Quick answer: Virginia employs about 1,510 dietitians and nutritionists (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through the Commission on Dietetic Registration and your state licensing board. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Compare nutrition and dietetics programs enrolling now:
Licensing and Credentials in Virginia
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.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with the Commission on Dietetic Registration and your state licensing board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
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 2 schools
within 142 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
2 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.
#1
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
📍
Blacksburg, VA
•142.4 miles away•BOC Score
80.5
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
210 Burruss Hall, 800 Drillfield Dr. Blacksburg, VA 24061-0131
What Dietitians and Nutritionists Earn in Virginia
Dietitians and Nutritionists in Virginia earn a median $77,380 per year, above the national median of $76,400 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Nutrition and Dietetics Pay and Employment in Virginia at a Glance
Metric
Virginia
National
Source
Median annual wage
$77,380
$76,400
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$44,940
$49,090
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$59,750
$63,080
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$88,700
$89,340
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$103,130
$103,720
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
1,510
77,570
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.74
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
5.5%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Virginia Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Virginia median of $77,380 sits above the national median of $76,400 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.74 puts Virginia below the national average, so the occupation is less concentrated here than in the typical state. Expect a thinner local job market and fewer employers to move between (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Dietetics employment follows the health system: hospitals, long-term care and outpatient clinics anchor demand, with schools and public health adding the rest.
Dietitians and Nutritionists Wages by Metro Area in Virginia
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), dietitians and nutritionists wages in Virginia vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
1,220
$81,750
$84,880
$59,990
$111,200
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
310
$76,600
$73,270
$50,220
$98,280
Richmond
250
$78,900
$74,680
$44,810
$98,740
Roanoke
100
$69,780
$69,610
$48,490
$95,200
Charlottesville
40
$73,810
$72,160
$40,680
$91,610
Lynchburg
40
$75,860
$73,340
$53,600
$91,970
Winchester
40
$79,590
$83,530
$64,070
$104,470
Kingsport-Bristol
30
$64,410
$63,970
$37,350
$86,200
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
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 Virginia?
The median annual wage for dietitians and nutritionists in Virginia is $77,380, above the national median of $76,400 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $59,750 at the 25th percentile to $88,700 at the 75th.
How many dietitians and nutritionists work in Virginia?
Virginia holds about 1,510 dietitian jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 77,570, and BLS projects about 6,200 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a dietitian in Virginia?
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. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with the Commission on Dietetic Registration and your state licensing board before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a nutrition bachelor's or master's online while working in Virginia?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies the Commission on Dietetic Registration and your state licensing board.
What is the highest-paying area of Virginia for dietitians and nutritionists?
Among Virginia metro areas with published data, Winchester reports the highest median at $79,590 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Virginia a good state for dietitians and nutritionists?
On pay, the state median of $77,380 sits above the national $76,400 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.74 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
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/.
