a deep dive into this topic. It also offers several resource links to allow you to research roles you might be interested in. 

There is no normal job as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, as we can practice in so many different areas. Here are just a few examples of what the field of nutrition can look like. But remember, this is just a taste of what the field can offer! 

 Here are some profiles of real CSULB alumni who have become RDNs.

Note: These are not from the GP, but completed our undergraduate program. Their stories are here to share the variety of work options for RDNs. 

Image of a woman in a black dress

RDN Profile: Kaylee Brimm, MS, RD

 

Role: Clinical Dietitian (Nutrition Support), hospital setting

What I enjoy about my work: I enjoy working directly with pharmacists and our other dietitians to provide the highest quality of care to our TPN and enteral patients. At our facility, the RDs are very involved in the care of each patient, which I greatly appreciate!

Advice: The best piece of advice I have received during both my academic and professional journeys is to network! The world of nutrition is small, and the opportunities are endless the more that you get involved.

woman in a pink shirt

RDN Profile: Suzette Aguirre, MPH, RDN

Role: Public Health Nutritionist at Los Angeles County Dept of Public Health, Nutrition & Physical Activity Program

What I enjoy about my work: I get to tackle health disparities on a population level from an intersectional perspective. Although I did enjoy my time in one-on-one counseling settings, I realized my skill set is more tuned in to systemic issues that impact the health of different communities, specifically those in Los Angeles County since I was born and raised here.

Advice: Along my journey, I’ve been advised to create a work/life balance for myself. I learned that a lot of the people who were able to have that balance were able to achieve it through prioritizing their mental health, creating boundaries, not taking on more than they can handle, and sometimes even therapy. It took a lot of self-reflection to realize that I would need to speak to a professional to gain some peace of mind, but once I did, my personal and professional goals became far more within reach.

 

Person with long brain hair smiling

RDN Profile: Lauren Kaida, RDN

Role: Clinical Dietitian

What I enjoy about my work: I currently work in acute care settings, which allows me to care for patients during a more difficult time in their lives. I love being able to provide care to patients from multiple aspects. Whether it's providing nutrition education to a patient with a newly diagnosed condition or recommending nutrition support tailored to a patient's acute condition, it's incredibly rewarding to come alongside patients and ease their way during their hospital stay and throughout their medical journey.

Advice: Do your best to make good connections with peers and faculty during your time at CSULB and beyond. The world of dietetics is much smaller than one might think, and I can certainly give more than a few examples of my undergraduate connections providing job references, letters of recommendation, internal recommendations to positions I was applying for, and more. 

Man with short brown hair smiling

RDN Profile: Erick Medina, RD

Role: School Nutrition Specialist, formerly Registered Dietitian Supervisor at WIC

Advice: A great piece of advice I have received while in my professional journey would be to always be a helping hand for others. Helping others become Registered Dietitians will always be a goal of mine. I will never forget those who have helped me throughout my journey, and I am very grateful for them.

 

 

 

 

smiling woman

RDN Profile: Ana Flores, RDN

Role: Registered Dietitian at Clinica Sierra Vista WIC

What I enjoy about my work: I love being able to provide nutrition and lactation education to low income, high risk populations whose access to nutrition services may not be available otherwise if it wasn't for the community programs in place.

Advice: "Don't give up! Even when you feel you don't fit, you fit!" And "Take one step at a time!"

 

 

 

 

Woman smiling and holding a sunflower

RDN Profile: Hana Chehade, RD

Roles: Many! Currently UCLA Recreation Dietitian. Formerly Food Farmacy Coordinator, Program Dietitian for Catholic Charities 

What I enjoy about my work: I really enjoy being able to promote food as medicine! From growing your own food, to being connected with local farmers, to preparing more meals at home, to eating slowly and with intention, to eating foods that make you feel your best. I’ve found with my clients that these things help them better appreciate their food and bring them so much joy.

Advice: “You know more than you think you know.” I have heard this sentence more times than I can count, and it has always reminded me not to doubt myself and my knowledge. They call us nutrition EXPERTS for a reason! :)

Inspiring, right?

While it is a rigorous road, the career path offers a variety of exciting options for employment. Check out the Educational Requirements to learn what steps are needed to pursue this exciting career path.