In Hawaii, if you want to become
a dietitian, you must be registered and licensed. You may not use the terms “licensed dietitian” or “L.D.” to describe yourself unless you meet the state’s requirements for licensure and hold a dietitian license. The State of Hawaii Department of Health State Licensing Section sets the rules and regulations and licenses dietitians who want to work in the state. If you want to know what you must do to become a registered, licensed dietitian in Hawaii, read on.
Getting the Necessary RD Education and Experience in Hawaii
The State of Hawaii requires that all prospective registered dietitians fulfill certain criteria before becoming licensed. Their licensure requirements state that you must meet the following requirements:
- Per Hawaii law, you must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree with a major in dietetics, human nutrition, food systems management, or food and nutrition.
- Your education must include coursework in the basic principles of:
- Nutrition
- Human physiology
- Biochemistry
- Behavioral and social sciences
- 9 semester credits in food science and food preparation
- Hawaii law also states that you must complete a documented supervised practice experience in dietetic practice of at least 900 hours in duration
Of course, the easiest way to fulfill Hawaii’s requirements is to become a registered dietitian through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). In fact, one of Hawaii’s requirements after you have completed your education and experience is to pass the CDR’s Registration Exam for Dietitians, which you cannot do without fulfilling the CDR’s requirements. This involves completion of a minimum of a bachelor’s degree that is accredited through the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and a supervised practice experience of 1000 hours in duration.
As of 2022, Hawaii only offers one ACEND-accredited program, which is a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. This does not mean that you cannot take another program in another state, however, or online. After you have completed a DPD, you must follow it up with a Dietetic Internship (DI), which, as mentioned above, will last 1000 hours.
Taking the CDR RD Exam in Hawaii
When you have completed your education and logged your hours of experience, you are ready to sit for the CDR RD exam. You will be given instructions by someone at your school on how to apply. You should also review the Registration Examination for Dietitians Handbook for Candidates.
The exam is administered at Pearson VUE testing centers. You will receive an Authorization to Test from them after your application has processed, and will then pay your exam fee of $200 online. There is one Pearson VUE testing center in Hawaii, in Honolulu.
If you have done well and retained information that you have learned throughout your education and experience portion of registered dietitian preparation, you should do well on this important registration examination. Upon completion of the test, you will receive your score report that day. Your CDR registration card will be mailed to you within a few weeks.
Licensure as a Registered Dietitian in Hawaii
After receiving your CDR card by mail, you are ready to apply for dietitian licensure in Hawaii. Hawaii does not post its application process online, but you should contact the State Licensing Section at (808) 692-7400 for information and to receive an application packet. They can tell you the application fees and what supporting documentation you will need to provide. If you would rather contact them via mail, you may send your inquiries to:
Department of Health
State Licensing Section
601 Kamokila Blvd, Rm. 361
Kapolei, HI 96707
Your application will be approved, approved with conditions, or denied and you will be notified within 60 days of filing your application. If your application has deficiencies, you will be given 45 days to fix those deficiencies and reapply. When you receive your license, you will be instructed on the renewal process in Hawaii as well. Your dietitian license in Hawaii must be renewed every three years, and you must also keep your CDR registration current in order to maintain your Hawaii dietitian license.
Salaries of Registered, Licensed Dietitians in Hawaii
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that as of May 2021, there are 330 dietitians and nutritionists employed in the state of Hawaii. Their annual mean wage is $75,020. Their annual median wage is $76,920.
Dietitians working in the Hawaii/Kauai nonmetropolitan area earn an annual mean wage of $74,200 and an annual median wage of $75,670. Those working in the Urban Honolulu area earn an annual mean wage of $75,080 and an annual median wage of $76,920.
Opportunities for Registered, Licensed Dietitians in Hawaii
Examining current job opportunities for registered, licensed dietitians in Hawaii can reveal actual salaries that RDs are making in the state. As of July 2022, the following job openings for RDs in Hawaii were noted:
- Clinical Dietitian Inpatient– Kaiser Permanente, Wailuku, HI
- Salary: $73,600 to $93,200 per year
- Requires RD credential and Hawaii licensure
- Requires minimum of bachelor’s degree
- Requires six months of related experience
- Dietitian III – East Hawaii Region, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Honokaa, HI
- Salary: $78,228 per year
- Requires RD credential and Hawaii licensure
- Requires one year of dietetic/nutritional experience
- Clinical Dietitian – Wahiawa General Hospital, Wahiawa, HI
- Salary: $59,100 to $74,900 per year
- Requires RD credential and Hawaii licensure
- Requires one year of registered dietitian experience
- Dietitian, Food and Nutrition – Hawaii Pacific Health, Aiea, HI
- Salary: $62,100 to $78,700 per year
- Requires bachelor’s degree
- Requires RD credential and Hawaii licensure
- Requires one year of clinical experience
- Educator, Patient Health – Health Management, Hawaii Pacific Health, Lihue, HI
- Salary: $67,100 to $84,900 per year
- Requires RD credential and Hawaii licensure