OSCA 263231

Dietitian

Overview

  • Employed persons

    5,500

  • Employment status

    49.2% Full time

    50.8% Part time

  • Median age

    34 years

  • Employment by sex

    94.7% Female

    5.3% Male

    Almost completely female dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    0.4%

  • Main employing industry

    Health Care and Social Assistance

Indicator Dietitian Total employment
Employed persons 5,500 12,049,400
Median age 34 years 40 years
Full-time share 49.2% 64.2%
Part-time share 50.8% 35.8%
Female employment share 94.7% 48.5%
Male employment share 5.3% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Almost completely female dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 0.4% 2.2%
Main employing industry Health Care and Social Assistance Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Dietitians apply the science of food and human nutrition to promote health, prevent and treat illness and disease, and to optimise the health of individuals, groups, communities and population.

What the occupation involves

  • Assesses the dietary needs of individuals and groups, and develops customised dietary plans
  • Provides individualised nutrition advice to people with a range of health conditions
  • Explains the relationship between food and health to attain and maintain people's health
  • Plans menu options and manages the preparation of special meals or diets
  • Provides guidance on food selection and preparation to individuals and groups
  • Monitors and evaluates the progress of individuals on dietary plans
  • Maintains accurate and confidential records of people's health when following dietary plans
  • Provides primary, secondary and tertiary health care in settings that include hospitals and palliative care facilities

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 1
equivalent to a university level qualification (Bachelor degree or higher).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

Registration or licensing may be required.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Dietitian Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Health Care and Social Assistance 90.2% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Education and Training 2.3% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Public Administration and Safety 1.2% Construction 8.9%
    Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 1.1% Education and Training 8.8%
    Other Services 1.0% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Financial and Insurance Services 0.7% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Arts and Recreation Services 0.6% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Accommodation and Food Services 0.4% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Manufacturing 0.4% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.2% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      31.3%

    • Victoria

      25.3%

    • Queensland

      22.7%

    • South Australia

      6.8%

    • Tasmania

      1.9%

    • Northern Territory

      1.2%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.9%

    Dietitian Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 1,700 31.3% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 1,400 25.3% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 1,200 22.7% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 370 6.8% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 480 8.8% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 110 1.9% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 60 1.2% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 110 1.9% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Dietitian

    Total employment

    Age group Dietitian Total employment
    15–24 years 6.9% 14.3%
    25–34 years 44.4% 22.7%
    35–44 years 27.1% 22.3%
    45–54 years 13.5% 20.4%
    55–64 years 6.7% 15.3%
    65–74 years 1.2% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.1% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Dietitian Total employment
    Female 94.7% 48.5%
    Male 5.3% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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