What Does a Dietetic Technician Do?
Pureed lunches for patients who have trouble swallowing and low-sodium trays for those with kidney disease have usually passed a dietetic technician's check. Working under registered dietitians in hospitals, nursing homes, school meal programs and community programs such as WIC, technicians screen patients for nutrition risk and teach families the basics of a special diet.
Also known as: Dietary Specialist
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Cook Chill Technician (CCT), Diet Assistant, Diet Clerk, Diet Tech (Diet Technician), Diet Tech (Dietetic Technician), Diet Technician Registered (DTR), Dietary Aide, Dietetic Assistant.
Dietetic Technician Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a dietetic technician include:
- Screen new patients for nutrition risk and flag high-risk cases for the dietitian.
- Interview patients about food habits, allergies and preferences and record diet histories.
- Check menus and trays against diet orders for sodium, texture, carbohydrate and allergen limits.
- Monitor meal intake, weights and supplement use and report changes to the dietitian.
- Teach patients and families basic diet guidelines using approved handouts.
- Plan standard menus and recipes with the food service team within budget.
- Document screenings and follow-up notes in the electronic health record.
- Update tray tickets and diet orders in food service software after each change.
- Supervise dietary aides on the tray line during meal service.
- Help run nutrition classes, school menu reviews or WIC clinic sessions.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a dietetic technician, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered (NDTR) credential
- Diet basics for diabetes, heart and kidney conditions
- Food allergens and texture-modified diets
- Diet office software such as CBORD
- Electronic health records
- Clear, simple patient teaching
- Accurate charting and follow-through
- Tact with patients who dislike their diet
Education and Training
Supervised practice is built into accredited associate degree programs in dietetic technology, which is one reason hospitals and nursing homes prefer their graduates. The NDTR exam often follows. Some technicians keep studying and later become registered dietitians.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $33,880 - $45,750 per year, with a median of $37,640.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Dietetic Technicians.
BLS figures for dietetic technicians point to growth of about 3 percent from 2025 to 2035. That is a small field, with roughly 4,200 openings a year. Hospitals and long-term care homes will keep needing help with special diets as more patients live with chronic illness, so technicians with the NDTR credential are more likely to find steady work.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Dietetic technicians.
Dietetic Technician Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $29,720 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $33,880 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $37,640 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $45,750 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $54,020 |
Highest-Paying States for Dietetic Technicians
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Oregon ($54,670), New York ($50,420), Colorado ($47,810), Minnesota ($47,610), Washington ($47,000). Pay is lowest in Kentucky ($28,970), Louisiana ($28,860), Mississippi ($28,690).
Median pay in all 45 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Arizona | $45,970 |
| Arkansas | $31,900 |
| California | $46,410 |
| Colorado | $47,810 |
| Connecticut | $42,040 |
| Delaware | $41,280 |
| District of Columbia | $40,810 |
| Florida | $34,740 |
| Georgia | $34,240 |
| Hawaii | $43,580 |
| Idaho | $32,620 |
| Illinois | $42,550 |
| Indiana | $31,660 |
| Iowa | $35,220 |
| Kansas | $35,060 |
| Kentucky | $28,970 |
| Louisiana | $28,860 |
| Maine | $42,320 |
| Maryland | $33,710 |
| Massachusetts | $39,760 |
| Michigan | $36,420 |
| Minnesota | $47,610 |
| Mississippi | $28,690 |
| Missouri | $36,100 |
| Montana | $40,040 |
| Nebraska | $37,760 |
| Nevada | $37,630 |
| New Hampshire | $41,830 |
| New Jersey | $40,530 |
| New Mexico | $37,580 |
| New York | $50,420 |
| North Carolina | $31,010 |
| North Dakota | $35,890 |
| Ohio | $41,380 |
| Oklahoma | $38,840 |
| Oregon | $54,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,090 |
| Rhode Island | $39,400 |
| South Carolina | $36,770 |
| Texas | $30,280 |
| Utah | $40,580 |
| Virginia | $38,790 |
| Washington | $47,000 |
| West Virginia | $35,210 |
| Wisconsin | $38,750 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as dietetic technicians about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 94% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 91% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 82% are exposed to disease or infection every day
- 66% deal with loud or distracting noise every day
- 65% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
- 61% work against deadlines every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Associate's degree | 35% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 27% |
| Some college | 15% |
| Less than high school | 10% |
Tools and Software Dietetic Technicians Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy helping, teaching or caring for people as well as hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking, Active Learning.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Education and Training, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 29-2051.00 (Dietetic Technicians). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 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. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.