Health & Nutrition

While a Bachelor's degree is required for all positions, an undergraduate degree in nutrition prepares individuals for careers in the food industry. People in these careers use food, health and nutrition knowledge to help test products, assist consumers and manage food operations. Keep reading for an overview of dietitian and nutritionist, food scientist and food service manager careers.
Dietitians and Nutritionists
Nutritionists and dietitians work with clients on a consultant, community or clinical basis. These professionals plan healthy meals to satisfy nutritional requirements. By promoting healthy eating habits, nutritionists seek to avert and remedy illnesses associated with bad health. After examining an individual's health, a dietitian can recommend a diet designed to assist the patient to meet his or her health needs, such as losing weight or lowering blood pressure.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nutritionists and dietitians in 2015 had a median yearly salary of $57,910. Most of these professionals earned between $35,240 and $80,950 per year. The number of employed nutritionists and dietitians is expected to increase 16% between 2014 and 2024, which is much faster than average, per the BLS.
Food Scientists
Food scientists improve and create food products for universities, the government or food processing industries. Through the use of sciences like engineering, microbiology, chemistry, physics and biotechnology, food scientists discover and enhance methods for distributing, stowing, processing, packaging and preserving foods. Additional job duties can vary depending on one's job, but range from working in sanitation and safety to analyzing food contents, such as fats, sugars, proteins and vitamins, for nutritional information.
Food Service Managers
Restaurants and other food service establishments require food service managers to help run daily and long-term operations. Possessing a Bachelor's degree in nutrition allows food service managers to share accurate nutritional information to consumers about the products sold at their establishments. Food service managers usually perform all human resource and administrative duties at an individual location; these include monitoring, training and hiring employees, as well as stocking and ordering inventory.