According to United Health
Foundation’s Health Rankings, the percentage of adults in North Carolina who classify as obese rose 15 percent between the years of 2011 and 2020. In 2011, 29.1 percent of North Carolina’s adults were obese. By 2020, that percentage had risen to 33.6 percent. This disturbing trend is unfortunately common in most states in the country.
Registered dietitians, also referred to as registered dietitian nutritionists, are trained health care professionals who can help individuals and groups learn to make better food choices, thus living healthier lifestyles. Much education and experience is required to become a registered dietitian nutritionist in North Carolina. If you think that this occupation sounds like something you’d enjoy, keep reading.
Registered Dietitian Schooling in North Carolina
The North Carolina Dietetics/Nutrition Practice Act says that if you want to be a dietitian/nutritionist in the state (their term for licensed registered dietitians), you must fulfill education, supervised practice experience and examination requirements. They mandate that all registered dietitians have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a dietetics education program that has received accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition & Dietetics (ACEND). Approved programs within North Carolina are listed here (link to Registered Dietitian Schools article). All ACEND-accredited dietetic programs in the state will be structured in a format such as:
- Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)- These programs, being didactic in nature, present just the coursework, not the experience, that is required to be a registered dietitian nutritionist. Six DPDs can be found within North Carolina.
- Dietetic Internship (DI)- Dietetic Internships must consist of at least 1000 hours of supervised dietetic practice, and must come after a DPD. In North Carolina, there are eight DIs.
- Graduate Program (GP) – A graduate program combines the didactic and experiential portions of the requirements into one program, culminating in a graduate degree. There are three GPs in North Carolina
As of Jan. 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) is changing the requirement for registered dietitian education from a bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree. You should remember this when you are choosing an education program in North Carolina.
Registered Dietitian Exams in North Carolina
The North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition and the CDR both mandate that all registered dietitian nutritionists must first pass the CDR’s Registration Examination for Dietitians before they can earn RDN credentials. The Registration Examination for Dietitians Handbook for Candidates provides a wealth of information about the examination, and the procedures involved in registering for it. The test, which costs $200 to take, is given at Pearson VUE testing centers. In North Carolina, centers are found in Durham, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Greenville, Wilmington, and Charlotte.
Your score will be revealed to you upon finishing the examination. Passing the exam means that you are a RDN, but not officially, until you are awarded your CDR registration card by the postal service in a few weeks.
Registered Dietitian Licenses in North Carolina
Next, you must apply for a license if you wish to practice as a licensed dietitian/nutritionist in North Carolina. You may apply online under Category A. You will be charged a $125 fee, which includes a $50 application fee and $125 license issuance fee, plus a $38 criminal background check fee. It is important to remember that the criminal background check alone will take a minimum of six weeks to process, so the application will likely take longer.
Once issued, your license will expire on March 31 each year, and is renewable online by paying a fee of $75. If you have questions regarding the licensure process for dietitians/nutritionists in North Carolina, contact the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition at (919) 388-1931 or info@ncbdn.org.
Registered Dietitian Wages in North Carolina
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that as of May 2021, there are 2210 dietitians and nutritionists working in North Carolina. Their hourly mean wage is $28.33, and their annual mean wage is $58,930. Wages vary across the state, with some areas paying higher than average wages and others lower. This is evident in the table below.
| Area | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Raleigh | 290 | $30.55 | $63,540 |
| Fayetteville | 70 | $29.93 | $62,260 |
| Wilmington | 60 | $29.88 | $62,140 |
| Durham/Chapel Hill | 310 | $29.77 | $61,930 |
| Charlotte/Concord/Gastonia | 570 | $29.16 | $60,650 |
| Asheville | 90 | $28.65 | $59,590 |
| Greenville | 70 | $28.53 | $59,330 |
| Goldsboro | 30 | $27.70 | $57,610 |
| Winston-Salem | 160 | $27.53 | $57,250 |
| Greensboro/High Point | 130 | $26.97 | $56,100 |
| Hickory/Lenoir/Morganton | 50 | $25.66 | $53,360 |
| Southeast coastal nonmetro | 100 | $24.78 | $51,550 |
| Piedmont nonmetro | 110 | $24.13 | $50,190 |
| Northeast coastal nonmetro | 50 | $22.90 | $47,640 |
| Mountain nonmetro | 70 | $21.66 | $45,040 |
Registered Dietitian Jobs in North Carolina
Another good way to look at salaries of registered dietitian/nutritionists in North Carolina is to peruse the classifieds. As of September 2022, these jobs for RDNs were advertised:
- Nutrition and Food Management System Support Specialist – North Carolina State University, Raleigh
- Salary: $35,712-$79,567/year
- RDN and LDN in North Carolina required
- Registered Dietitian–UpLevel HR Solutions, Raleigh
- Salary: $58,800-$74,400/year
- RDN and LDN in North Carolina required
- Twelve months of dietetic experience required
- Clinical Nutrition Manager–UNC Health, Chapel Hill
- Salary: $75,600-$95,800/year
- RDN and LDN in North Carolina required
- Eight years of experience in acute care or research required
- Twelve months of supervisory experience required
- Nutrition Support Specialist – CaroMont Health, Gastonia
- Salary: $53,300-$67,500/year
- RDN and LDN in North Carolina required
- Certification as a Nutrition Support Clinician with the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition is required
- Nutrition Program Director – Cumberland County, Fayetteville
- Salary: $58,436-$66,549/year
- RDN and LDN in North Carolina required
- Master’s degree in nutrition or public health nutrition required
- Three years of program administration or supervisory experience required