Certified Nutritionist vs. Nutrition Consultant: How Do They Differ?

A career in nutrition can be highly rewarding — everybody eats, and the food choices you make can drastically affect your quality of life.

Two popular roles in this field are certified nutritionist and nutrition consultant. Whereas certified nutritionists provide nutrition advice to individuals as well as to groups, nutrition consultants offer more targeted expertise directly to individuals.

Both careers require you to have at least a bachelor’s in nutrition. However, there are a few key differences to be aware of before you decide whether to become a certified nutritionist or nutrition consultant.

Certified nutritionists promote health and assist clients using their expert knowledge of food and nutrition.

As you might’ve guessed, with “certified” in their names, certified nutritionists hold state certification or licensure. Both certified nutrition specialist (CNS) and registered dietitian (RD) roles count as certified nutritionists.

Certified nutritionists work in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and dialysis centers.

In order to sit for the licensing exam to become a CNS or RD, you must hold a master’s in nutritionor a related area such as biology or anatomy. You must also have successfully completed at least 1,000 hours of a supervised internship.

Nutrition consultants work with clients one-on-one to provide nutrition and health expertise in more niche areas. These clients could be patients at a private practice, for example, or employees participating in a company wellness program.

One thing to be clear on: Nutrition consultants are certified nutritionists, but not all certified nutritionists are nutrition consultants. In 2021, 9% of registered dietitian nutritionists worked in consulting, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ 2021 Compensation and Benefits Survey.

As such, they must have a master’s in nutrition or a related field and complete 1,000 hours of a supervised internship. Nutrition consultants also typically need a license in the state they practice.

What’s the difference between a certified nutritionist and a nutrition consultant? View the table below for an overview of how the two careers compare.

Both certified nutritionists and nutrition consultants must have a master’s degree.

Because nutrition consultants typically provide highly specialized care in private practices, they may benefit from taking business or consulting classes as well.

Both certified nutritionists and nutrition consultants can get certification as:

To earn certification, you must have a master’s degree with coursework in nutrition and complete at least 1,000 internship hours.

The next step is to apply for licensure in the state you plan to work. Laws vary, so check with your state’s Department of Health for more information.

Many states use the CNS certification exam for licensure purposes. Only a handful of states — such as California — don’t require licensure for certified nutritionists to practice.

Both certified nutritionists and nutrition consultants use their nutrition expertise to educate and improve the health of those they work with. That said, their day-to-day work can differ.

Certified nutritionists may work in public health settings or hospitals, conducting needs assessments and formulating intravenous feedings for patients.

Nutrition consultants, in contrast, typically work in private practices, providing specialty nutrition and health services directly to clients. Business and financial skills are particularly helpful for nutrition consultants.

Certified nutritionists use their clinical and counseling skills in a variety of settings. Their work is often customer- or patient-facing.

Many nutritionists work in hospitals. In fact, hospitals are one of the largest employers of nutritionists and dietitians, employing 28% of professionals in this field, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nutrition consultants, in comparison, often work in private practices, corporate settings like pharmaceutical companies, and corporate wellness centers. Their work may or may not involve direct patient or customer interaction.

Limited Payscale data shows that nutrition consultants tend to make more than certified nutritionists; however, salaries for the two roles can vary a lot depending on your location, industry, and how much experience you have.

According to AND’s 2021 Compensation and Benefits Survey, a new nutrition consultant with a master’s degree and a registered dietitian credential can expect to make $107,000 in Sacramento, California. In contrast, those in Atlanta, Georgia, can expect to make closer to $80,000.