If you were wondering how much a dietitian earns, look no further!
Here you will find information on what you can earn as a dietitian in the NHS at different levels in your career, from being a member of the support workforce to becoming a Registered Dietitian and moving on to a role as a Consultant Dietitian.
Starting salaries for a qualified dietitian (Band 5) start at £28,482 and can go up to £81,138 at a consultant level.
The figures shared here are correct at the point of publishing (August 2023) and we will update periodically. They are based on the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales for NHS employees and therefore don’t cover roles outside of the NHS as a dietitian, for example, if you choose to be a freelance dietitian. If you are interested in this type of role take a look here for some inspiration.
You should also be aware that the dietetic roles matched against the highlighted pay scales may also vary between NHS Trusts too, so this is just a general overview.
The NHS works on a banding system so you’ll see references to Band 3, through to Band 8c, where people working within dietetics will be working. Dietetics at every band is a rewarding and valuable career. If you want proof, have a look at our careers pages to find out what dietitians do and how to become a dietitian.
Dietitians' pay by NHS pay band
|
NHS bands and job role titles |
Approximate pay within the NHS (AfC 2023-24) |
|
Band 3 |
£22,816 - £24,336 |
|
Band 4 |
£25,147 - £27,596 |
|
Band 5 |
£28,482 - £34,581 |
|
Band 6 |
£35,392 - £42,618 |
|
Band 7 |
£43,742 - £50,056 |
|
Band 8a-8c |
£50,952 - £81,138 |
Let’s take a look in more detail at each role…
Support Workforce (Support and Advanced Support)
Band 3 - 4 - £22,816 - £24,336
(Estimated 2 years until eligible for pay progression)
Common job titles include:
- Dietetic Support Worker
- Dietetic Assistant
Want to know more?
To find out more about support workforce roles at this level and what it will involve you can check out the BDA Support Workforce Professional Development Framework.
Band 4 - £25,147 - £27,596
(Estimated 2 years until eligible for pay progression)
Common job titles include:
- Assistant Practitioner (Dietetics)
Want to know more?
Why not take a look at our Dietetic Assistant Practitioner case studies to see first-hand what this role involves.
Entry Level
Band 5 - £28,487 - £34,581
(Estimated 2 years until eligible to move to intermediate step point and estimated 2 years until eligible to move from intermediate to top step point)
- Entry Point - £28,482
- Intermediate step point - £30,639
- Top step point - £34,581
Common job titles include:
- Registered Dietitian
Want to know more?
You can find more guidance on what a dietitian does and how to become a dietitian.
Other links you might find useful:
Enhanced Level
Band 6 - £35,392 - £42,618
(Estimated 2 years until eligible to move to intermediate step point, and estimated 3 years until eligible to move from intermediate to top step point)
- Entry point - £35,392
- Intermediate step point - £37350
- Top step point - £42,618
Common job titles include:
- Specialist Dietitian
Want to know more?
To find out more about enhanced dietetic roles take a look at:
Advanced to Consultant
Band 7 - £43,742 - £50,056
(Estimated 2 years until eligible to move to intermediate step point, and estimated 3 years until eligible to move from intermediate to top step point)
- Entry point - £43,742
- Intermediate - £45,996
- Top step point - £50,056
Common job titles include:
- Dietetic Team Manager
- Specialist Dietitian (research)
- Advanced Dietitian
- Advanced Practice Dietitian
Want to know more?
To find out more about advanced dietetic roles you can check out the following:
Band 8(a-c) - £50,952- £81,138
(Estimated 5 years in each band until eligible to reach top step point)
- Band 8a – entry point of £50,952 – top step point of £57,349
- Band 8b - entry point of £58,972 - top step point of £68,525
- Band 8c - entry point of £70,417 - top step point of £81,138
Common job titles include:
- Advanced Clinical Practitioner
- Advanced Practitioner
- Divisional leads
- Consultant Dietitian (8c)
Want to know more?
Example job descriptions for Advanced Practice job roles can be found here.