Also called: NICU Dietitian, Pediatric Dietitian
Plans nutrition for premature and sick newborns, sometimes calculating feedings in drops.
Reviews each tiny NICU patient's growth, calculates IV nutrition and fortified breast milk recipes, and works with doctors to help babies grow strong enough to go home.
Estimate based on BLS dietitians and nutritionists ($73,850 median, May 2024).
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's degree (now required for new dietitians), 1,000+ supervised practice hours, and the RD exam.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Nutrition & Dietetics, Nutrition Science, Food Science.
Growing faster than average (about 7% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Software helps calculate feeds; individualized care for fragile newborns with doctors in the NICU stays human.
Classes: Chemistry, AP Biology, Algebra II.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1031.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.