Dietitian Salary, Adjusted for Cost of Living
Dietitians earn the most in California ($98,850/yr) — but once you adjust for what a dollar actually buys there, California drops to #2, and West Virginia pays the most real money ($99,936 in U.S.-average buying power).
| # | State | Nominal / yr | Cost of living | Real pay / yr | COL shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $89,440 | 90 | $99,936 | ▲ 1 | |
| California | $98,850 | 111 | $89,279 | ▼ 1 | |
| Alaska | $87,980 | 102 | $85,952 | — | |
| Iowa | $72,690 | 88 | $82,826 | ▲ 20 | |
| Oregon | $84,180 | 103 | $81,443 | ▲ 1 | |
| New Mexico | $74,730 | 92 | $81,042 | ▲ 14 | |
| Louisiana | $70,460 | 88 | $79,880 | ▲ 22 | |
| Wisconsin | $74,930 | 94 | $79,632 | ▲ 11 | |
| Oklahoma | $69,560 | 88 | $79,187 | ▲ 24 | |
| Vermont | $77,450 | 98 | $79,064 | ▲ 4 | |
| North Dakota | $70,040 | 89 | $78,733 | ▲ 20 | |
| Washington | $84,220 | 107 | $78,701 | ▼ 7 | |
| Minnesota | $77,540 | 99 | $78,624 | — | |
| Delaware | $78,060 | 100 | $78,210 | ▼ 3 | |
| Nebraska | $70,160 | 90 | $77,866 | ▲ 15 | |
| Connecticut | $80,600 | 104 | $77,792 | ▼ 6 | |
| New Jersey | $84,450 | 109 | $77,616 | ▼ 13 | |
| Kentucky | $69,520 | 90 | $77,108 | ▲ 17 | |
| Texas | $74,440 | 97 | $76,697 | ▲ 2 | |
| Virginia | $77,380 | 101 | $76,535 | ▼ 5 | |
| New York | $82,480 | 108 | $76,426 | ▼ 14 | |
| Georgia | $73,200 | 96 | $76,018 | ▲ 1 | |
| Montana | $71,580 | 95 | $75,630 | ▲ 4 | |
| Arkansas | $65,540 | 87 | $75,388 | ▲ 20 | |
| Idaho | $71,610 | 96 | $74,989 | ▲ 1 | |
| Ohio | $69,530 | 93 | $74,946 | ▲ 8 | |
| District of Columbia | $82,150 | 110 | $74,749 | ▼ 19 | |
| South Carolina | $69,970 | 94 | $74,635 | ▲ 4 | |
| Alabama | $66,190 | 89 | $74,519 | ▲ 14 | |
| Hawaii | $81,920 | 110 | $74,506 | ▼ 21 | |
| Kansas | $66,830 | 90 | $74,199 | ▲ 10 | |
| Maryland | $77,800 | 105 | $74,124 | ▼ 20 | |
| Tennessee | $67,620 | 92 | $73,604 | ▲ 4 | |
| Illinois | $73,520 | 100 | $73,551 | ▼ 12 | |
| Florida | $76,050 | 103 | $73,539 | ▼ 18 | |
| Colorado | $75,510 | 103 | $73,274 | ▼ 18 | |
| Mississippi | $63,700 | 87 | $73,258 | ▲ 14 | |
| South Dakota | $64,890 | 89 | $73,251 | ▲ 9 | |
| Massachusetts | $76,660 | 106 | $72,487 | ▼ 23 | |
| Missouri | $65,450 | 91 | $72,068 | ▲ 5 | |
| North Carolina | $67,560 | 94 | $71,624 | ▼ 3 | |
| Indiana | $66,450 | 93 | $71,200 | — | |
| Rhode Island | $71,300 | 102 | $69,711 | ▼ 15 | |
| Michigan | $66,850 | 96 | $69,478 | ▼ 4 | |
| Wyoming | $64,370 | 93 | $69,446 | ▲ 5 | |
| Pennsylvania | $67,410 | 98 | $69,087 | ▼ 7 | |
| Nevada | $69,030 | 100 | $69,044 | ▼ 11 | |
| New Hampshire | $71,840 | 104 | $68,968 | ▼ 23 | |
| Maine | $64,610 | 97 | $66,574 | ▼ 1 | |
| Utah | $65,310 | 99 | $66,060 | ▼ 4 | |
| Arizona | $64,410 | 101 | $63,977 | ▼ 2 |
How to read this
Nominal pay is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) median wage for dietitians in each state. Real pay divides that by the state's cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. average = 100), so it reflects what the salary is actually worth locally. A state with high nominal pay but high costs can rank lower on real pay than a cheaper state — that's the COL shift column.
Methodology: nominal medians from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 release); cost of living from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (all items, 2024). Real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100). Cite as “WageAtlas Real Pay Index.”
See all professions in the Real Pay Index arrow_forward · Dietitian salary overview arrow_forward