United States: dietitians, jobs and the nutrition industry

Regulator / credentialing body

Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) + state licensure boards

Professional title

RDN / RD; NDTR / DTR

Title protection

Licensure or certification in most states; RDN credential issued nationally by CDR

Professional body

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Supplement regulation

FDA, Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) 1994

Region

North America

How the profession is regulated

The United States regulates dietitians at two levels. Nationally, the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the credentialing agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, awards the Registered Dietitian (RD) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credentials, which are interchangeable, and the Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered (NDTR) credential. Its register lists 112,446 RD/RDNs and 2,952 NDTR/DTRs^[1].

At state level, most states license, certify or otherwise regulate dietitians, and some regulate who may provide individual nutrition counselling at all. Rules differ: a few states protect only the title, others restrict the practice of medical nutrition therapy to licensed professionals. Anyone moving between states or offering telehealth across state lines needs to check each state's board.

To become an RDN today, candidates complete an ACEND-accredited program with supervised practice, hold a graduate degree, which has been required for new exam candidates since 2024, and pass the national exam. Credential holders must complete continuing professional education every five years. Our guide to becoming a dietitian covers the route in detail.

The workforce in numbers

The US publishes the most detailed public data on dietitian jobs of any country. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that dietitians and nutritionists held about 86,300 jobs in 2025, that employment is projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, and that about 5,700 openings are expected each year. The median annual wage was $76,400 in May 2025^[2].

The gap between the CDR register and the BLS job count is not a contradiction. Many credentialed dietitians work in roles classified under other occupations, such as food service management, education, research, public health administration and industry, and some hold the credential while working part time or outside the field.

Strengths of the US market

• Scale and specialisation. The country supports deep specialisms, from renal and oncology to sports, eating disorders and pediatrics, with board certification available in several areas.
• Insurance coverage for nutrition care. Medicare covers medical nutrition therapy for diabetes and kidney disease, and many private insurers cover dietitian visits, which supports private practice.
• Medical weight management at scale. IQVIA reports 11 million unique US patients using a GLP-1 medicine by mid-2025^[4], creating demand for nutrition support around treatment.
• The world's leading industry events. SupplySide Global, Natural Products Expo West, FNCE, ObesityWeek and the American Society for Nutrition's NUTRITION meeting all take place in the US.
• A large supplement-using public. Three-quarters of US adults take dietary supplements, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition's 2024 survey^[3].

Opportunities

For practitioners

Medical weight management is the fastest-growing field: people on GLP-1 medicines need help with protein, fibre, hydration, side effects, muscle preservation and maintenance. See our weight management guide. Telehealth continues to grow, but multi-state licensing is the main practical barrier. Long-term care, home health and renal nutrition remain short of dietitians in many regions, and industry roles in regulatory, scientific and medical affairs pay well for dietitians who can appraise evidence.

For companies

The US is the world's largest single supplement market and the reference point for many global brands. Entry is relatively fast because most supplements do not need pre-market approval, but that places the burden on companies: they are responsible for safety, for current good manufacturing practice, for notifying new dietary ingredients and for keeping structure/function claims within the law. The FDA's dietary supplements pages set out the rules, and the Federal Trade Commission polices advertising claims.

The supplement and nutrition industry

US companies are among the largest in the global industry: Herbalife and Amway's Nutrilite in nutrition and direct selling, Abbott Nutrition in medical and adult nutrition, practitioner brands such as Thorne, manufacturers such as NOW Foods, and retailers such as GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe. The supply chain is deep, with contract manufacturers and private-label producers in Utah, California, New Jersey and the Midwest. The Council for Responsible Nutrition and the Natural Products Association, which represents more than 10,000 retail, manufacturing, wholesale and distribution locations^[5], speak for the industry. See the supplier directory for how the supply chain fits together.

Practical notes

For internationally trained dietitians

CDR offers routes for foreign-educated dietitians whose programmes meet its standards, and some countries have reciprocity agreements with CDR. Expect a credential evaluation, possibly extra coursework or supervised practice, and the national exam, followed by state licensure. Immigration and visa rules are a separate process.

For telehealth providers

Check licensure in the state where each client is located. Several states have joined or are considering an interstate compact for dietitians, which will make cross-state practice easier as it comes into force.

For supplement brands entering from abroad

Review labels for US requirements, including the Supplement Facts panel, structure/function claim disclaimers and allergen labelling; register the facility with FDA where required; and choose a US agent or distributor. The trade shows on our events calendar are the most efficient place to meet partners.

Where US dietitians work

The largest single setting is the hospital, where clinical dietitians cover intensive care, oncology, cardiology, surgery, pediatrics and nutrition support teams. Outpatient clinics and dialysis units follow; Medicare's coverage of medical nutrition therapy for diabetes and kidney disease makes these settings stable employers. Long-term care facilities and home health agencies need dietitians to meet federal requirements for nutrition assessment and care planning.

Public health is a major employer through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which serves millions of families, along with state and county health departments, school meal programmes and community organisations. Food service management in hospitals, universities and corporate cafeterias employs dietitians as directors and managers. Private practice is growing, helped by insurance coverage and telehealth, and sports dietetics is well developed at college and professional level, with board certification in sports dietetics available through CDR.

Public health priorities that shape the work

Nutrition policy in the US is anchored by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, revised every five years by the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Federal programmes such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), WIC and the National School Lunch Program reach tens of millions of people and employ nutrition professionals at every level. Diabetes prevention is another priority: the National Diabetes Prevention Program, recognised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, funds lifestyle change programmes in which dietitians often serve as coaches or programme leads. Food-is-medicine initiatives, including produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals, are expanding through Medicaid pilots and hospital partnerships, creating new roles at the meeting point of health care and food systems.

A market-entry checklist for supplement companies

1. Confirm each ingredient is a lawful dietary ingredient, and file a new dietary ingredient notification where required.
2. Build a Supplement Facts panel that meets FDA format rules, with serving size, amounts and percent Daily Value.
3. Keep structure/function claims within the law and include the required disclaimer; notify FDA of claims within 30 days of marketing.
4. Use a contract manufacturer that complies with current good manufacturing practice for dietary supplements, and keep specifications and batch records.
5. Register the facility with FDA where required and set up adverse event reporting.
6. Substantiate advertising claims to the Federal Trade Commission's standard of competent and reliable scientific evidence.
7. Plan retail entry: many US retailers and marketplaces require third-party testing or certificates of analysis before listing.

Suppliers, manufacturers and retailers in United States

Notable companies headquartered in United States across supplements, medical nutrition, ingredients and retail. This is an information list, not an endorsement; companies can claim and expand their profile through a supplement company membership.

Practices listed in United States

237 dietitian and nutrition listings in United States are live on our member directory, DietitiansWorldwide.com (snapshot 17 October 2026). Listings are shown as published by the directory and are not endorsements; practitioners can claim and update their own listing.

Las Vegas Dietitians & Nutritionists, Thomas Hellyer MS, RD, LD Las Vegas, United StatesView listing →Priscilla Schilling, RD, CDCES Bee Cave, United StatesView listing →Project Of Health LLC by Biljana Sofronijoska Rece RD, LD, IFMCP Henderson, United StatesView listing →Erika Cook RD, PA St. Augustine, United StatesView listing →

Search the directory List your practice

Events and trade shows

See every conference and trade show worldwide on the events calendar.

How United States fits the global picture

Worldwide, 2.6 billion adults were living with overweight in 2024, and 940 million of them with obesity^[10]. Diabetes affects 589 million adults aged 20 to 79^[11]. The global dietary supplements market was valued at US$209.5 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach US$431.7 billion by 2033^[12]. Those three numbers frame demand for dietitians and nutrition products in every country on the Global Hub.

More countries in North America

Canada