How much does a Dietary Assistant make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Dietary Assistant in the United States is $33,898 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $16.
However, a Dietary Assistant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $38,639
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $31,336 to $36,380
Key Factors That Influence Dietary Assistant Salaries
A Dietary Assistant's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Dietary Assistant Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Dietary Assistant's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Dietary Assistant Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Dietary Assistants. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $42,756
San Francisco: $42,287
Oakland: $41,396
San Jose, CA$42,756
San Francisco, CA$42,287
Oakland, CA$41,396
New York, NY$39,030
Paramus, NJ$38,555
Queens Village, NY$38,554
Passaic, NJ$38,521
Bergenfield, NJ$38,518
Stamford, CT$38,444
Huntington, NY$38,430
Newark, NJ$38,179
Bridgeport, CT$38,108
Vallejo, CA$38,040
New Brunswick, NJ$38,027
Petaluma, CA$38,006
Middlesex, NJ$37,942
Somerset, NJ$37,918
Santa Cruz, CA$37,874
Boston, MA$37,667
Monterey, CA$37,548
Seattle, WA$37,471
Santa Rosa, CA$37,464
Los Angeles, CA$37,454
Juneau, AK$37,366
Washington, DC$37,328
Orange, CA$37,208
Santa Ana, CA$37,118
Long Beach, CA$37,084
Anaheim, CA$37,078
Anchorage, AK$37,061
Santa Maria, CA$36,959
Everett, WA$36,952
Danbury, CT$36,833
Bremerton, WA$36,786
Tacoma, WA$36,664
New Suffolk, NY$36,663
Sacramento, CA$36,654
Santa Barbara, CA$36,617
Trenton, NJ$36,579
San Diego, CA$36,579
Brockton, MA$36,542
Fairbanks, AK$36,459
Lompoc, CA$36,373
Lowell, MA$36,345
Ventura, CA$36,339
Nashua, NH$36,332
Stockton, CA$36,328
Modesto, CA$36,081
Poughkeepsie, NY$36,006
Olympia, WA$35,942
Kennewick, WA$35,942
New Haven, CT$35,928
Lawrence, MA$35,806
Hartford, CT$35,773
Riverside, CA$35,766
New Bedford, MA$35,732
Richland, WA$35,732
Bakersfield, CA$35,684
San Bernardino, CA$35,671
New Britain, CT$35,667
Atlantic City, NJ$35,667
New London, CT$35,654
Norwich, CT$35,644
Portsmouth, NH$35,637
Boulder, CO$35,565
Portland, OR$35,518
Worcester, MA$35,515
Minneapolis, MN$35,410
Philadelphia, PA$35,362
Honolulu, HI$35,251
Saint Paul, MN$35,234
Vineland, NJ$35,227
Providence, RI$35,128
Chicago, IL$35,030
Bellingham, WA$34,990
Springfield, MA$34,962
Baltimore, MD$34,952
Chico, CA$34,867
Pittsfield, MA$34,776
Manchester, NH$34,712
Spokane, WA$34,562
Denver, CO$34,559
Albany, NY$34,400
Troy, NY$34,386
Nassau, NY$34,350
Schenectady, NY$34,315
Wilmington, DE$34,288
Burlington, VT$34,240
Salem, OR$34,227
Portland, ME$34,122
Yakima, WA$34,088
Rochester, MN$33,983
Reno, NV$33,966
Fresno, CA$33,966
Milwaukee, WI$33,935
Detroit, MI$33,901
Ann Arbor, MI$33,896
Allentown, PA$33,891
Colorado Springs, CO$33,834
Syracuse, NY$33,817
Carson City, NV$33,817
Houston, TX$33,769
Eugene, OR$33,752
Gary, IN$33,712
Springfield, OR$33,684
Bismarck, ND$33,678
Galveston, TX$33,654
Medford, OR$33,603
Fort Collins, CO$33,590
Concord, NH$33,573
Austin, TX$33,562
Mesa, AZ$33,491
Reading, PA$33,488
Phoenix, AZ$33,484
Dallas, TX$33,474
Saint Cloud, MN$33,442
Madison, WI$33,396
Utica, NY$33,305
Rochester, NY$33,251
Des Moines, IA$33,247
Raleigh, NC$33,244
Atlanta, GA$33,193
Battle Creek, MI$33,183
Salt Lake City, UT$33,173
Lancaster, PA$33,122
Harrisburg, PA$33,074
Kansas City, MO$33,040
Champaign, IL$33,034
Kansas City, KS$33,034
Fort Worth, TX$33,030
Columbus, OH$33,024
Boca Raton, FL$33,017
Pittsburgh, PA$33,003
Richmond, VA$32,990
Indianapolis, IN$32,983
Cleveland, OH$32,979
Las Vegas, NV$32,939
Cincinnati, OH$32,939
Petersburg, VA$32,888
Huntsville, AL$32,837
Lansing, MI$32,814
Lebanon, PA$32,810
Pueblo, CO$32,806
Appleton, WI$32,796
Buffalo, NY$32,783
Dayton, OH$32,773
Racine, WI$32,766
Charlotte, NC$32,762
Saint Louis, MO$32,752
York, PA$32,732
Elkhart, IN$32,732
Gastonia, NC$32,725
Billings, MT$32,717
Beaumont, TX$32,708
Lorain, OH$32,701
Benton Harbor, MI$32,695
Toledo, OH$32,688
Binghamton, NY$32,671
Rock Hill, SC$32,668
Rockford, IL$32,651
Springfield, IL$32,637
Elyria, OH$32,634
Fargo, ND$32,634
Flagstaff, AZ$32,610
Fort Lauderdale, FL$32,590
Duluth, MN$32,569
Miami, FL$32,569
Cheyenne, WY$32,545
Grand Forks, ND$32,545
Bangor, ME$32,471
Cedar Rapids, IA$32,434
Durham, NC$32,419
Louisville, KY$32,417
Grand Rapids, MI$32,410
Hialeah, FL$32,406
Casper, WY$32,359
Scranton, PA$32,318
New Orleans, LA$32,308
Virginia Beach, VA$32,305
Akron, OH$32,288
Peoria, IL$32,244
Sarasota, FL$32,237
Nashville, TN$32,213
Omaha, NE$32,213
Green Bay, WI$32,213
Baton Rouge, LA$32,196
Charleston, SC$32,190
Jamestown, NY$32,173
Davenport, IA$32,173
Tucson, AZ$32,156
Saint Petersburg, FL$32,135
Tampa, FL$32,129
Evansville, IN$32,108
Port Arthur, TX$32,108
Bradenton, FL$32,095
Santa Fe, NM$32,034
Orlando, FL$31,973
Clearwater, FL$31,962
Canton, OH$31,891
La Crosse, WI$31,891
Albuquerque, NM$31,871
Newport News, VA$31,868
High Point, NC$31,857
Ogden, UT$31,844
Corpus Christi, TX$31,817
Norfolk, VA$31,796
Laramie, WY$31,796
Rock Island, IL$31,776
Saginaw, MI$31,769
Jacksonville, FL$31,766
Salisbury, NC$31,759
Boise, ID$31,752
Moline, IL$31,735
Fort Myers, FL$31,725
Memphis, TN$31,718
Tulsa, OK$31,701
Waterloo, IA$31,681
Spartanburg, SC$31,647
Lincoln, NE$31,630
Fort Wayne, IN$31,623
Provo, UT$31,620
Cedar Falls, IA$31,579
San Antonio, TX$31,566
Greensboro, NC$31,552
South Bend, IN$31,549
Savannah, GA$31,512
Muskegon, MI$31,498
Birmingham, AL$31,495
Winston Salem, NC$31,478
Lake Charles, LA$31,396
Anderson, IN$31,390
Lexington, KY$31,379
Augusta, GA$31,369
Greenville, SC$31,369
Lima, OH$31,342
Wichita, KS$31,339
Tuscaloosa, AL$31,339
Columbia, SC$31,308
Springfield, OH$31,301
Asheville, NC$31,247
Bloomington, IN$31,223
Knoxville, TN$31,101
Shreveport, LA$31,098
Wilmington, NC$31,054
Roanoke, VA$31,054
Topeka, KS$30,993
Frankfort, KY$30,989
Oklahoma City, OK$30,966
Chillicothe, OH$30,952
Longview, TX$30,949
Melbourne, FL$30,945
Sioux Falls, SD$30,891
Mobile, AL$30,888
Terre Haute, IN$30,874
Altoona, PA$30,854
Amarillo, TX$30,830
Killeen, TX$30,820
Fayetteville, AR$30,793
Chattanooga, TN$30,783
Sioux City, IA$30,752
Idaho Falls, ID$30,745
Lynchburg, VA$30,718
Gainesville, FL$30,674
Portsmouth, OH$30,657
Little Rock, AR$30,651
Lafayette, LA$30,637
Youngstown, OH$30,637
Daytona Beach, FL$30,617
Clarksville, TN$30,613
Pensacola, FL$30,610
Temple, TX$30,608
Hopkinsville, KY$30,508
Erie, PA$30,501
Florence, SC$30,488
Charleston, WV$30,434
Great Falls, MT$30,417
Macon, GA$30,369
Tallahassee, FL$30,366
Fayetteville, NC$30,359
Waco, TX$30,352
Helena, MT$30,329
Pine Bluff, AR$30,316
Vincennes, IN$30,274
Lubbock, TX$30,261
Alamogordo, NM$30,240
Twin Falls, ID$30,210
Rapid City, SD$30,200
Jackson, MS$30,139
Huntington, WV$30,136
Greenville, MS$30,135
Parkersburg, WV$30,101
Montgomery, AL$30,095
Wichita Falls, TX$30,061
Springfield, MO$30,061
Biloxi, MS$30,044
Monroe, LA$30,010
Johnstown, PA$29,986
Sumter, SC$29,973
Columbus, GA$29,969
Pascagoula, MS$29,905
Abilene, TX$29,905
Kingsport, TN$29,817
Albany, GA$29,817
Gulfport, MS$29,807
Alexandria, LA$29,695
Fort Smith, AR$29,610
El Paso, TX$29,518
Las Cruces, NM$29,366
Harlingen, TX$29,280
Pocatello, ID$29,274
Florence, AL$29,230
Brownsville, TX$29,223
Mcallen, TX$29,152
Dothan, AL$29,105
Columbus, MS$28,903
Altus, OK$28,746
Lawton, OK$28,681
Pierre, SD$28,559
What Skills Can Increase a Dietary Assistant's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 7.92% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Food Handling (Mentioned in 4.38% Job Postings): Food Handling means one or more operations of food production, manufacture, offering or displaying for sale, storage, preserving, wrapping, transportation, delivery, importation, exportation, or the licensing or approval for any of such activities.
Foodservice (Mentioned in 1.65% Job Postings): The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home. It includes restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, and many other formats.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Dietary Assistant's salary.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Written Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Dietary Assistant Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Dietary Assistant roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 30% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit,
offers compensation 15% above the average. Conversely,
Dietary Assistant positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Dietary Assistant as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Dietary Assistant
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$38,983
$19.0
15%
How Education impacts a Dietary Assistant's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Dietary Assistants enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Dietary Assistant with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$31,759
and $33,534).
Dietary Assistant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Dietary Assistant's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Dietary Assistant can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $41,906 in 2023
to around $40,964 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Dietary Assistant salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Dietary Assistant Over Time
$???
$41,906
$41,376
$40,964
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$41,906
2024
$41,376
2025
$40,964
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Dietary Assistant
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Dietary Assistant
Here are companies hiring for Dietary Assistant and their salaries, click below for more details.
K$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLPBusiness Servicesthe United States
W$114,096/per year
Warner Bros DiscoveryBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$111,927/per year
Dentsu International LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$111,651/per year
CoWorx StaffingBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services CorpBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$107,128/per year
Showcase CinemasBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,429/per year
Amentum Services IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$106,104/per year
Sodexo USABusiness Servicesthe United States
J$105,192/per year
JLL TechnologiesBusiness Servicesthe United States
I$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
N$101,619/per year
NielsenIQBusiness Servicesthe United States
T$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge AllianceBusiness Servicesthe United States
H$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOPBusiness Servicesthe United States
R$97,720/per year
Reeve & AssociatesBusiness Servicesthe United States
M$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
F$95,980/per year
Financial Sys NcoBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$95,314/per year
Arrow Global LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$94,479/per year
DZConneXBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USABusiness Servicesthe United States
R$92,937/per year
Resource MFGBusiness Servicesthe United States
Z$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
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FAQ about Dietary Assistant
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Dietary Assistant?
The Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit industry offers the highest average compensation for Dietary Assistant roles,
with salaries approximately 15% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
