How to hire dietitians and nutritionists
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Advise patients and their families on nutritional principles, dietary plans, diet modifications, and food selection and preparation. • Assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions, and current health plans to develop and implement dietary-care plans and provide nutritional counseling. • Consult with physicians and health care personnel to determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patient or client. • Counsel individuals and groups on basic rules of good nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to improve their quality of life. • Develop recipes and menus to address special nutrition needs, such as low glycemic, low histamine, or gluten- or allergen-free. • Evaluate laboratory tests in preparing nutrition recommendations. • Incorporate patient cultural, ethnic, or religious preferences and needs in the development of nutrition plans. • Record and evaluate patient and family health and food history, including symptoms, environmental toxic exposure, allergies, medication factors, and preventive health-care measures. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension, speaking, monitoring and writing skills • Working knowledge of biology, medicine and dentistry, English Language and therapy and counseling • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $36.73 an hour ($76,400 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for dietitians and nutritionists
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to advise patients and their families on nutritional principles, dietary plans, diet modifications, and food selection and preparation. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions, and current health plans to develop and implement dietary-care plans and provide nutritional counseling. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to consult with physicians and health care personnel to determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patient or client. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to counsel individuals and groups on basic rules of good nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to improve their quality of life. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What dietitians and nutritionists do
- Advise patients and their families on nutritional principles, dietary plans, diet modifications, and food selection and preparation.
- Assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions, and current health plans to develop and implement dietary-care plans and provide nutritional counseling.
- Consult with physicians and health care personnel to determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patient or client.
- Counsel individuals and groups on basic rules of good nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to improve their quality of life.
- Develop recipes and menus to address special nutrition needs, such as low glycemic, low histamine, or gluten- or allergen-free.
- Evaluate laboratory tests in preparing nutrition recommendations.
- Incorporate patient cultural, ethnic, or religious preferences and needs in the development of nutrition plans.
- Record and evaluate patient and family health and food history, including symptoms, environmental toxic exposure, allergies, medication factors, and preventive health-care measures.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for dietitians and nutritionists
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Internship/residency (BLS)
- Job outlook: +7.7% over ten years, faster than average · about 5,700 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay dietitians and nutritionists
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| California | $98,850 |
| West Virginia | $89,440 |
| New Jersey | $84,450 |
| Washington | $84,220 |
| Oregon | $84,180 |
| Maine | $64,610 |
| Arizona | $64,410 |
| Mississippi | $63,700 |
See dietitians and nutritionists pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.