Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Associate's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Dietetic technicians work in a specialized health-related field with a clear national footprint and defined growth expectations. National employment stands at 31,000, with projected employment growth of 2.5% and 4,000 annual openings, indicating ongoing replacement and hiring needs. The national median annual salary is $37,040, with several states and metros offering higher median pay. This career draws on a mix of interpersonal and analytical strengths, including adaptability, customer service, interpersonal skills, critical and analytical thinking, and attention to detail. Additional skills such as science, mathematics, project management, leadership, and creativity and innovation can further support long-term development in this path. Similar occupations include food service managers, medical assistants, healthcare support workers, chefs and head cooks, and first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers, giving you multiple alternatives to consider. Overall, dietetic technicians can expect a structured career path combining health-focused work with stable employment prospects and opportunities to build a strong skill set over time.
Dietetic technicians earn a national median annual salary of $37,040, but pay varies notably by location. Several states exceed the national median, including New York at $50,420, Colorado at $47,810, Washington at $47,000, and California at $46,410. Massachusetts is closer to the national level at $39,760. At the metro level, some areas stand out even more. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro reports a median salary of $50,690, while the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro is close behind at $49,800. The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro shows a median of $45,930. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH are closer to the national figure, at $37,060 and $40,130 respectively. These differences suggest that location choices can significantly influence earning potential within this occupation.
Dietetic technicians have a clearly defined national employment base and modest projected growth. Current national employment is 31,000, with projected employment growth of 2.5%. This growth rate appears consistently across the highlighted states and metro areas, indicating a relatively uniform outlook in different parts of the country. The occupation is expected to have 4,000 annual openings, reflecting ongoing opportunities for new entrants and career changers. The combination of an established employment base and steady projected growth supports a picture of continued demand for dietetic technicians. For individuals planning a long-term career, these numbers suggest a field where jobs are regularly available rather than highly volatile. When evaluating this path, it can be helpful to weigh the steady 2.5% growth against your own goals for job stability, along with the geographic differences in pay and opportunity scores across states and metro areas.
Location plays a major role in opportunity for dietetic technicians. Among states, California has the largest employment level at 6,310 and a median salary of $46,410, with an opportunity score of 67.38. New York offers a higher median salary of $50,420 and employment of 1,580, with an opportunity score of 65.78. Massachusetts combines a median salary of $39,760 and employment of 910 with an opportunity score of 65.87. Colorado and Washington have smaller employment levels—230 and 290 respectively—but relatively high median salaries of $47,810 and $47,000, and opportunity scores in the mid-50s. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ lead on opportunity score at 77.42 and 77.27, with median salaries near or just above $50,000. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH provide additional options with varied balances of pay, employment levels, and opportunity scores.
Dietetic technicians typically enter the field with an associate's degree, giving this career a clear, attainable education pathway. This level of education can be especially appealing for students and career changers who want to enter a health-related role without pursuing a longer degree program. Success in this occupation is supported by a broad skill set. Core people-focused strengths such as interpersonal skills, customer service, adaptability, and leadership are important. At the same time, analytical abilities—including mathematics, science, critical and analytical thinking, and being detail oriented—play a key role. Project management skills help organize tasks and workflows, while creativity and innovation support problem-solving and improvement efforts. Together, the associate’s degree requirement and this mix of interpersonal and analytical skills create a balanced profile, allowing you to contribute in both people-facing and detail-focused aspects of the work as a dietetic technician.
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