An in-depth understanding of the vital relationship between food and health is essential for a successful career in nutrition.
Higher education with a focus on food and nutrition opens doors to employment in all kinds of settings. You might be surprised to discover that there’s a huge variety of career opportunities in nutrition such as writing cookbooks, giving advice to Olympic athletes, and providing technical expertise in food laboratories – just to name a few.
Let’s take a closer look at six diverse nutrition career paths that are possible with a degree in food and nutrition.
What jobs can you do with a Bachelor of Food & Nutrition?
In this article, we’ll list some of the most interesting careers that suit different types of nutritionists. We’ll also discuss what you need to enter the field and provide info about salary expectations. Alongside this, we’ve included snippets of wisdom from our Online Learning Advisors, offering valuable perspectives on the educational pathways into this rewarding industry.
Sports Dietitian
A sports dietitian uses dietary strategies to help athletes improve their performance, recovery, and wellbeing. They tailor nutrition plans to individual needs including sport type, training intensity, and body composition goals.
By providing expert guidance on meal timing, hydration and supplementation, sports dietitians help athletes to:
- achieve peak physical condition
- reduce the risk of injury
- improve endurance and strength
- support competitive success – even in the Olympics.
Online Learning Advisor spotlight: Kelsey Hutton
Kelsey Hutton, an Online Learning Advisor at Federation University Online, studied to become a sports dietitian because she enjoyed learning about the science aspect of nutrition during food technology in high school. Kelsey, who now works for the NSW Institute of Sport, says she enjoys ‘working with elite athletes who are motivated and want the best out of their bodies every day.’ She has previously worked for the Sydney Kings NBL, GWS Giants AFL, NSW Waratahs Super Rugby teams, and was even part of the men’s and women’s Parramatta Eels NRL grand final run in 2022.
Qualifications required
Different kinds of nutritionists can become sports dieticians with additional training. To pursue a nutrition career path in sports dietetics, you will need:
- an undergraduate degree such as the Bachelor of Food and Nutrition from Federation University Online
- registration with Dietitians Australia (this program requires an accredited degree such as a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics)
- specialist training in sports dietetics such as the Sports Nutrition Course offered by Sports Dietetics Australia.
Average salary
On average, a sports dietitian makes around $88,000 per year. Please note that your level of education and experience will both have an impact on the salary you can expect, especially when you’re first starting your career.
Accredited Practising Dietitian
An Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) is a qualified nutrition professional who promotes health and wellbeing through evidence-based dietary advice.
APDs are central figures in promoting better dietary habits and overall health for individuals and communities. Their work can include:
- assessing the nutritional needs of individuals
- creating personalised dietary plans
- providing advice on how to manage health conditions
- reducing the risk of illness
- working within community health, schools, and hospitals
- conducting research and teaching.
Online Learning Advisor spotlight: Kelly Conte
Kelly Conte, another one of our Learning Advisors, has worked as an accredited practising dietitian and nutritionist across various sectors including private practice consulting, aged care, hospital, research, academia, and corporate health. Reflecting on her time in university, Kelly said she ‘loved learning about how nutrition therapies can help individuals better manage certain medical conditions and also help reduce their risk of illness.’
Qualifications required
To become an Accredited Practising Dietitian, you will need:
- an undergraduate degree such as the Bachelor of Food and Nutrition
- registration with Dietitians Australia (this program requires an accredited degree such as a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics
Average salary
On average, an accredited practising dietician makes around $90,000 per year. Again, your salary will be affected by your qualifications and how much professional experience you have.
Food Technologist
Food technologists develop new food products. Playing a pivotal role in the food industry, they use scientific principles to enhance food quality, improve shelf life, and maximise taste while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
Like many different kinds of nutritionists, food technologists collaborate with teams and members of the public to create products and innovative recipes for people to enjoy.
Food technologists may be involved in:
- developing foods of the future involving insects, algae, fungi, and native Australian ingredients
- improving food production methods and factory processes
- working to improve the global food system to protect community health
- assisting in writing and enforcing food standards and legislation within government and regulatory bodies.
Qualifications required
A career in food technology usually requires a relevant undergraduate degree. For even more opportunities, you could go on to study a specialisation in food science and technology.
Average salary
On average, food technologists make around $85,000 per year.
Nutrition Writer
Nutrition writers provide accurate and accessible information about diet and health. A nutritionist’s role as a writer is to bridge the gap between scientific research and the general public by creating entertaining and evidence-based content that informs and inspires individuals to make healthier choices.
Nutrition writers produce articles, blog posts, and educational material by translating complex nutritional concepts into digestible content. Their work promotes well-informed dietary decisions, encourages a balanced approach to nutrition, advertises health businesses, and supports community wellness.
This nutrition career path is the most rewarding for creative professionals who are self-starters and like to write across a broad range of topics.
Types of nutrition writing include:
- social media content with quick tips, recipes, and meal plans on a company’s platform (or your own)
- articles and blog posts for magazines and health publications about dietary trends, meal plans, and scientific research
- advertising for meal services, nutrition supplement companies, or health services
- academic and medical writing: writers with a degree in nutrition can contribute to research papers, medical journals or textbooks related to nutrition and health.
Qualifications required
Most roles as a freelance or full-time nutrition writer require a degree like the Bachelor of Food and Nutrition from Federation University Online. Additional education in English or publishing is well regarded.
Average salary
The average salary for a nutrition writer depends on whether employment is contract, freelance, or permanent. Salaries can also vary depending on your level of writing and nutrition experience.
University Teacher
University-level nutrition lecturers provide intellectual leadership for healthcare professionals and researchers. They deliver structured courses and lectures, provide guidance on nutrition theory and practice, and mentor students in research projects.
These are some of the responsibilities of university nutrition teachers:
- Prepare students to make meaningful contributions to public health
- Instil critical thinking, research skills and a deep understanding of nutritional science
- Guide cutting-edge research
- Contribute to the development of evidence-based dietary guidelines
- Innovate solutions to address nutrition-related health challenges
Qualifications required
University teachers in nutrition require a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, followed by a master’s degree or a PhD in science.
Average salary
As well as being a unique nutrition career path, working as a university teacher is also financially rewarding. The average salary of a university lecturer ranges from $105,000 to $125,000 and can reach as high as $135,000 per year.
Recipe Developer
Recipe developers push the culinary world towards discoveries, and home cooks towards healthier, tastier food. They balance creativity and precision to create dishes that are achievable for home cooks, professional chefs, and commercial kitchens. Combining culinary expertise, knowledge of human nutrition, and quality ingredients, they design food that is innovative, user-friendly and aligned with specific dietary needs.
Here are five places where a recipe developer nutrition career path can lead:
- Test kitchens: Developing and testing recipes for products, cookbooks, magazines, and websites
- Cookbooks and food blogs: Recipe developers create and share original recipes on websites, cookbooks, or their own food blogs
- Culinary schools: Some recipe developers with degrees in nutrition teach at culinary schools to help aspiring chefs understand dietary needs
- Restaurants: High-end restaurants and catering companies employ recipe developers to create unique and appealing dishes for their menus or special events
Freelance and consulting: Collaborating with food companies, marketing agencies, food stylists, and magazines for specific projects or campaigns
Qualifications required
Recipe developers are generally employed based on experience, and a degree like the Bachelor in Food and Nutrition at Federation University will shine a spotlight on your resume.
Average salary
On average, a recipe developer makes around $65,000 a year.
What is the highest-paying job in food nutrition?
A senior role in academia provides one of the highest-paying nutrition career paths, with an average yearly salary of between $105,000 to $125,000. Please note that these jobs usually require a PhD qualification.
Accredited practising dieticians are also among the highest-paid types of nutritionists, with an average salary of around $90,000 per year. This kind of job usually requires a master’s degree in dietetics.
There are many other career paths for nutrition majors that you can pursue after graduation. For example, clinical nutritionists can work in similar settings to dieticians, and freelance nutrition writers and recipe developers can earn over six figures depending on their experience.
Feeling inspired?
Learn about the Bachelor of Food and Nutrition at Federation University or speak to one of our Course Consultants today. For more information, you can read about how to become a nutritionist and download the course guide.
Ready to learn? Apply today.
