Do dietary aides have to cook?

No, dietary aides don't have to cook. Dietary aides are workers with food and nutrition knowledge who help others make food and health-related decisions. They often work in hospitals, nursing homes, and local and state governments.

How long does it take to be a dietary aide?

It takes less than one year to be a dietary aide since you can get a job right out of high school. Dietary aides provide food and nutrition-related advice to individuals in hospitals, nursing homes, and local and state governments.

Is a dietary aide job hard?

No, a dietary aide job is not very hard. Though, the pay is also not very good. Dietary aides provide food and nutrition-related health advice to individuals in hospitals, nursing homes, and local and state governments. The work requires minimal food and nutrition knowledge and does not require a degree.

What does a dietary aide wear?

A dietary aide wears medical scrubs. Scrubs provide ease of movement for dietary aides when working with their patients. Many dietary aides work in hospitals or other medical facilities where scrubs are worn by several medical professionals.

How To Become A Dietary Aide: What It Is and Career Path

What is a dietary aide and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A dietary aide assists in the preparation and serving of food in hospitals, nursing homes, and healthcare facilities. They prepare meals according to specific dietary requirements, serve food to patients, and clean after meals. Dietary aides work with dietitians and nutritionists to provide meals that meet the patientsâ€™ individual needs. They may also perform inventory management, order supplies, and maintain equipment. Overall, a dietary aide ensures that patients receive proper nutrition.

ScoreDietary AideUS Average

Salary

2.2

Avg. Salary $28,005

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.7

Growth Rate 9%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.58%

Asian 5.85%

Black or African American 14.47%

Hispanic or Latino 12.28%

Unknown 4.68%

White 62.13%

Gender

female 71.79%

male 28.21%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress Level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.5

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.8

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Dietary Aide?

Pros

Opportunities for advancement within the field
Flexible scheduling options
Entry-level position requiring minimal education or experience
Opportunities for overtime and/or holiday pay
Possibility of receiving benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans

Cons

Physically demanding work including standing for long periods of time and repetitive motions
May require working weekends, holidays, and/or overnight shifts
High-stress environment with tight schedules and deadlines
High turnover rate due to burnout and low job satisfaction
Limited opportunity for career growth beyond entry-level positions

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Key steps to become a dietary aide

Explore dietary aide education requirements

Most common dietary aide degrees

High School Diploma

49.8 %

Bachelor's

15.9 %

Associate

15.4 %

Start to develop specific dietary aide skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	15.10%
Meal Trays	13.18%
Food Service	10.60%
Food Handling	9.24%
Food Carts	5.88%

Complete relevant dietary aide training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New dietary aides learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a dietary aide based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real dietary aide resumes.

Gain additional dietary aide certifications

Dietary aide certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific dietary aide certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for dietary aides include Advanced First Aid & CPR and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS).

More About Certifications

Research dietary aide duties and responsibilities

Use of slicers, grinders, deep fryers, ovens, grills and cash register.
Prepare cooked foods following HACCP guidelines.
Operate stoves, grills, fryers, ovens and microwaves.
Interview WIC applicants for income eligibility, nutrition foods, and health.

Prepare your dietary aide resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your dietary aide resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a dietary aide resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Dietary Aide Resume templates

Build a professional Dietary Aide resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Dietary Aide resume.

Apply for dietary aide jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a dietary aide job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do dietary aides rate their job?

3/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Dietary Aide reviews

3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

It’s an honest day’s work. Lots of lifting and walking around. Pots and pans to scrub, pantries to organize. You won’t be bored for a second, there’s always something to do.

Cons

At the end of the day, you’re body is so tired. From doing this much heavy work you’d expect a decent pay check. You won’t make enough to rent an apartment with this job.