💡 Why it matters: Diabetes, high blood pressure and malnutrition are health problems in every part of the world, and the right food advice can prevent or manage many of them.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: In Nigeria, diabetes, high blood pressure and child malnutrition are rising problems.
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦1.5M – ₦3.5M
- Mid-career
- ₦3.5M – ₦8M
- Senior
- ₦8M – ₦18M
≈ ₦292k – ₦667k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Hourly wage low and high x 2,080 hours; Job Bank shows no national median.. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Plan meals for patients with different health needs
- Teach families how to eat well on a budget
- Check children for malnutrition
- Work with hospitals, schools and sports clubs
- Create healthy eating programmes
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Food knowledge
- Communication
- Empathy
- Planning
- Science understanding
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Diploma in Nutrition at a school of health technology
- Postgraduate dietetics internship
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Dietitian degree apprenticeship
- Work as a dietetic assistant, then train as a dietitian
🇺🇸 United States
- Dietetic technician (associate degree), then continue studying
🇨🇦 Canada
- Qualify abroad and have your credentials assessed
- Master's degree in nutrition or dietetics
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Do well in Biology and Chemistry
- 2Study nutrition and dietetics
- 3Complete supervised practice or an internship in a hospital
- 4Register or get licensed with the dietetics regulator
- 5Work in a hospital, school, sport team or private practice
⏰ A day in the life
You meet a patient with diabetes and build a meal plan using the foods she already eats. Then you visit a school to talk about balanced diets and help a footballer plan his meals before a big match.