Nutritionist job description
Where we source our data
Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.
That’s why we anonymously surveyed nutritionists about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.
While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.
Where we source our data
Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.
That’s why we anonymously surveyed nutritionists about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.
While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.
Cooperative
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.
Organising
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.
Intellectual
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.
Tasks and responsibilities for a nutritionist
So, what does a nutritionist do? A nutritionist’s duties can include:
- Assessing clients' needs and goals
- Creating meal and diet plans
- Educating clients in nutrition and food preparation
- Monitoring client progress and adjusting schedules as needed
- Working with data relating to people's nutritional needs
- Recommending food supplements
Reasons to choose this job
Based on our career survey data, these are the factors that workers said were most important to them when choosing this job.
Makes a difference
Food and nutrition science play a huge part in people’s healthcare, mental health, and quality of life. You may even be able to help people recover from eating disorders. Being able to impart your knowledge and creating plans that encourage healthy lifestyles is deeply satisfying.
High paying
The high-value knowledge obtained by nutritionists and the demand for their services have resulted in a high salary average in Australia and worldwide.
Learning opportunities
Starting as a nutritionist can expose you to learning experiences every day. It may also lead you to more senior roles or study further qualifications within the industry.
Job satisfaction
Overall job satisfaction
This overall score combines the critical factors in job satisfaction. It includes fulfilment, stress levels, and opportunities for advancement, based on our career survey data.
Stress level
How stressful workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.
Fulfilment
How personally rewarding workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.
Skill level
The skill level required to do this job is based on both our career survey data and official data from the Labour Market Information Portal.
Job market trends for a nutritionist
Nutrition is a growing industry, and nutritionist job opportunities won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
In 2020 there were 6,500 nutrition professionals in Australia. Reports predict this number will grow to around 7,100 by 2025. This upward trend could be due to the growing awareness of nutrition and a desire to live healthier lifestyles. Other factors could be an increased desire to control weight, maintain better gut health and food trends around natural ingredients.
Median salary
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Projected job growth
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Pathway options
Job pathways are drawn from the Australian Apprenticeships Pathways site.
A career in nutrition could be the gateway to other job opportunities. In this growing industry, diverse and specialised health professional roles are aplenty.
Some career pathways could be:
Junior
-
Nutrition assistant
Most common qualification: Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance (HLT43015)
Mid
-
Health coach
Most common qualification: Diploma of Nutrition (10967NAT)
-
Weight loss consultant
Most common qualification: Diploma of Nutrition (10967NAT)
Senior
-
Diabetes educator
Most common qualification: Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Education and Health Care (V12936)
Skills you might already have
Based on our career survey data, the soft skills that workers said were most needed to do their job well.
Skills that are an advantage to nutritionists are often naturally developed or picked up through past work. These interpersonal skills create a better work environment and a better service to clients.
Some nutritionist soft skills are:
Communication
Good communication skills are essential when working face to face with clients. You need to convey information, nutrition plans and advice on eating habits clearly, and you need to be available and respond quickly if a client has any questions or concerns.
Empathy
Working in the health and wellness industry requires empathy and compassion. Clients may have poor self-esteem or anxiety about healthy eating and need you to be sensitive when communicating with them.
Teamwork
If you work as a nutritionist within an organisation, you work around and with other people. As part of larger teams, you must work cohesively to provide the best service possible to patients or clients.
“If you love food, cooking, science and health and are motivated to help people, then nutrition and dietetics may be the profession for you.” – Dr Liz Isenring, professor of Nutrition and Dietetics and founder of LINC Nutrition.
Hard skills
The job-specific skills that workers said were most important, supplemented with data from JobOutlook and online job advertisements.
Completing a nutrition course will give you the practical skills you need to work as a nutritionist with capability and confidence.
Some technical skills required for a job in naturopathy are:
Human nutrition
Chemistry
Nutrition communication
Sociology of food
Communication and counselling
Psychology of exercise and sport
Gut health and food as medicine
Food science
Little did I realise that as a dietitian and nutritionist, I'd help people with cancer, run research trials, teach students, publish scientific papers and be invited around the world to speak on nutrition and wellness.
Dr Liz Isenring
Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics and founder of LINC Nutrition.
How to become a nutritionist
-
Study
By studying nutrition at a TAFE or Registered Training Organisation (RTO), you gain the skills you need to begin a job as a nutritionist. A qualified nutritionist will have better job prospects and a more promising career path.
-
Apply to join the NSA Voluntary Register of Nutritionists
There are no Australian government regulations for the nutrition industry, and as such, organisations like The Nutrition Society of Australia have a voluntary register to distinguish nutritionists with credentials.
Explore related qualifications
Bachelor of Health Science
This qualification provides strong foundations and accreditation in nutrition through studies in biological and social sciences subjects. This bachelor’s degree includes nutritional biochemistry, weight management, clinical nutrition, dietary planning, sports nutrition, nutritional physiology research, and public health nutrition.
The course duration can be three years (full-time) to eight years (part-time) and a blended learning format. There is flexibility in study options in both time and location, and payment plans are available for tuition fees.
Course prerequisites are dependent on the course provider. Enquire about a course to find out more.
1 providers offer this course
Diploma of Nutrition and Dietetics for Personal Trainers
This course is a carefully developed course programme encompassing two nationally recognised qualifications and four industry-leading certifications across both training and nutrition. This qualification will help you develop the skills and knowledge to become an expert personal trainer who can give clients nutritional advice.
With 24 months to complete the short courses, your learning is self-paced, and you can enrol at any time. Course content is delivered online and in a blended format, and multiple payment options are available for course fees. Enquire to find out more.
2 providers offer this course
Related subjects
Jobs in the health and wellness sector come in many forms. Depending on your goals and dreams, there is a perfect fit for you in this exciting industry.
Some other subjects to explore:
Reviews
How we collect reviews
Reviews are from Australian workers with this job title or a very closely related one.
Is this your job title?
Share your thoughts and help people decide if this job is right for them.
How we collect reviews
Reviews are from Australian workers with this job title or a very closely related one.
Is this your job title?
Share your thoughts and help people decide if this job is right for them.
- All
- Positive
- Negative
Jayde
Sep 06 2021Amazing that I can help clients reach their nutrition goals.
What are the best parts of the job?
Talking to clients and helping them achieve their goals.
What's the most challenging part?
Time management and staying on top of tasks.
Mary
Sep 07 2021Enjoyable, helpful career.
What are the best parts of the job?
Being able to make a positive difference in someone's life and help them.
What's the most challenging part?
Finding new clients and building those crucial relationships.
Jovana
Sep 08 2021Love interacting with both my clients and colleagues.
What are the best parts of the job?
Working with my colleagues and seeing my patients happy.
What's the most challenging part?
Getting everything done by the set time frame.
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Job cluster: The Carer
What are job clusters?
The seven job clusters are sets of closely related jobs that share skills, making it easy to apply skills learned in one career to another.
The idea of the seven job clusters first appeared in a 2016 research report by the Foundation for Young Australians, titled “The New Work Mindset”. Researchers analysed thousands of online job advertisements and found that jobs are more similar than commonly thought — and the skills you gain in one position are easy to bring to another. In fact, they can help you get 13 other closely related jobs.
This model is a great way to think about 21st-century careers, where the average person changes career five times. We’ve used this framework (along with the much-loved Holland Codes model) to build a career quiz.
Why not take it and find out which job cluster feels like home?
What are job clusters?
The seven job clusters are sets of closely related jobs that share skills, making it easy to apply skills learned in one career to another.
The idea of the seven job clusters first appeared in a 2016 research report by the Foundation for Young Australians, titled “The New Work Mindset”. Researchers analysed thousands of online job advertisements and found that jobs are more similar than commonly thought — and the skills you gain in one position are easy to bring to another. In fact, they can help you get 13 other closely related jobs.
This model is a great way to think about 21st-century careers, where the average person changes career five times. We’ve used this framework (along with the much-loved Holland Codes model) to build a career quiz.
Why not take it and find out which job cluster feels like home?
Working in a role that guides and educates others on better health and wellbeing is best suited to the career personality of The Carer.
The Carer has a personality that thrives in helping others and uses their natural ability to nurture and care to make people feel at ease in their presence.
Take the Career Quiz to discover what jobs are a great fit for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?
Nutritionists and dietitians may provide a similar service to clients. The term “nutritionist” is not regulated, and while nutritionists may be tertiary trained, a dietitian has strict qualifications and has been supervised and assessed in clinical nutrition.
In Australia, all dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians. Only people with a dietetics qualification can take on the expert role of a dietitian. You can find more information in this article about nutritionists and dietitians.
How to become a holistic nutritionist
While a formal qualification is not required to gain an entry-level position in holistic nutrition, getting qualified will boost your job prospects. Some courses you can complete to increase your job opportunities are a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine) or a Personal Trainer course with a Nutrition Specialist qualification.
How long does it take to become a nutritionist?
With no prior qualifications required, job opportunities will be better if you have previous training. Courses vary in length depending on qualification level. A Bachelor of Health Science (Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine) takes 3 years of full-time study to complete, and a Personal Trainer course with a Nutrition Specialist qualification can take between 3-12 months to complete.
How much does a nutritionist earn?
In Australia, the average salary for a nutritionist is $103K per year.
What makes a good nutritionist?
Good nutritionists are active listeners who are empathetic and compassionate. They have key skills in health, nutrition, the food industry and genuinely care about the health and wellbeing of others.