Hospitals and medical facilities employ dietary aides to help patients, residents and staff with meal preparation. Dietary aides work in hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities and other caregiving arenas. The salary of a dietary aide can differ depending on geographic location, the employer and the overall job responsibilities.
Dietary Aide Salary
Dietary aides are in charge of making sure that the food is prepared correctly, and they also assist with feeding patients. They typically earn around $11 per hour or $22,000 per year.
Salary for dietary aide
A good starting salary for a dietary aide is $21,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a dietary aide in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for dietary aides is $25,656, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a dietary aide can vary by state.
A good starting salary for a dietary aide is $21,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a dietary aide in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for dietary aides is $25,656, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a dietary aide can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Dietary Aide Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level dietary aide earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Maine | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Washington | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Oregon | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| California | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| New Jersey | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Wyoming | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Massachusetts | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Hawaii | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Minnesota | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| New York | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Rhode Island | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Vermont | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| New Hampshire | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Alaska | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Colorado | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| North Dakota | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Nevada | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Utah | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Connecticut | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Arizona | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| District of Columbia | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| West Virginia | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Montana | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Kentucky | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Pennsylvania | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| South Dakota | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Michigan | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Ohio | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Missouri | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Delaware | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Idaho | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| South Carolina | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Florida | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Indiana | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Iowa | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Kansas | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Wisconsin | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Nebraska | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Illinois | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| North Carolina | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Mississippi | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Alabama | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| New Mexico | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Texas | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Maryland | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Arkansas | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Tennessee | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Louisiana | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Virginia | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Georgia | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| Oklahoma | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Dietary Aide Jobs?
We’ve identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level dietary aide job is above the national average. Topping the list is Vancouver, WA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Vancouver, WA | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Alameda, CA | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Cambridge, MA | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Haverstraw, NY | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Saint Paul, MN | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Denver, CO | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Bay City, MI | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Goshen, IN | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
