Quick answer: The San Diego metro employs about 620 dietitians and nutritionists (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through the Commission on Dietetic Registration and your state licensing board.
Compare nutrition and dietetics programs enrolling now:
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. The Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credential requires an ACEND-accredited program, supervised practice and a national examination - and effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration requires a graduate degree for examination eligibility. Most states license or certify dietetics practice on top of the RDN.
See the California licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with the Commission on Dietetic Registration and your state licensing board.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 124 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What Dietitians and Nutritionists Earn in San Diego
Dietitians and Nutritionists in the San Diego area earn a median $98,870 per year, above the national median of $76,400 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Nutrition and Dietetics Pay in San Diego, CA
Metric
San Diego metro
California
National
Median annual wage
$98,870
$98,850
$76,400
10th percentile
$74,190
$72,780
$49,090
25th percentile
$80,620
$83,270
$63,080
75th percentile
$107,340
$110,660
$89,340
90th percentile
$121,970
$130,850
$103,720
Employment
620
8,720
77,570
Location quotient
0.81
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The San Diego median of $98,870 is above the national median of $76,400, and above the California statewide median of $98,850 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.81 means dietitians and nutritionists are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Dietetics employment follows the health system: hospitals, long-term care and outpatient clinics anchor demand, with schools and public health adding the rest.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do dietitians and nutritionists make in San Diego?
The median annual wage for dietitians and nutritionists in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $98,870, above the national median of $76,400 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many dietitians and nutritionists work in the San Diego area?
The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area employs about 620 dietitians and nutritionists (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do dietitians and nutritionists in San Diego need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. The Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credential requires an ACEND-accredited program, supervised practice and a national examination - and effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration requires a graduate degree for examination eligibility. Most states license or certify dietetics practice on top of the RDN. Confirm current requirements with the Commission on Dietetic Registration and your state licensing board.
Can I study nutrition and dietetics online from San Diego?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies the Commission on Dietetic Registration and your state licensing board.
Is San Diego a better market than the rest of California?
The San Diego metro median is $98,870 against a statewide median of $98,850 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Dietitians and Nutritionists (SOC 29-1031), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
