In this Article
By: Kendall Upton
The nutritional needs of children are quite different in many ways compared to those of adults. After all, children’s bodies are constantly changing and need a healthy diet to support their growth and development.
Pediatric nutritionists—who may also be pediatric dietitians—are nutrition professionals that specialize in the dietary needs of infants, children and adolescents. They get to work with children and their families to encourage healthy lifestyles and habits. This dynamic career can be an excellent choice for people who are passionate about health and wellness, curious about the science of food and nutrition, love working with kids and want a career that makes a direct impact in the lives of others.
What is a pediatric nutritionist?
Pediatric nutritionists provide personalized nutrition and wellness guidance for babies, toddlers, children and adolescents.
Before you can become a pediatric nutritionist, it’s important to understand the distinction between dietitians and nutritionists so that you can decide which title and career route makes the most sense for you.
Dietitians are nutrition professionals that have completed the requisite education and training to call themselves dietitians, which is a regulated title. Dietitians must be licensed in almost every state. The requirements to do so vary by state but usually match the requirements to earn the Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credentials, which mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably. To earn these credentials, you must complete an accredited graduate program, a certain number of supervised practice hours and pass a credentialling exam.
The term “nutritionist,” however, is not as heavily regulated. Many states have no requirements for nutritionists, meaning anyone can call themselves a nutritionist without any specialized education or training to back it up. That said, most people that refer to themselves as a nutritionist do have legitimate credentials, such as the RDN, Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) or others.
Another rule of thumb that can help demystify things is to remember that all dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians.
Due to the specialized nature of their role, most pediatric nutritionists have the RD/RDN credentials, meaning they are technically dietitians but may prefer to use the term nutritionist.
Why see a pediatric nutritionist or dietitian?
Parents may bring their child to see a pediatric nutritionist or dietitian for many different reasons, such as:
- Their child is a picky eater and they need help finding foods that the child can tolerate and teaching them to be more flexible with food
- They need nutritional guidance to help manage a child’s health condition (such as diabetes, a neurological disorder or something else)
- They need to help their child lose or gain weight for medical reasons
- They want general guidance on how to support their child’s healthy development
What do pediatric nutritionists do?
Pediatric nutritionists and dietitians can work in a variety of healthcare settings such as pediatric units in hospitals, children’s hospitals, community health centers, outpatient clinics or private practice.
No matter where they work, pediatric nutritionists do so much more than simply come up with meals plans and give parents tips for picky eaters. Their goal is to nurture children’s understanding of a healthy lifestyle and how to develop positive habits that the child takes with them into adolescence and adulthood.
Though their duties can vary depending on their work setting, pediatric nutritionists can generally expect to do the following:
Requirements to become a pediatric nutritionist
Though you could theoretically practice as a pediatric nutritionist with minimal credentials, the vast majority of pediatric nutritionists have either the RD/RDN and/or CNS certifications. Since the RD/RDN credential is also universally accepted for state licensure purposes, it’s reasonable to assume that you’ll probably need to be an RD/RDN to work as a clinical pediatric nutritionist.
Plus, you must earn the RD/RDN credential anyway if you want to become a Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition (CSP) through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
Step 1: Earn your degree
You must complete at least a master’s degree in nutrition, dietetics or a closely related field to earn the RD, RDN or CNS credentials. Your degree must be granted by an institution accredited by the U.S. Department of Education and the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
Before you can earn a master’s degree, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree as well. Most master’s programs don’t require that you earn your bachelor’s degree in nutrition or dietetics, but it certainly helps. At the very least, most master’s programs require that you’ve completed enough undergraduate credits in areas such as biology, chemistry, physiology and nutrition to be accepted to their program.
Those that want to teach in academia or focus on pediatric nutrition research may choose to pursue a doctoral degree instead or in addition to a master’s degree.
Step 2: Complete supervised practice hours
You must complete a certain number of supervised practice hours to earn the RD/RDN or CNS credential. Most graduate programs, such as a Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Nutrition, have a clinical internship of some kind that allows you to complete these hours during the program, but there are multiple pathways to complete this requirement. You can find out more through the CDR’s website.
Step 3: Earn your credentials
Once you’ve completed all of their eligibility requirements, you can apply to take the CDR’s credentialling examination. You have three hours to complete the exam which is variable in length. The examination is scored on a scale of one through 50, and the minimum score needed to pass is 25.
The process for obtaining the CNS credential is practically the same: complete the American Nutrition Association’s eligibility requirements and then pass their exam.
Step 4: Meet the requirements to practice in your state
Many states require nutritionists and/or dietitians to be licensed in order to practice. Be sure to check with your state’s regulatory body (such as a state department of health or something similar) to determine the requirements for licensure. All states accept the RD/RDN credential for state licensure purposes.
Step 5: Maintain continuing education requirements
In order to maintain your RD/RDN credential, you must pay an annual registration fee. In addition, you must complete and submit a professional development portfolio (PDP) every five years which demonstrates proof 75 continuing professional education units (CPEUs), including one CPEU in ethics or health equity.
You may also need to complete continuing education requirements for any state-specific licenses. Check with your state’s licensing body to be sure.
Additional certifications
Some pediatric nutritionists may want to consider becoming a Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition through the CDR. This credential is available to experienced applicants who satisfy the following:
Becoming board certified is a great way to demonstrate your expertise in this practice area and it could be advantageous for your career. For example, it may help you qualify for more advanced positions in healthcare settings. If you work in private practice, it could boost your credibility and lead to more clients and the ability to charge more for your services.
What to expect as a pediatric nutritionist
As you ponder whether becoming a pediatric nutritionist is the right career move for you, consider some of these aspects of the job to get a better sense of what you’d be in for:
- Support a healthier generation:
- A career as a pediatric nutritionist can be immensely gratifying. By helping children understand how to make healthy choices, you get to play a role in nurturing a healthier generation with fewer chronic health conditions and a more harmonious relationship with food.
- Work with adolescents and kids:
- While this probably goes without saying, a career as a pediatric nutritionist means interacting with children and adolescents on a daily basis. If you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy kids and has a difficult time communicating with them, this may not be the best path.
- Work closely with families:
- Children only have so much control over their food choices—parents and caregivers are largely responsible for what their child eats based on the foods they purchase and prepare. That’s why working as a pediatric nutritionist means you’ll also be working closely with parents and families to educate them on how to support their child’s nutritional goals.
- Ability to pivot to private or group practice:
- At some point in your career, you may decide that you want to choose your own clients or be your own boss. You could start your own business and offer your services to clients in a private practice setting or work for a private group practice. These options may allow you to have a greater level of autonomy over who you work with, when and for how much. Of course, running your own business also demands new responsibilities and expenses.
- Dynamic field:
- Compared to other areas of science, particularly in healthcare, nutritional science is relatively new. Dietetics as a profession only really emerged about a century ago (the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics was founded as the American Dietetic Association in 1917). This means we are regularly learning new things about nutrition, making it a dynamic and ever-evolving field that is teeming with further research opportunities.
- Opportunity to work in multiple specialties:
- Pediatric nutrition is a specialty area of nutrition all its own, yet pediatric nutritionists can refine their area of expertise even within this group. For example, you may choose to work specifically with children and adolescents dealing with eating disorders or with youth athletes as a pediatric sports nutritionist. Keep in mind, however, that you may need additional training and education to work in these more granular niches.
How much do pediatric nutritionists earn?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not have salary data for pediatric nutritionists specifically, but we can get a sense of how much you could make based upon the salary data they have for dietitians and nutritionists as a whole. According to their 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, the median annual salary for dietitians and nutritionists is $73,850.
Keep in mind that the BLS doesn’t track salary data for self-employed workers. Dietitians and nutritionists who have their own private business, for example, may not be accounted for in their figures.
Many factors can influence an individual’s earning potential, including geographic location and associated cost of living, years of experience, education level, specialty credentials and more. For example, states with the highest median annual wage for dietitians and nutritionists include California ($93,640), Oregon ($84,990), New Jersey ($78,080) and Hawaii ($82,230). Practitioners with more advanced credentials such as board certification may also qualify for higher level roles that pay more.