How Much Do Holistic Nutritionists Actually Make?
Are you ready for a fulfilling career that allows you to impact someone’s life positively?
Do you want to help people make sense of all the nutrition information out there to help them feel better? A career in the nutrition field or starting a nutrition business might be for you!
As more people prioritize their health and wellbeing, many exciting opportunities for holistic nutritionists and other health professionals are popping up.
Before jumping right in and starting your nutrition business, you might want to ask yourself what type of nutrition business would be best for you.
Perhaps you’re a self-starter and self-motivated, so running your own nutrition business might be a good fit. Or maybe you work best with instruction and direction, so working in a clinic might be a better fit for you.
The next question you might be asking yourself is, “how much do holistic nutritionists make?” or better yet, “how much can I actually make as a nutritionist?”
You want to ensure that the income you make will cover your business and life expenses, without having to worry financially.
Who Can Call Themselves a Holistic Nutritionist?
Did you know that Holistic Nutrition is not a regulated profession? This means that essentially anyone can call themselves a Holistic Nutritionist, and that post-secondary education is not required.
However, with that being said, to succeed in your business and best support your clients and their health, it’s a good (and in my opinion necessary!) idea to do a nutrition training program to learn the fundamentals of nutrition.
Additionally, an interest in nutrition & natural foods, holistic health, wellness, helping people, or even understanding your own health journey will give you an advantage in this field.
People often ask, “what is the difference between a Holistic Nutritionist and Dietitian?”
To put this simply, you can only call yourself a Dietitian if you’ve completed a Bachelor/Master's degree, gone on to complete a dietetic internship and passed a registration exam.
Dietitians will sometimes also refer to themselves as Nutritionists—but a Holistic Nutritionist cannot or should not refer to themselves as a Dietitian, but can use the term Nutritionist to describe what they do.
How Do You Become a Holistic Nutritionist?
Most nutrition schools offer an in-person or online option, so it’s good to consider which one is the best fit for you and your needs.
Here is a list of accredited holistic nutrition training programs in Canada and the US:
Canadian School of Natural Nutrition—I graduated from CSNN’s Natural Nutrition program and loved my time there. The program offers you a great foundation of nutrition education. They also have multiple locations throughout Canada for accessible in-person courses and an online option too!
The Institute of Holistic Nutrition—Diploma Program in Applied Holistic Nutrition is offered at two campuses in Ontario and British Columbia. IHN offers in-person full and part-time options as well.
Institute of Integrative Nutrition—Their Health Coach Training Program is an excellent option for US residents. However, they offer their program online, so it’s available internationally!
Alive Academy—This Canadian school has four program offerings: Applied Nutrition, Applied Nutrition Specializing in Sports & Fitness, Nutritional Consulting, and Sports & Fitness Nutrition Certificate Program. Also online and open to international students.
Institute of Transformational Nutrition—Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach online program.
Pacific Rim College—Multiple program offerings, including Certificate and Diploma options in Holistic Nutrition, part-time and online study, and dual diplomas with Acupuncture and Phytotherapy.
NutraPhoria—Offers unique certifications such as Aromatherapy Practitioner and Plant-Based Nutrition Specialist and the classic Holistic Nutrition & Health Coach Certification and Sport & Fitness Nutrition Specialist programs.
Nutritional Therapy Association—Fully online and instructor-led Nutritional Therapy Practitioner program. Some of my nutrition business clients have taken this program and speak very highly of it!
Once you’ve completed your formal training, you’ll want to gain experience in the nutrition field.
You can do this by job-shadowing another practicing nutritionist or finding some additional work in the nutrition field, i.e. health food & supplement stores.
What Is The Average Registered Holistic Nutritionist Salary?
It’s important to note that the average salary can significantly vary depending on your business background, niche, services, and the prices you establish.
The average Registered Holistic Nutritionist’s salary is between $33,000+ for newer practitioners to $67,000+ for those with more experience.
According to this survey, $64,689 is the average annual salary for Canadian Holistic Nutritionists.
How To Make Money as a Nutritionist
There are so many ways to make a good income as a Nutritionist and many different ways to make money that might be outside the box of the traditional 1:1 nutrition coaching model.
Here are some of my favourite strategies to help you make money as a nutritionist:
1:1 Coaching
Creating a signature nutrition program vs. only offering one-off nutrition sessions can put you in a great position to make more consistent and sustainable income in your nutrition business. Signature nutrition programs are commonly priced over $1000.
Group Wellness Programs
Offering a group program can be a great way to work with more clients at once at a lower price point than 1:1 nutrition coaching. This means that you will save time by working with more people in less time, but still make a great income with this option.
Online Courses
Creating an online course gives you the opportunity to create something once and then sell it passively over and over for years to come. You can also do small “launches” of your online course periodically to bring in more income during a specific period of time. Online programs are commonly priced around the $200-$400 price point.
Other Work Opportunities
Clinics
Doctor’s office
Health clubs and gyms
Supplement stores
Juice bar
Other private practices/holistic health professionals
Online or In-person Workshops
Workshops are a great way to support your audience and allow them to learn more about you and your business in a more affordable and tangible way. Example workshop ideas include nutrition, cooking, corporate wellness, etc.
Meal Planning or Other Subscription Services
Try out a program like That Clean Life or Meal Garden to create beautiful meal plans for your clients or create a monthly meal planning subscription as a way to bring in consistent monthly income.
Passive Products
A great way to make passive income is to create pre-made meal plans, nutrition guides, journals and books (paper or digital) to sell on your website for a lower price point. It’s common to see pre-made meal plans or guides sold around the $20-$40 mark.
Selling supplements
Use an online platform like FullScript to make a small commission on any supplement purchases that your clients or community make.
Brand Partnerships
Connect with some of your favourite brands to create paid sponsored content for their product or service to share with your community.
So, Then How Much Do Nutritionists or Nutrition Coaches Make?
Ultimately, the sky is the limit when it comes to how much you can make as a Nutritionist!
By choosing to run your own nutrition business, you have the potential to grow multiple streams of income with no income cap.
Working in a clinic can sometimes offer more structure in terms of income, but there could be potential earning limits with this option.
Clinics usually charge additional expenses, with the typical clinic split being 60% earnings for the practitioner—40% earnings for the clinic. There could also be a monthly charge for rent, so keep this in mind when choosing which business venture you’d like to pursue.
No matter which option you choose, setting goals, maintaining a healthy mindset and persevering when things get tough will ensure a consistent flow of income in your business.
Ready to Start Generating More Revenue in Your Nutrition Business?
I’m here to support you in creating a successful and profitable nutrition business! Check out the resources below.
