Corporate Nutritionist Jobs

Corporate-based nutrition jobs are those positions within corporations or in the business world.

These jobs most often require at least a bachelor’s degree in a nutrition related field and some require Registered Dietitian status. If the position is research-focused a Ph.D. may be required.

In addition, degrees in marketing, food policy and business administration are helpful for landing a corporate-based position. In some cases, these degrees are a higher priority than a nutrition degree depending on the specific position. A specialty, interest or previous work in nutrition along with a degree in business or marketing may be what is needed to qualify for a corporate-based nutrition job.

Major food companies such as Kellogg, Kraft and Nestle hire nutrition professionals to conduct nutritional analysis of products. In addition, these individuals are utilized for consumer research and marketing campaigns.

Larger chain supermarkets or health food markets also employ nutrition professionals for customer marketing campaigns. These individuals serve as consultants when it comes to food offerings, labeling and addressing the needs of health-focused consumers. Individuals may work positions similar to food service management in which he or she oversees the food bars and restaurant area of supermarkets.

Pharmaceutical companies hire nutrition professionals with doctorate degrees to conduct research and development of drugs related to food and health. These jobs are especially prevalent in the field of nutraceuticals which is the term given to foods, dietary supplements, herbals and processed food additives which claim to have health or medical benefit. Nutrition professionals with bachelor’s and master’s degrees are also hired as pharmaceutical representatives, a job which involves traveling to health care facilities and doctor’s offices to promote pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.

Another type of corporate-based job for dietitians and nutritionists is in the area of corporate wellness. Many companies develop wellness programs for their employees to improve health and reduce healthcare cost. These wellness initiatives may be as small as one person offering health education classes, or maybe as large as an on-site fitness facility with a variety of health programming.

Nutrition jobs exist within these corporate wellness programs. Dietitians and nutritionists provide nutritional counseling for employees, teach nutrition education classes and provide nutrition programming such as group weight loss initiatives.

The salary of corporate-based dietitians and nutritionists varies greatly depending on the size of the company and level of position within the corporation. Most dietitians and nutritionists working for a company can expect to make $33,433 to $61,000 per year with a median salary of $42,261. Scientific researchers with a Ph.D. typically earn salaries between $49,743 and $96,523.