You may have heard of the term 'dietitian' or 'nutritionist', but do you know the difference between the two? Much of what a dietitian does is similar to what a nutritionist does in day-to-day practice. However, a nutritionist can't work in specific health settings that are unique to dietetics. Both dietitians and nutritionists use dietary interventions and work with individuals and groups to achieve specific health goals. Importantly, some key differences distinguish each role, including the qualifications and credentials required, regulatory bodies involved and professional scope of practice. Knowing what your strengths, passions and career aspirations are is valuable so you can align these with a suitable education and career journey. This article explores the elements of both professions, including the study pathways available to pursue either career.
What are the differences between a dietitian and a nutritionist?
Let's explore the differences between dietitians and nutritionists in greater detail.
What is a dietitian?
A dietitian is a healthcare professional qualified to assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutritional problems. They're qualified to use specific dietary and lifestyle interventions and develop a personalised treatment plan to help patients with their health goals. A dietitian’s primary responsibilities include creating meal plans, monitoring patient progress and educating patients on healthy eating.
Dietitians usually work with patients in areas of perinatal health, aged care, paediatrics and sports nutrition. They may also work with people suffering from particular health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, anorexia nervosa and cancer. Dietitians can work in hospital settings, medical centres and private practices. They're also qualified to work in food research and education. In Australia, dietitians can operate under the Medicare scheme and can provide private health fund rebates if their patients have cover that includes dietetic services.
How much do dietitians earn?
A dietitian's earning potential can vary depending on location, experience and where they work. In Australia, dietitians can make around $95,000 per year on average. Each state and territory has different salary averages, with significant differences between capital cities and regional centres. For example, the average salary for dietitians in the Northern Territory is $91,741 per year, while dietitians in Katherine have reported earning up to $108,733 annually.
The average dietitian salary in each state and territory is:
- Northern Territory: $91,741
- Australian Capital Territory: $86,838
- Western Australia: $86,573
- Queensland: $83,603
- South Australia: $80,360
- New South Wales: $79,821
- Victoria: $79,651
- Tasmania: $68,216
What qualifications do dietitians need?
To become a dietitian in Australia, you need to complete a relevant bachelor's degree in health science or nutrition. Then, you need to complete your postgraduate studies in dietetics. You'll also need to acquire accreditation through Dietitians Australia to become an accredited practising dietitian (APD). You'll maintain your ongoing APD status by completing 30 hours of continuing professional development per year. Ongoing education in the field of dietetics is a professional requirement and ensures practitioners stay abreast of the latest health science and nutrition research.
It's important to remember that only DA-approved dietetics courses will guarantee that you can work as a practising dietitian. In total, it takes around six years to become a fully qualified dietitian in Australia.
What is a nutritionist?
Like dietitians, nutritionists consider the interconnectedness of nutrients and how the body uses food to grow, function, heal and thrive. Nutritionists can provide general guidance on healthy eating. They can work in private practice, seeing patients individually in consultation or in groups in settings such as workshops to deliver educational programs and dietary advice.
Unlike dietitians, nutritionists do not operate under the Medicare scheme. However, bachelor’s degree-qualified nutritionists hold the minimum qualifications required to be eligible for health fund rebates with private health insurers. Studying with reputable tertiary institutions and universities ensures your degree meets the minimum requirements for private health recognition.
How much do nutritionists earn?
Nutritionists' salaries vary depending on education level, the type of work and their location in Australia. Recent SEEK data shows that the average salary of nutritionists is between $75,000 and $95,000 annually.
The average nutritionist salary in each state and territory is:
- Australian Capital Territory: $143,615
- Western Australia: $113,074
- Northern Territory: $100,469
- Queensland: $101,315
- South Australia: $89,849
- Victoria: $82,071
- New South Wales: $71,398
- Tasmania: $51,212
What qualifications do nutritionists need?
In Australia, the term 'nutritionist' isn't protected or regulated. This means that anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, whether they've completed a short course in nutrition or a bachelor's degree in nutrition (or something else entirely). Generally, a degree in nutrition gives you the foundational skills and knowledge to understand human physiology, biochemistry, the nutritional composition of food and a sound comprehension of health and disease. Many universities offer nutrition degrees, which typically take around four years to complete full-time.
The educational path to becoming a nutritionist is less strict than that of a dietitian. Therefore, becoming a qualified nutritionist is faster, requiring less study time to begin working in this field. While you don't need to be accredited to become a nutritionist, obtaining recognition through organisations like the Nutrition Society of Australia (NSA) can help bolster your professional credibility and foster trustworthiness from your patients. To work in private practice, you'll likely need to obtain professional indemnity and public liability insurance and uphold continuing professional development hours.
What do dietitians and nutritionists do?
| Roles and responsibilities | Dietitian | Nutritionist |
|---|---|---|
| Patient assessment | Conduct detailed nutritional assessments, supplements and specific interventions where needed. | Provide general dietary advice using food as the primary health intervention. |
| Medical nutrition therapy | Develop clinically-relevant treatment plans in hospital or medical settings. | Focus on health education and disease prevention via healthy lifestyle changes. |
| Meal planning | Create tailored meal plans for medical conditions. | Offer general meal planning guidance. |
| Education | Educate patients on managing chronic diseases. | Educate individuals or groups on healthy habits and living. |
| Research | Engage in clinical research studies. | Participate in public health research. |
Should I become a dietitian or a nutritionist?
The big question is, which career path is right for you?
The answer to this question depends on many factors, including the type of work you want to do and your specialised health field.
If you’d like to have the option to engage in postgraduate research, work in hospital settings or you’d enjoy working with chronic or complex health conditions like diabetes and mental health, becoming a dietitian could be the right career path for you.
Alternatively, if you want a flexible and rewarding career focused on private practice and are keen to get started in the shortest time possible, then a career as a nutritionist may be the ideal option for you.
Other things to consider include whether or not you’d like to have a niche area of interest, such as digestive health, women’s health or paediatrics. Similarly, take the time to consider whether or not you’d like to explore non-clinical roles in either field, such as working in the food industry, public health initiatives or supplement research and development.
Job growth for both dietitians and nutritionists, respectively, is expected to rise by 7.2 per cent over the next five years. These statistics should be a reassuring sign of the plentiful opportunities in either field, whether you find yourself in a clinical setting, public health, education or research.
Dietitians are in demand in healthcare settings, particularly metro hospitals and health clinics. This could be ideal for those interested in working in hospitals and dealing directly with patients to manage medical conditions. Nutritionists are also a valuable asset in the health sector. If you’re passionate about working privately, as a wellness coach or in community health, a career as a nutritionist might be more suitable.
Weighing up all these factors is crucial when deciding which study path best suits your needs.
How to become a dietitian or nutritionist
If you're interested in becoming a dietitian, the pathway involves completing a bachelor’s degree in nutrition or dietetics, followed by a master’s in dietetics. From here, accreditation from Dietitians Australia is needed to practise professionally in Australia. In contrast, if you want to become a nutritionist, you can enrol in a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and consider obtaining recognition through one of the many professional associations, such as the NSA.
Remember, if you begin your career journey with nutrition, it's often easy to switch paths into a career in dietetics if you decide you want to make a change. Similarly, if you enrol in a dietetics course and decide you may not want to work as an APD, you can complete the undergraduate degree and enter the workforce thereafter. You can set up a private practice and consult with people or in groups, delivering nutrition advice. You can work with supplement and nutraceutical companies in their research and development teams. You can also work in health clinics and retreat centres as a resident nutritionist helping cook and prepare healthy meals for guests.
Discover the path to a fulfilling career in nutrition and dietetics
Now that you understand some key differences and similarities between dietitians and nutritionists, you'll be better equipped to choose the right career. Each profession has a place in healthcare, offering rewarding opportunities for growth where you can make a real difference in the lives of your patients. Both career paths are great options if you enjoy helping people make healthier choices with the food they eat while positively impacting their lives and their families and communities.
Explore Global Health Education's expanding healthcare courses, including social work, public health, counselling, nursing, psychology, leadership and mental health. If you need more guidance with your study path, our Student Enrolment Advisors are ready to answer your questions.
