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Dietician
Hours
37.5 per week
Starting salary
£21,200 + per year
Dietitians use their knowledge to help people make decisions about their lifestyle and food choices. They assess and treat people with a wide range of medical problems.
They also promote wellbeing by giving information and advice about the connection between food and physical and mental health.
If you want to be a dietitian, you’ll need to be able to motivate people to change their eating habits. You’ll also need to be able to explain complicated issues.
To become a dietician you will need a degree or postgraduate qualification. The course you choose must be approved by the Health Professions Council.
WorkDesc
The work
In the NHS, you could be based at a hospital or in the community. In a hospital setting, your job would often involve:
- specialising in an area such as children's health, renal dietetics or cancer care
- running outpatient clinics for people with diabetes or eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia
- working with catering services to create menus suitable for patients with a range of dietary needs.
In the community, you could be part of a primary care team, including GPs and health visitors. Your duties could include:
- carrying out a range of activities to raise awareness of the importance of healthy eating
- running health promotion workshops for healthcare professionals
- one-to-one client consultations
- giving dietary advice to people whose problems may be linked to lack of confidence, depression or low income.
Outside of the NHS, you could work in education, manufacturing, research, journalism, marketing, advertising and public relations. Your role could involve developing new products and calculating their nutritional value, creating scientifically accurate promotional literature about a food product, or representing a manufacturer's point of view in the media.
HoursDesc
Hours
In the NHS you would typically work 37.5 hours a week, which could include weekends. Part-time work may also be available.
You would usually be based in a consulting room attached to a clinic, health centre or hospital.
IncomeDesc
Income
The starting salary for a dietitian can be between £21,200 and £27,500 a year. With experience this can rise to around £34,200 a year.
Specialists and team leaders can earn up to £40,300 a year.
Additional allowances may be paid for working irregular hours or being on-call.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
You will need a degree or postgraduate qualification in dietetics, or human nutrition and dietetics, before you can start work as a dietitian. The course you choose must be approved by the Health Professions Council (HPC).
To do a dietetics degree, you will usually need five GCSEs (A-C), including maths and English, plus three A levels including chemistry and at least one other science-related subject (which could include maths). Check with individual course providers for exact entry requirements, as other qualifications may also be accepted.
To do an approved postgraduate course, you will usually need an honours degree in a life science subject covering topics such as human physiology and biochemistry. Course providers will advise you about the relevance of your first degree.
It may help you if you have some paid or voluntary experience that demonstrates your interest and understanding of this area of work. Contact the voluntary services coordinator or manager at your local NHS Trust for advice on doing voluntary work.
Dietetics degrees are usually four years full-time, and postgraduate courses are normally two years full-time. Check the British Dietetics Association (BDA) and HPC websites for a list of universities offering degrees and postgraduate courses.
You may be able to get NHS funding to pay for course fees and living expenses. See the NHS Business Services Authority website for details.
Dietetic Assistant
You could start your career in dietetics as a dietetic assistant. For this role, you will usually need a good standard of general education - possibly including four GCSEs (A-C) - and a keen interest in healthy eating, diet and nutrition. Experience in a healthcare setting could also help you.
As an assistant, you may be encouraged to work towards a level 2 or 3 Diploma in Clinical Healthcare Support Services, or a Level 3 Diploma in Allied Health Profession Support. Membership of the British Dietetic Association may also be useful. Your employer may help you with continuing your studies to degree level and qualification as a dietitian. Contact your local NHS trust or check the NHS Jobs website for dietetic assistant vacancies.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
Throughout your career you will need to keep up to date with advances in your field and take up opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD). Joining the British Dietetic Association (BDA) would give you access to workshops, conferences and other CPD activities. As part of your registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC), you may also be asked to provide evidence of CPD. See the HPC website for further information.
As a member of the BDA, you could take further training courses such the Advanced Dietetic Practice in Diabetes, and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and the Dietitian. See the BDA website for details.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To be a dietitian, you should have:
- an interest in nutrition and in people's health and wellbeing
- an aptitude for science
- the ability to explain complicated issues to those without a science background
- a non-judgemental and understanding attitude about alternative lifestyles
- tact and patience, and the ability to motivate people to change eating habits
- excellent spoken and written communication skills
- the ability to work alone and as part of a team
- a flexible approach to work
- the ability to organise your time and prioritise your work.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Health Professions Council 
Park House
184 Kennington Park Road
London
SE11 4BU
Tel: 020 7582 0866
www.hpc-uk.org
NHS Careers
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
British Dietetic Association (BDA)
5th Floor, Charles House
148/9 Great Charles Street
Queensway
Birmingham
B3 3HT
Tel: 0121 200 8080
www.bda.uk.com
Health Learning and Skills Advice Line
Tel: 08000 150850
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You will find most jobs in the NHS, but you could also work with, for example, food and drink manufacturers, multinational supermarket chains and in the private health sector.
With experience, you could work on a freelance or self-employed basis, or overseas. You could also train further and go into an area such as sports nutrition, the media, health promotion or teaching. You may be able to combine this with carrying out research into a subject of interest, for example, diet and athletic performance.
In the NHS, you could progress and specialise in a clinical area, such as gastroenterology, or focus on the health needs of a particular group like older people. You may go on to lead a team or manage a department, and have responsibility for controlling a budget.
Jobs may be advertised in local and industry press. You may also find the following websites useful for vacancies (links open in a new window):
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
LMIData
Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
Career paths
Further sources
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