As of 2021, Mississippi is the
most obese state in the United States, per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The overall obesity rate in Mississippi is 39.7 percent. The CDC noted that no state was above 25 percent in overall obesity prior to 2000, and that no state was above 35 percent before 2012. In terms of childhood obesity, 22.3 percent of Mississippi’s children ages 10-17 are obese, again, ranking Mississippi highest in the nation in this demographic.
Obesity is a leading cause or factor in many chronic, deadly diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Registered dietitians in Mississippi can help to educate adults and youth on making better nutritional choices and lifestyle changes that could help them to lose weight and keep it off. Registered, licensed dietitians may be the key to reversing the state’s obesity epidemic. If you want to join in this ambitious crusade, read on to discover what you must do in order to become a registered dietitian in Mississippi.
Education and Supervised Experience for Registered Dietitians in Mississippi
The Mississippi Council of Advisors in Dietetics mandates that all applicants for dietitian licensure in Mississippi have passed an examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). This requires that you complete a dietetic education/supervised practice program that has received accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). As of this writing, you need a bachelor’s degree if you want to become a registered, licensed dietitian. By Jan. 1, 2024, you will need a master’s degree. The following ACEND-accredited programs in Mississippi (link to Registered Dietitian Schools list – Mississippi section) are all ones that help you qualify to take the CDR exam. Formats of programs in Mississippi include:
Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)– There are 3 DPDs in Mississippi. These programs consist of courses only, not the experience portion of the requirement.
Dietetic Internship (DI) – There are 4 DIs in Mississippi. These consist of supervised dietetic practice experiences that are 1000 hours, at minimum.
Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP)- There are 2 CPs in Mississippi. These programs combine coursework and supervised practice, to make sure that you have fulfilled all of the examination requirements.
Examination for Registered Dietitians in Mississippi
Upon finishing your program, you will be given information on the CDR’s Registration Examination for Dietitians. Review the Registration Examination for Dietitians Handbook for Candidates to learn the most current information you need to know about the exam.
You must register online through Pearson VUE and pay a $200 testing fee, and at that time, you will choose a center at which you will take the exam. Centers in Mississippi are located in the cities of Jackson and Tupelo, and nearby cities/states that house test centers include Mobile, AL; Baton Rouge, LA; Metairie, LA; New Orleans, LA; and Birmingham, AL.
You will be told your score as soon as you have finished taking the exam. Upon passing the exam, the CDR will mail the card indicating your new Registered Dietitian status within a few weeks of passing the test.
Getting a Registered Dietitian License in Mississippi
After passing the CDR exam, you are ready to file an application for licensure as a dietitian in Mississippi. You cannot legally work in the state until you receive this license. Apply online through the Mississippi State Department of Health’s Professional Licensure Division. Pay all required fees online, and upload any documentation that is requested.
Your Mississippi dietitian license renews biennially. To renew, you will do so online, pay renewal fees, and log continuing education consisting of 30 hours during the two-year licensure term.
Salaries for Registered Dietitians in Mississippi
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of May 2021, nutritionists and dietitians (who are grouped together in the BLS’s occupational categorization system) practicing in Mississippi made an hourly mean wage of $21.15 and an annual mean wage of $43,990. Some dietitians who worked in various areas around the state earned wages higher than the state average, as you can see below:
- Jackson $25.51 $53,050
- Gulfport/Biloxi/Pascagoula $25.36 $52,750
- Hattiesburg $21.31 $44,320
Positions for Registered Dietitians in Mississippi
Another way to examine what Mississippi employers are paying registered, licensed dietitians is to look at the help wanted ads. Circa August 2022, the following jobs were posted as available for registered, licensed dietitians in the state:
- Dietitian – US Veterans Health Administration, Jackson
- Salary: $66,214 to $86,074/year
- Bachelor’s degree mandatory
- RD mandatory
- Mississippi license mandatory
- One year of dietitian experience mandatory
- Dietitian Team Lead – Mississippi State Personnel Board, Harrison County
- Salary: $47,425 to $77,807/year
- Bachelor’s degree mandatory
- RD mandatory
- Mississippi license mandatory
- Three to five years of dietitian experience mandatory
- Registered Dietitian – Ruleville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, LLC, Ruleville
- Salary: $56,600 to $71,600/year
- Bachelor’s degree mandatory
- RD mandatory
- Mississippi license mandatory
- One year of supervisory experience mandatory
- Registered Dietitian, Adult Hospital – The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson
- Salary: $52,900 to $66,900/year
- Bachelor’s degree mandatory
- RD mandatory
- Mississippi license mandatory
- Nutrition Support Dietitian – Forrest Health, Hattiesburg
- Salary: $48,100 to $60,900/year
- Bachelor’s degree mandatory, master’s degree preferable
- RD mandatory
- Mississippi license mandatory
- Work experience in Nutrition Support preferable
- Two years of work experience as a clinical dietitian preferable