The New York State Department
of Health announced in 2021 that obesity has reached epidemic proportions statewide. When you read the statistics, they are startling: 63.2 percent of New York adults classified as overweight or obese in 2019 (up from 42 percent in 1997); and 33 percent of New York’s children and adolescents classify as overweight or obese. The state is attacking the obesity problem through its New York State Prevention Agenda 2019-2024, working on encouraging safe, accessible physical activity opportunities and creating communities that support healthy food and beverage choices.
The New York State Department of Education, Office of the Professions reports that as of January 1, 2022, there are 6463 certified dietitian-nutritionists in the state. Certified dietitian-nutritionists have the requisite training and experience to help combat the state’s obesity problem. Are you interested in learning how to become a certified, registered dietitian-nutritionist in New York? Keep reading.
Registered Dietitian Training and Experience in New York
The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) has dictated the educational training and experience that registered dietitians must achieve if they wish to work in New York (and nationwide). Anyone who wants to be a registered dietitian must receive a degree from a dietetics/nutrition program that has received accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition & Dietetics (ACEND). The many New York dietetic and nutrition programs that have this accreditation may be found here (hyperlink to article on Registered Dietitian Schools). These programs are structured thusly:
- Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)- DPDs offer didactic educational training (courses) but not practice experience. There are 12 DPD degree programs in New York.
- Dietetic Internship (DI)- A DI must be taken after you complete a DPD, and it gives you at least 1000 hours of supervised dietary practice experience. There are 17 DIs across New York state.
- Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP) – A CP combines the required coursework and the dietetic experience into one program. There are 4 CPs in New York.
- Graduate Program (GP) – A GP is like a CP at the graduate level, containing courses and experience. There are 7 GPs in New York state.
On Jan. 1, 2024, the CDR has mandated that every registered dietitian must possess at least a master’s degree. Keep this in mind when you are choosing an educational training program.
Registered Dietitian Examination in New York
Upon finishing your educational training program, you must take the CDR’s Registration Examination for Dietitians. You will be given the Registration Examination for Dietitians Handbook for Candidates by a school representative, and instructed how to register online and pay the $200 testing fee. Choose an examination center from among one of the many Pearson VUE centers in New York, found in New York City, Jersey City, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Forest Hills, White Plains, and Yonkers.
When you finish the exam, your score will flash on screen. Should you pass, the CDR will mail your registration card to you within a few weeks.
Registered Dietitian Certification in New York
Your next step along the route to becoming a certified dietitian-nutritionist in New York is to apply for certification. You may use this licensure application online, submitting the first registration/licensure fee ($294) online via credit card. Any supplemental information that is requested can be uploaded and emailed to [email protected] or snail-mailed to: The New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, Dietetics and Nutrition Unit, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York, 12234-1000. You may submit an inquiry to the New York State Education Department at any time, using this Contact Us form, to assess the status of your application for certification.
The state of New York does not require you to complete continuing education to renew your certification. You may renew your certification using this online renewal portal. You must, however, re-register with the CDR every five years, and complete 75 continuing education hours in your registration period.
Registered Dietitian Salaries in New York
The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that New York’s dietitian-nutritionists have the second-highest employment level of all states, at 4880 (May 2021 figures). The state’s hourly mean wage for dietitian-nutritionists is $35.00, and the annual mean wage is $72,800. Dietitian-nutritionists working in various areas of the state may make wages that are higher or lower than the state average. For example, take a look at the table below:
| Metropolitan area | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| New York/Newark/Jersey City NJ/PA/NY | $36.49 | $75,900 |
| Albany/Schenectady/Troy | $34.13 | $70,980 |
| Utica/Rome | $33.38 | $69,420 |
| Capital/northern nonmetro | $33.02 | $68,670 |
| Southwest nonmetro | $31.66 | $65,850 |
| Buffalo/Cheektowaga/Niagara Falls | $31.48 | $65,470 |
| Syracuse | $31.04 | $64,570 |
| Binghamton | $30.89 | $64,240 |
| Kingston | $30.56 | $63,560 |
| Rochester | $30.14 | $62,680 |
| Central East nonmetro | $29.69 | $61,760 |
Registered Dietitian Jobs in New York
Another way to study the salaries that real-life certified, registered dietitian-nutritionists in New York are garnering is to examine the classifieds. As of September 2022, the following were among positions in New York offered for certified, registered dietitian-nutritionists:
- Registered Dietician- Vastek Group, New York
- Salary: $40-$50 each hour
- Prefer someone who has been a RD for at least one year
- Need New York certification
- Public Health Nutritionist – New York Department of Health, Albany
- Salary: $75,340-$95,392 each year
- RD registration required
- Need New York certification
- Must have two years of full-time professional experience
- Remote Registered Dietitian – Recora, Inc., New York
- Salary: $85,200-$108,000 each year
- RD registration required
- Need New York certification
- Two years of dietitian experience required
- Dietician – Stony Brook Administrative Services, East Setauket
- Salary: $63,000-$79,800 each year
- RD registration required
- Need New York certification
- One or more years’ experience preferred
- Lead Registered Dietitian, York Ville – Evergreen Technologies, LLC, New York
- Salary: $85,800-$109,000 each year
- RD registration required
- Need New York certification
- One year of experience required