Dietetic Technicians, Registered Career Opportunities

Dietetic Technicians, Registered (DTR) work independently or in teams with registered dietitians (R.D.) in a variety of employment settings, including health care, business and industry, public health, foodservice, and research.

Many work environments require that an individual be credentialed as a DTR or R.D to work in nutritional health care.

DTRs work in:

• Hospitals, HMOs, clinics, nursing homes, retirement centers, hospices, home health care programs, and research facilities, helping to treat and prevent disease and administering medical nutrition therapy as an important part of health care teams.
• Schools, day-care centers, correctional facilities, restaurants, health care facilities, corporations and hospitals, managing employees, purchasing, and food preparation, and preparing budgets within foodservice operations.
  
• WIC programs, public health agencies, Meals on Wheels, and community health programs, developing and teaching nutrition classes for the public.
  
• Health clubs, weight management clinics, and community wellness centers, helping to educate clients about the connection between food, fitness, and health.
• Food companies, contract food management companies, or food vending and distributing operations, developing menus, overseeing foodservice sanitation and food safety, and preparing food labeling information and nutrient analysis.

According to ADA's 1997 Membership Database, among entry-level Dietetic Technicians, Registered employed full-time five years or less in their primary position, 63% reported incomes between $20,001 and $30,000 , and 15% earned between $30,001 and $40,000. Salary level varies with region, employment setting, geographical location, scope of responsibility, and supply of DTRs.

The job market for dietetic technicians, registered is assumed to be similar to that for dietitians and nutritionists. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dietitians and nutritionists is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005 because of increased emphasis on disease prevention, a growing and aging population, and public interest in nutrition.

Employment in hospitals is expected to show little change because of anticipated slow growth and reduced patients' lengths of hospital stay; however, faster growth is anticipated in nursing homes, residential care facilities, and physician clinics.