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Career Pathways What can you do with a Master’s in Nutrition Education?

Career Outlook

The Global Wellness Institute projects an 8.6% average annual growth of the wellness economy, increasing to $8.5 trillion in 2027. The size of the Healthy Eating, Nutrition, and Weight Loss sector at $1,079 billion ranks number 2 out of 11 sectors making up the wellness economy1. All this growth increases employment opportunities. In 2019, 84% of large employers (200+ workers) providing health benefits offered a workplace wellness program, such as those to help people lose weight, stop smoking, or provide lifestyle and behavioral coaching2. The U.S. Corporate Wellness Market is expected to grow to $16 billion by 2029, with a 6% compound annual growth rate3. With an MSNE degree, you are perfectly poised to seize diverse and thriving industry opportunities. The average median salaries for related roles include:

  • Nutrition Director $107,0734
  • Employee Health & Wellness Manager $104,4005
  • Nutritionist $94,2346
  • Nutrition Educator: $60,8887

In addition, many of our graduates go on to pursue:

  • The CNS, CHES, and other health coaching certifications that they are well prepared for by this master’s in nutrition education program.
  • PhDs in related fields such as nutrition science, applied physiology and nutrition, nutrition interventions and behavior change, and nutritional and metabolic biology.

Dr. Anastasia Snelling on Nutrition Education Careers

00:1:35

Professor Snelling discusses experiential learning, research students have gone on to do, and leveraging the knowledge they for jobs and career steps.

Choose your field

With an online Master of Science in Nutrition Education, you have the advanced credentials needed to work in many fields, including:

  • Corporate nutrition
  • Gyms, health clubs, & spas
  • Food companies
  • Independent health coaching
  • Nutrition counseling & consulting
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Public health departments
  • School districts & education systems
  • USDA & government
  • Wellness tech companies

Organizations employing our graduates include 

  • Alliance for a Healthier Generation — Program Manager
  • American Liver Foundation — National Manager Outreach & Education
  • Loudoun County Public Schools — Family & Consumer Science Teacher
  • Cleveland Metropolitan School District — Program Manager, Farm to School
  • Kaiser Permanente — Clinical Health Educator
  • Enara Health — Nutrition Specialist
  • Hinge Health - Health Coach
  • Leah’s Pantry — Director of Training
  • Montgomery County Food Council — Deputy Director
  • Noom, Inc. — Health & Wellness Coach
  • NOVA Physician Wellness Center — Director of Nutrition & Corporate Wellness
  • NY State Education Department — Food Programs Evaluation Specialist
  • Sodexo — Clinical Dietitian
  • The Food Group Minnesota — Program Manager
  • TriHealth — Supervisor Fitness & Well-being
  • United Way of King County — Senior Food Security Coordinator
  • USDA — Senior Technical Advisor, Child Nutrition
  • Vail Resorts — Wellness Coordinator
  • Washington State Department of Health — Certified Health Education Specialist

 

Examples of Jobs for Nutrition Professionals

Following are definitions, examples, and skills for sample career opportunities in nutrition:

Oversees programs that promote employee health and well-being within a corporate setting.

Example: Implementing a company-wide nutrition and fitness program to improve employee health and reduce healthcare costs.

Skills: Corporate wellness strategy, employee health promotion, engagement and communication strategies, program management.

Coordinates efforts to connect local farms with school cafeterias to provide fresh, healthy foods for students and expand their knowledge of nutrition and food systems.

Example: Organizing farm visits and incorporating locally sourced produce into school meal plans.

Skills: Community outreach, nutrition education, program coordination, supply chain management.

 

Manages food service operations in schools, hospitals, corporate cafeterias, and other institutions.

Example: Overseeing menu planning, procurement, and food safety in a corporate cafeteria.

Skills: Food safety, food service management, nutrition planning, operations oversight.

 

Guides individuals toward healthier lifestyles through personalized coaching and support.

Example: Working one-on-one with clients to develop personalized nutrition and fitness plans.

Skills: Behavior change strategies, motivational interviewing, nutrition counseling, personalized coaching.

 

Teaches individuals and groups about the principles of nutrition and healthy eating.

Example: Conducting community workshops on meal planning and healthy eating habits.

Skills: Curriculum development, educational outreach, nutrition science, public speaking.

 

Oversees nutrition programs and initiatives within an organization, ensuring they meet health standards and objectives.

Example: Leading a public health campaign to reduce childhood obesity through better school nutrition policies.

Skills: Program leadership, policy development, public health nutrition, strategic planning.

Develops and manages wellness programs aimed at improving overall health and well-being.

Example: Creating a corporate wellness program that includes nutrition education, fitness challenges, and mental health resources.

Skills: Employee wellness, health promotion, holistic health approaches, wellness program development.

Careers by Sector, Role, & Organization

Explore various sectors where you can use your Master’s in Nutrition Education to help others achieve better nutritional health. Expand the sections to see examples of roles and organizations by topic areas.

Social Impact Sector (Foundations, Nonprofits, Public Affairs)

Nonprofits, foundations, research centers, and policy institutes address nutrition, health, and hunger prevention needs through programming, advocacy efforts, and policy analysis. Career paths in nutritional programming, advocacy, and policy range from managing community food projects, to building resilient food systems, lobbying for better school nutrition, and advocating for clearer nutrition information for consumers.

Roles: Communications Director, Director of Nutrition, Grant Manager, Nutrition Expert, Nutrition Policy Associate, Research Associate

Organizations: Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CSPI, Candid.org, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Share our Strength, Feeding America, Food Research and Action Center

Health education agencies focus on “educating the educators” with the latest news, research, and scientific advances. Professionals teach, encourage, and raise awareness about nutrition and health in communities and schools.

Roles: Advocacy Coordinator, Communications Manager, Nutrition Educator

Organizations: American Health Association, American School Health Association, Let’s Move, Cooking Matters, American College Health Foundation

 

As critical links in the nutrition chain, a local food bank can offer nutritional food options and ideas to support those who need help making every meal count. Over 300 food policy councils exist in the U.S.; food councils include partner organizations and coalitions that collectively aim to improve food systems through policies at local, state, regional, or tribal levels.

Roles: Community Partnerships Coordinator, Fundraiser, Grant Writer, Communications Manager, Nutrition Educator

Organizations: Fairfax Food Council, Delaware Council on Food and Farm Policy, Feeding America, Food Bank of the Rockies, Capital Area Food Bank

Gardening is intimately connected to better nutrition for all. Jobs in this field connect the local food system with healthy eating by planting and encouraging the creation of gardens.

Roles: Education Director, Farm-to-School Director, Food Education Fellow, Garden Specialist, Outreach Specialist

Organizations: American Community Gardens Association, Center for Nutrition in Schools, Nutrition to Grow On, D.C. Greens, America in Bloom, The GrantHelpers, Whole Kids Foundation

 


Public Sector (Government & Education Systems)

Many government-run organizations dedicated to nutrition exist at local, state, and federal government levels. They operate within the public health system, agriculture, and local communities.

Roles: Communications Specialist, Consumer Safety Officer, Food Service Systems Manager, Health Program Director, Nutrition Program Manager, Policy Analyst, Public Health Nutritionist, Research Associate

Organizations:  Department of Health and Human Services (including FDA, Head Start, Affordable Care Act, National Institutes of Health with 27 institutes and centers), Department of Veteran Affairs, Public Health Departments (City, County, State, Tribal) such as Boulder County Public Health and Washington State Department of Health. The USDA includes three dozen agencies and offices including: the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Farm Service Agency (FSA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), National Agricultural Library, and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

 

School nutrition managers report to their school's nutrition director, who reports to the district-level director. Garden specialists in elementary, middle, and high schools bridge the gap between growing and eating food. In culinary magnet schools, this bridge extends into the kitchen with a chef/instructor. Teachers themselves can play an important role in nutrition education in school systems.

Roles: Campus Nutrition Program Director, District-Level School Nutrition Director, Garden Specialist, Director of Nutrition and Wellness, School Nutrition Manager, Teacher (all levels; including teachers specializing in health & PE, science, family & consumer science teachers), University Program Director, Professor

Organizations: Public Schools (Elementary, Middle School, High School), After School Programs, Higher Education (Community Colleges, Trade Schools, Universities), Pre-K (Preschools, Head Start), Child/Day Care (KidsPark, Kindercare)

 


Private Sector (Businesses, Entrepreneurs)

Businesses recognize the importance of nutrition education in workplace wellness programs for improving both employee health and company profits. Also, nutrition professionals are finding opportunities in health and wellness tech companies that develop software and apps for managing corporate and individual health with nutrition and diet features.

Roles: Assistant Director of Worksite Health, Nutrition Consultant, Nutrition Health and Wellness Manager, Worksite Health Promotion Specialist

Organizations: Citi, CVS Health, Gap Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Levi Strauss & Co., Marriott International, Healthtech & Wellness Tech (Cornerstone On Demand, Enara Health, Epicurious, Flatiron Health, Hinge Health, Mustache Agency, Noom, Nutrisense, Omada Health, Relish, Zoe)

Every product in your kitchen comes from a company that employs nutrition-related experts who advance ingredients, research new ingredients, track food sources, and strategize compliance with state and federal standards.

Roles: Global Customer and Brand Manager, Nutrition Analyst, Nutrition Assistant Manager, Nutrition Educator, Store Nutritionist

Organizations: Blue Circle Foods, GU Energy Labs, Clif Bar & Company, Isagenix, Impossible Foods, Purina

Fitness centers, gyms, health clubs, and spas seek to employ resident nutrition educators whose job responsibilities include consulting with clients and designing nutritious food offerings for members and employees alike.

Roles: Nutritionist, Nutrition Coach, Nutrition Educator, Nutrition Program Coordinator, Personal Trainer, Weight Management Consultant

Organizations: Beyond Pilates, Lifetime Fitness, Equinox

 

Though health/nutrition coaches and consultants work across all areas in different venues, some nutrition educators start their own businesses. Entrepreneurship allows them to focus on the specific issues and practices they’re passionate about.

Roles: Health Coach, Health Educator, Nutritionist, Nutrition Coach, Nutrition Consultant, Owner, Wellness Coach

Sources

  1. Global Wellness Institute (2023). Wellness Economy Statistics & Facts. Retrieved October 22, 2024, from https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/statistics-and-facts/
  2. KFF (2020). Pollitz, Rae. Trends in Workplace Wellness Programs and Evolving Federal Standards. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/issue-brief/trends-in-workplace-wellness-programs-and-evolving-federal-standards/
  3. Research and Markets (2024). U.S. Corporate Wellness Market - Industry Outlook & Forecast 2024-2029. Retrieved October 22, 2024 from https://www.researchandmarkets.com/report/united-states-wellness-program-market
  4. Salary.com (2024). Nutrition Director Salary. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from https://www.salary.com/research/salary/alternate/nutrition-director-salary.
  5.  Salary.com (2024). Employee Health and Wellness Manager Salary. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from: https://www.salary.com/research/salary/alternate/employee-health-and-wellness-manager-salary
  6. Salary.com (2024). Food Services Manager Salary. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from:https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/food-services-manager-salary
  7.  Salary.com (2024). Nutrition Educator Salary. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from: https://www.salary.com/research/salary/posting/nutrition-educator-salary