Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 29-2051

Dietetic Technicians

Median pay sits 89% below the mid peer in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (neighbors include Pediatric Surgeons, Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric, Cardiologists, Anesthesiologists).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Dietetic Technicians: Pediatric Surgeons ($559K) , Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric ($300K) , Cardiologists ($496K) , Anesthesiologists ($391K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Dietetic Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 29-2051 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Observe and monitor patient food intake and body weight, and report changes, progress, and dietary problems to dietician
  2. 2. Conduct nutritional assessments of individuals, including obtaining and evaluating individuals' dietary histories, to plan nutritional pr…
  3. 3. Prepare a major meal, following recipes and determining group food quantities
  4. 4. Supervise food production or service or assist dietitians or nutritionists in food service supervision or planning
  5. 5. Plan menus or diets or guide individuals or families in food selection, preparation, or menu planning, based upon nutritional needs and e…
  6. 6. Determine food and beverage costs and assist in implementing cost control procedures
  7. 7. Develop job specifications, job descriptions, or work schedules
  8. 8. Refer patients to other relevant services to provide continuity of care
  9. 9. Attend interdisciplinary meetings with other health care professionals to discuss patient care
  10. 10. Provide dietitians with assistance researching food, nutrition, or food service systems
  11. 11. Deliver speeches on diet, nutrition, or health to promote healthy eating habits and illness prevention and treatment
  12. 12. Select, schedule, or conduct orientation or in-service education programs

Dietetic Technicians: O*NET ranks Speaking first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 29-2051 - lead skill Speaking at 3.4 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Speaking 3.4
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.3
  3. 3. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  4. 4. Writing 3.1
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.1
  6. 6. Active Learning 3.1
  7. 7. Learning Strategies 3.1
  8. 8. Monitoring 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.8
  2. 2. English Language 4.5
  3. 3. Education and Training 4.2
  4. 4. Mathematics 4.0
  5. 5. Public Safety and Security 4.0
  6. 6. Administration and Management 3.9
Pay vs Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations peers
-89%
vs mid peer median $335,550
This role $37,640/yr
$38K
National median
↑ +3%
Growth 2024-2034
4,000
Annual openings
31,560
Estimated US jobs
Pediatric Surgeons
Highest-pay peer · $559K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Associate's degree

Top Paying States for Dietetic Technicians

1. Maine $42,320
2. Colorado $47,810
3. Arizona $45,970
4. Minnesota $47,610
5. Illinois $42,550
6. Oregon $54,670
7. New York $50,420
8. Washington $47,000
9. Hawaii $43,580
10. California $46,410

Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations titles

  1. 1. Cardiologists $496,010
  2. 2. Pediatric Surgeons $559,030
  3. 3. Anesthesiologists $391,490
  4. 4. Dermatologists $328,730
  5. 5. Prosthodontists $311,180
  6. 6. Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $300,080

Among Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations peers on this card, Dietetic Technicians sits 89% below the mid peer median ($335,550). Its own median is $37,640.

Employment Projections expect +3% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 4,000 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Maine at $42,320. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Pediatric Surgeons at $559,030. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Dietetic Technicians pay-rank #71 in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

On the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations median table (71 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Dietetic Technicians lands at #71, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Dietetic Technicians pays 89% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Dietetic Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 29-2051

Maine · top state for Dietetic Technicians

$42K published median

Colorado · #2 state pay

$48K · behind Maine

Pediatric Surgeons

Highest-pay peer vs Dietetic Technicians · $559K

Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

Lower-pay peer beside Dietetic Technicians · $300K

Compare Dietetic Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Dietetic Technicians with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Dietetic Technicians

Against another occupation

Pediatric Surgeons card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Dietetic Technicians land on the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations median table? ▼
Dietetic Technicians is pay-rank #71 of 71 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Emergency Medical Technicians ($44K), Psychiatric Technicians ($45K), Ophthalmic Medical Technicians ($46K), Pharmacy Technicians ($46K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do dietetic technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Dietetic Technicians. Leading ones include: Observe and monitor patient food intake and body weight, and report changes, progress, and dietary problems to dietician; Conduct nutritional assessments of individuals, including obtaining and evaluating individuals' dietary histories, to plan nutritional pr…; Prepare a major meal, following recipes and determining group food quantities; Supervise food production or service or assist dietitians or nutritionists in food service supervision or planning. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for dietetic technicians? ▼
For SOC 29-2051, O*NET importance scores lead with Speaking (3.4), Active Listening (3.3), Reading Comprehension (3.1), Writing (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Education and Training. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Dietetic Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $37,640 as the national median for Dietetic Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $29,720 to $54,020. Beside Pediatric Surgeons ($559,030), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Dietetic Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Dietetic Technicians is +3%. Projected annual openings: about 4,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Dietetic Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns Associate's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Dietetic Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Dietetic Technicians? ▼
Maine ($42,320), Colorado ($47,810), Arizona ($45,970) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Dietetic Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 29-2051. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Dietetic Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics