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Nutritionist

Alternative titles for this job include

Nutritionists teach patients and clients about the effects of food on their health, motivating them to make positive changes to their diet.

Average salary (a year)

£32,000 Starter

to

£48,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 40

You could work

between 8am and 6pm

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through a university course.

University

You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification approved by the Association for Nutrition.

Approved courses include:

  • food and nutrition
  • biochemistry
  • physiology
  • public health
  • health promotion

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including biology or chemistry
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

More Information

Volunteering

Volunteering in the NHS is a good way to get work experience in healthcare. This can be helpful when you apply for jobs or training.

You could also look for work and volunteering opportunities in:

  • food safety
  • food charity
  • sport and fitness
  • food manufacturing
  • university research

More Information

Career tips

There are short courses available that can help you to decide whether nutrition is the right career for you. For example, you could do a:

Professional and industry bodies

After university, you can apply to join the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists which shows you're a qualified or experienced nutritionist.

Further information

You can find out more about a career in nutrition from the Association for Nutrition and Health Careers.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • sensitivity and understanding
  • knowledge of biology
  • the ability to design training programmes
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • the ability to work on your own
  • maths skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a nutritionist, you could:

  • analyse food samples to work out their nutritional value
  • research links between nutrition, health and disease
  • give scientific advice on foods and food groups
  • develop nutritional plans with patients to help them manage a health condition
  • promote the benefits of a healthy diet and relationship to food
  • work closely with doctors, dietitians and nurses
  • advise public bodies on policies to improve community health

Working environment

You could work in an NHS or private hospital, in the community, at a GP practice, at a health centre or in a laboratory.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience and further training, you could:

  • supervise a team of nutritionists
  • specialise in an area, such as sports nutrition, public health or allergies
  • manage nutritional health programmes and policies
  • work freelance as a nutritional consultant

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a nutritionist right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Access to HE (Science)

  • Provider: CAMBRIDGE REGIONAL COLLEGE
  • Start date: 03 September 2026
  • Location: Cambridge

Access to HE - Science

  • Provider: Harrow, Richmond & Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC)
  • Start date: 09 September 2026
  • Location: Twickenham
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

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