If you are passionate about helping others live longer, happier, and healthier lives through their food choices, you have likely thought about a career in nutrition.
Clinical nutrition care involves helping people with the prevention, diagnosis, and management of their nutrient intake and overall health by looking at their diet, family history, medical history, lifestyle, and laboratory tests.
Candidates interested in this career path open themselves to many fulfilling and high-paying jobs upon earning a Master’s in Nutrition.
In today’s article, we’ll take an in-depth look at six careers Master’s in Nutrition candidates can pursue, including clinical nutritionists, nutrition specialists, community health workers, and more.
What is a Master’s in Nutrition?
While students can pursue careers in nutrition after completing a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, candidates with a Nutrition MS degree have access to higher-paying jobs, leadership positions, and upward mobility.
A Master’s in Nutrition trains students to promote and support awareness of optimal nutrition by integrating biochemical and physiological knowledge and evidence-based interventions. Students in these programs take Nutrition classes in Evidence-Based Nutrition, Biochemistry of Nutrition, Vitamins and Minerals, Developmental Nutrition, and Clinical Biochemistry so that they are ready to help prevent and treat various health conditions.
Many colleges and universities offer in-person and online Master’s in Nutrition programs, with the latter offering students more flexibility and freedom to take their coursework whenever and wherever they want.
Plus, students in online Master’s in Nutrition programs can complete their degree and find a high-paying job in nutrition quickly. For example, at University of Bridgeport, our online Master’s of Science (MS) in Nutrition students can finish their degree in as few as twenty-three months.
What Can You Do With a Master’s in Nutrition Degree?
Upon earning a Master’s in Nutrition and depending on one’s goals and interests, candidates may need to meet certain licensing and certification requirements. Certification shows how advanced a candidate is in their knowledge and experience in the field, while licensing shows whether or not they are legally allowed to practice in their state.
For example, many nutrition programs are pathways to becoming a certified nutritionist specialist (CNS), which leads to more credibility and pay, but students do not complete their certification in the program itself. UB’s Nutrition program meets all of the CNS academic requirements and gives students between 200-255 hours towards the 1,000 hour field experience requirement. Remember, licensing requirements vary by state, so check your state’s licensing requirements to work as a clinical nutritionist.
Did you know? University of Bridgeport’s MS in Nutrition program is offered 100% online! Learn how you can earn your degree on a timeline that works for you.
Six High-Paying Jobs With a Nutrition Degree
Careers in nutrition go well beyond coaching others’ diets and graduates can find various diverse, multidisciplinary, and high-paying jobs with a nutrition degree.
Note that all salaries and employment growth rate statistics are reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
1. Clinical Nutritionist
One of the most common career paths is that of a state-certified clinical nutritionist.
Clinical nutritionists assess a person’s diet, clinical status, and medical history to determine how their nutritional intake can impact their health, prevent disease, and mitigate the symptoms of chronic illness. These professionals also may use laboratory tests to assist and work alongside a client’s larger medical team to provide even more personalized nutrition and health care.
Nutritionists earn a median annual wage of $66,450, with the highest ten percent earning more than $95,130, and can expect a seven percent employment growth rate by 2032.
2. Nutrition Specialists
Nutrition specialists are trained food science experts who develop nutritious food programs for clients and help them understand how foods provide fuel and nutrients for better overall health.
These individuals meet with clients, create individualized meal plans, monitor client’s progress, and suggest changes to achieve overall health goals.
While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not specify the salary of nutrition specialists, they fall under the nutritionist umbrella. They can expect to earn a similar salary as nutritionists and find work in hospitals, government offices, outpatient care centers, and nursing and residential care facilities.
3. Community Health Worker
Community health workers work to promote good health and prevent disease within their community. They typically work full-time in various settings, including schools, hospitals, public health departments, and community-based organizations, where they interact with community members, hold events, and collect data for research purposes.
Community health workers develop educational plans or strategies to improve and advocate for the overall health outcomes of their community members. They can also create outreach programs and provide social support through their research efforts.
Candidates interested in this career path can expect to earn a median annual salary of $46,190, with the highest ten percent earning more than $73,730.
4. Market Research Analysts
Market research analysts study consumer preferences, business conditions, and other factors to assess potential product or service sales and help companies understand what products or services consumers want.
More specifically, market research analysts in nutrition investigate and analyze how new nutrition products, like health foods or supplements, will perform in the market and how customers will respond. They make charts, graphs, infographics, and other visual aids so that their clients can understand and forecast future trends.
The median annual wage for market research analysts is $68,230, with the highest ten percent earning more than $131.850.
5. Technical Writer
With a median annual salary of $79,690 and the highest ten percent earning more than $128,110, a career as a technical writer in nutrition is another popular and exciting career path.
These individuals create paper-based and digital instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other documents that explain complex, technical, and scientific information. Furthermore, technical writers with a Master of Science (MS) in Nutrition degree are exceptionally skilled in writing grant proposals for research scientists and institutions.
6. Food Technologists
Food technologists use their background and knowledge in chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences gained in a Master’s in Nutrition program to study food composition and analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein.
All of these enable them to create alternative methods for food safety, including the best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.
Food technologists earn a median annual salary of $68,970, with the highest ten percent earning more than $124,660.
Earning a Master of Science in Nutrition opens students up to a number of high-paying careers and opportunities in the world of nutrition, including nutrition research, industry consulting, non-profit work, publishing, and even in the world of academia by teaching at Pre-K-12 and community college levels.
If you are passionate about nutrition and want a career driven by your passions and interests, an online Nutrition MS degree is the perfect place to start your journey.
Contact us for more information, or apply today. Our staff, faculty, and comprehensive support services at the Student Entrepreneur Center can’t wait to help you get through college and into an exciting, rewarding, and high-paying career in nutrition!