Lead Dietitian Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Dietitian make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Dietitian in the United States is $56,018 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $27.

However, a Lead Dietitian's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $73,368
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $48,354 to $65,100
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $41,376

Key Factors That Influence Lead Dietitian Salaries

A Lead Dietitian's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

Top Paying Cities for Lead Dietitians

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: $70,656
  • San Francisco: $69,882
  • Oakland: $68,409

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Dietitian's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 4.96% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • Public Relations (Mentioned in 2.46% Job Postings): Public relations (PR) is the practice of deliberately managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) and the public. Public relations may include an organization or individual gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment. This differentiates it from advertising as a form of marketing communications. Public relations is the idea of creating coverage for clients for free, rather than marketing or advertising. But now, advertising is also a part of greater PR Activities. An example of good public relations would be generating an article featuring a client, rather than paying for the client to be advertised next to the article. The aim of public relations is to inform the public, prospective customers, investors, partners, employees, and other stakeholders and ultimately persuade them to maintain a positive or favorable view about the organization, its leadership, products, or political decisions. Public relations professionals typically work for PR and marketing firms, businesses and companies, government, and public officials as PIOs and nongovernmental organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Jobs central to public relations include account coordinator, account executive, account supervisor, and media relations manager.
  • Safety Standards (Mentioned in 0.76% Job Postings): Safety standards are designed to ensure the safety of products, activities and processes, etc. They may be advisory or compulsory and are normally laid down by an advisory or regulatory body that may be either voluntary or statutory.
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 4.96%
Public Relations 2.46%
Safety Standards 0.76%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

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 Lead Dietitian's salary.

  • Hospitality Services: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Cultural Diversity: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Hospitality Services $59,379
6%
Presentation $58,819
5%
Cultural Diversity $58,259
4%

Lead Dietitian Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Lead Dietitian 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 10% above the average. Conversely, Lead Dietitian positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Lead Dietitian as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Lead Dietitian

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit$61,620$30.010%
Healthcare$61,620$30.010%

How Education impacts a Lead Dietitian's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lead Dietitians enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree 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 Lead Dietitian with a Bachelor's Degree is between $57,544 and $62,884).

Lead Dietitian Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lead Dietitian
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 3.7%
High School 3.7%
Associates 3.7%
Bachelors 37.0%
Masters 48.1%
Doctorate 7.4%

Lead Dietitian Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead Dietitian'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.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$48,354
Average $56,018/year
$65,100
$4,029
Average $4,668/month
$5,425
$930
Average $1,077/week
$1,252
$23
Average $27/hour
$31
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $65,100 $5,425 $1,252 $31
Average $56,018 $4,668 $1,077 $27
25th Percentile $48,354 $4,029 $930 $23

Most common benefits for Lead Dietitian

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Lead Dietitian

Here are companies hiring for Lead Dietitian and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Lead Dietitian Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Lead Dietitian job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Lead Dietitian

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Lead Dietitian?

The Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit industry offers the highest average compensation for Lead Dietitian roles, with salaries approximately 10% 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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst