This two-year program allows you to acquire in-depth knowledge in nutrition and health. The BTS in Dietetics thus leads to many career opportunities, in various sectors, both public and private.
Whether you’re a recent graduate, a healthcare professional, or seeking information as part of a career change, you will find in this article the different perspectives available to you once you have your BTS in Dietetics.
Je vous invite à profiter du stage optionnel durant votre BTS diététique pour trouver votre voie. Si vous doutez, n’hésitez pas à contacter des diététiciennes en poste dans ces divers secteurs, afin de vous faire un avis plus précis.
As a dietitian and trainer, I have identified the 6 possible career paths after your BTS in Dietetics, to help you know which job suits you best, understand each work environment and the possible salaries.
📚 Lire aussi | Une diététicienne a classé les meilleurs BTS diététiques à distance
Hospital dietitian
In a hospital setting, the dietitian plays a vital role, working hand in hand with healthcare staff.
She ensures that patients’ diets are balanced by adjusting meal plans according to their specific needs (low-salt, post-operative diet…).
The hospital dietitian also plays an educational role. Nutrition education is at the heart of her tasks to prepare the patient’s return home, for example by developing a discharge diet.
She can initiate educational and prevention programs for hospital staff, workshops for patients, more or less autonomously depending on the expectations of the supervising healthcare manager and the budget.
In addition to these responsibilities, the dietitian also manages the hospital’s institutional food services: compliance with hygiene standards, supervision of meal trays and stock management.
Good to know: working as a dietitian in a hospital is relatively sought-after and rewarding. Positions are still limited, but hiring is done according to the needs of recent graduates or more experienced candidates.
Salaire : le salaire en milieu hospitalier débute aux alentours de 1 900 euros brut, pouvant évoluer au fil des années et avec l’ancienneté jusqu’à 3 500 euros brut.,
Dietitian in private practice
More than 40% of dietitians choose to open consultations, often in a mixed practice.
Construire sa clientèle, ou patientèle, prend du temps. Je conseille de démarrer au sein d’un cabinet pluri-médical, aux côtés d’autres professionnels de santé qui pourront orienter certains patients.
Working in private practice as a dietitian can offer great flexibility, while requiring fairly wide availability.
The reality is that one must face increasing competition. Keeping patients engaged in dietary follow-ups is also not easy.
Another crucial point in private practice: continuing professional development to keep scientific knowledge up to date and, why not, to specialize over the years.
Welcoming patients in one’s own practice or via teleconsultations requires essential human qualities: listening, empathy, and compassion.
Good to know: in my opinion, developing skills in administrative management, accounting, and communication is essential to ensure the long-term viability of the practice.
Salaire : il est très variable selon le format à mi-temps ou à temps plein, pouvant aller de 1000 à 3000 euros brut en moyenne en libéral.
Dietitian in collective settings
Coordinating and organizing collective catering within various establishments, such as schools, company cafeterias, or leisure centers, is also among the positions available with a BTS in dietetics.
The dietitian in collective settings is generally responsible for ensuring good hygiene practices and compliance with standards (HACCP method, food regulations…). She regularly trains catering staff on nutritional needs.
Elle crée des menus équilibrés en prenant en compte les contraintes budgétaires et logistiques.
Good to know: an interest in microbiology, management, and rigor is essential for this career path.
Salary: in collective catering, one generally starts at around €1,800, with progression over the years up to €3,300 gross.
Dietitian in the food industry
The qualified dietitian can also work within the food industry, in close collaboration with R&D (Research and Development).
In this way she contributes to food innovation, the improvement of products and recipes, as well as to public health. She ensures optimal nutritional quality of ingredients in order to meet consumers’ needs.
The advisory aspect and the direct contact with patients from other professions give way to a close relationship with the marketing and communications department. For example, you will need to prepare product sheets.
Depending on the company’s strategy, whether a start-up or an industrial firm, it may take part in the conduct of epidemiological studies.
Good to know: this sector offers dynamic, versatile positions, sometimes with pressure regarding profitability.
Salary : the remuneration for a dietitian in the food industry varies between €2,300 and €3,500 gross.
Teacher and trainer
A career as a dietitian can open the door to teaching and training. It’s an opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise with different audiences.
Devenir enseignante lorsque vous êtes diplômée d’un BTS diététique implique la préparation et la présentation de cours théoriques et/ou pratiques. Mais aussi d’être à l’aise à l’oral et dotée d’une certaine pédagogie.
The dietitian teacher can also participate in the grading of BTS exams.
Elle peut travailler dans des écoles publiques ou privées, ou former des professionnels de santé et d’autres secteurs privés.
Good to know : in the classroom or at conferences, you will need to commit to keeping up with scientific developments to update your materials.
Salaire : Salariée ou freelance, à temps plein ou à mi-temps, les salaires pour le professeur de nutrition oscillent entre 1000 et 3 500 euros.
Communication, marketing and media
For many brands or specialized agencies, a dietitian’s expertise in nutrition and knowledge of food are seen as a real added value.
There are many tasks involved in promoting products. Writing articles for print or online media, e-books, creating content for social media, podcasts…
This career path is for dietitians who are interested in these new communication channels and marketing. Ideally, take additional training in the field.
Good to know: to combine your scientific expertise and communication skills, I recommend registering as a self-employed professional.
Salary: expect a gross income between €1,500 and €4,000 depending on your expertise.
