Are you interested in becoming a certified dietary manager? If so, you should be aware of what the path ahead of you entails. To become a certified dietary manager, you need to get at least a high school diploma. However, if you were to go for advanced education in the field, it is possible that your employer would pay for your studies. To begin your journey towards becoming a dietary manager, you must take an admission test which assesses the candidate’s knowledge of nutrition and culinary arts. While there are free colleges and educational tests available online offering advice on how to become a certified dietary manager, realistically many employers seek candidates with formal training such as six month certificate courses or associate degrees.
Becoming a certified dietary manager is a great way to start your career in the food service industry.
A certified dietary manager (CDM) is an employee who works in a restaurant, hospital or other food service establishment, and they are responsible for preparing meals that meet the nutritional needs of their customers. They also make sure that menus are balanced and adhere to health regulations and guidelines set forth by government agencies. This article also examines how long does it take to become a certified dietary manager, certified dietary manager salary.
How to become a certified dietary manager
Step 1. Find a job.
The first step to becoming a certified dietary manager is to find a job in the food service industry. The most common places to start are restaurants, hospitals, schools and nursing homes. Try to get a job where they are hiring certified dietary managers as these positions typically have higher salaries and provide more training opportunities.
Step 2. Enroll in a dietary manager training program.
You’ll need to enroll in a training program that gives you the practical skills needed to be a dietary manager.
Dietary manager training programs take around nine months to complete, and they generally cost between $1,500 and $3,000. It’s important to choose the right program for you by finding one that has a good reputation and is accredited by an organization such as The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). You can also ask for recommendations from friends or family members who have gone through similar courses or programs themselves.
Step 3. Complete your training hours.
Once you’ve completed the coursework, it’s time to complete your training hours. The amount of training hours varies from state to state, but in most cases, you will need at least 1,000 hours of supervised experience working with clients who have special needs and/or chronic conditions. If that sounds like a lot of work—it is! However, if you love working with people and want to make a difference in their lives by helping them reach their health goals, it could be worth it.
Some schools allow students to do their work-study at the same time as completing their coursework online or on campus. This means that if you are doing both, then some of your coursework will overlap into real-life experience in the classroom setting. This is great because it saves time getting both things done at once!
Step 4. Take the exam.
When you’re ready, take the exam. You can register for and schedule your exam through Prometric’s website or by calling 1-866-734-6494 (Toll Free) Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Eastern Time (EST). If you’re preparing for your test at home, be sure to allow yourself enough time to study—the National Registry recommends studying for between 100–200 hours before taking the exam.
The NCIDQ Exam is given in two parts: The Written Portion (100 multiple choice questions), which must be completed within 2½ hours; and The Practical Portion (50 problem solving scenarios), which must be completed within 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Step 5: Recertify every five years.
Recertification is an important part of maintaining your CDM certification. Once you earn your CDM, it will be valid for five years. The first step to recertify is simply completing continuing education units (CEUs). CEUs can be earned from attending conferences, studying nutrition textbooks, taking classes at local colleges and universities or completing webinars.
Once you’ve earned enough CEUs to meet the minimum recertification requirements for your level of certification (i.e., if you have a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Science, then the minimum requirement would be 20 hours), simply submit the necessary paperwork and fees through NDCMS’ website—no hands-on testing required!
Becoming a certified dietary manager is rewarding and fulfilling and can lead to many job opportunities
The field of dietetics is a rewarding, fulfilling and exciting career choice. With the right education and certification, you can help people live healthier lives by developing effective diets for them based on their individual needs.
Certified Dietary Managers (CDMs) work in many different settings including hospitals, long-term care facilities, community agencies such as Meals on Wheels or senior centers; schools; school districts; company cafeterias; food service companies like Sodexo or Aramark; government agencies that provide meals to the needy such as the U.S. Military. They design menus that meet nutritional requirements set by government regulations while being practical given budget limitations and customer expectations. They also determine what foods should be purchased from suppliers while balancing quality with cost effectiveness using computerized tracking systems such as FCS (Food Cost System).
how long does it take to become a certified dietary manager
This independent study course can be completed in as little as two weeks, or take up to six months.
certified dietary manager salary
As of Oct 26, 2022, the average hourly pay for a Certified Dietary Manager in the United States is $23.06 an hour.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $33.41 and as low as $9.62, the majority of Certified Dietary Manager wages currently range between $19.71 (25th percentile) to $27.16 (75th percentile) across the United States. The average pay range for a Certified Dietary Manager varies greatly (by as much as $7.45), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Certified Dietary Manager job market in both Lagos, NG and throughout the entire state of is not very active as few companies are currently hiring. A Certified Dietary Manager in your area makes on average $23 per hour, or the same as the national average hourly salary of $23.06. ranks number 1 out of 50 states nationwide for Certified Dietary Manager salaries.
To estimate the most accurate hourly salary range for Certified Dietary Manager jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Certified Dietary Manager Jobs
We’ve identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Certified Dietary Manager job is above the national average. Topping the list is Atkinson, NE, with San Francisco, CA and Bolinas, CA close behind in the second and third positions. Bolinas, CA beats the national average by $10,484 (21.9%), and Atkinson, NE furthers that trend with another $12,330 (25.7%) above the $47,974 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Certified Dietary Manager appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top ten cities varies very little at 11% between Atkinson, NE and Inverness, CA, reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Certified Dietary Manager role.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atkinson, NE | $60,304 | $5,025 | $1,159 | $28.99 |
| San Francisco, CA | $58,936 | $4,911 | $1,133 | $28.33 |
| Bolinas, CA | $58,458 | $4,871 | $1,124 | $28.11 |
| San Jose, CA | $55,457 | $4,621 | $1,066 | $26.66 |
| Frankston, TX | $55,034 | $4,586 | $1,058 | $26.46 |
| Jackson, WY | $54,921 | $4,576 | $1,056 | $26.40 |
| Diamond Ridge, AK | $54,097 | $4,508 | $1,040 | $26.01 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $53,957 | $4,496 | $1,037 | $25.94 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | $53,736 | $4,478 | $1,033 | $25.84 |
| Inverness, CA | $53,707 | $4,475 | $1,032 | $25.82 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Certified Dietary Manager Jobs in the U.S.
We found at least five jobs related to the Certified Dietary Manager job category that pay more per year than a typical Certified Dietary Manager salary. Top examples of these roles include: Director Dietitian, CDM CFPP, and Management Dietitian.
Importantly, all of these jobs are paid between $8,521 (17.8%) and $34,415 (71.7%) more than the average Certified Dietary Manager salary of $47,974. If you’re qualified, getting hired for one of these related Certified Dietary Manager jobs may help you make more money than that of the average Certified Dietary Manager position.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Dietitian | $82,389 | $6,865 | $1,584 | $39.61 |
| CDM CFPP | $72,995 | $6,082 | $1,403 | $35.09 |
| Management Dietitian | $63,956 | $5,329 | $1,229 | $30.75 |
| Part Time Dietician | $56,752 | $4,729 | $1,091 | $27.28 |
| Dietary Services Manager | $56,495 | $4,707 | $1,086 | $27.16 |
