Career change as a nutrition advisor
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 8 with on-the-job training and 0 with training or a course.
In the job search you can sort by what matters to you, save jobs and see where they lead.
Career change paths
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Quality manager in the food industry
Also: Food safety specialist
With on-the-job training
At food manufacturers or caterers, you are responsible for hygiene concepts, recipe data and in-house controls, and you support audits.
- What you bring:
- You know food science, allergens, hygiene and labeling.
- How to get there:
- Food companies train nutrition scientists (Ökotrophologen) and dietetic assistants (Diätassistenten) on their quality systems. Courses on hygiene concepts and standards such as IFS usually take a few days to a few weeks.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLittle customer contact€4,327gross per monthMedian salary
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Head of kitchen in institutional catering
Also: Catering manager
With on-the-job training
In hospitals, canteens or at caterers, you lead catering, plan purchasing and staff, and pay attention to quality and costs.
- What you bring:
- You plan diets, menus and nutritional values and know the processes in hospital or care home kitchens.
- How to get there:
- Providers and caterers train nutrition experts on the job in kitchen organization and inventory management. Without experience as a cook, you work closely with a kitchen team. Leadership experience is helpful.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically demanding€3,913gross per monthMedian salary
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Lecturer for nutrition in adult education
Also: Course leader for nutrition at an adult education center (Volkshochschule)
With on-the-job training
As a lecturer, you teach at technical schools, at training providers or in courses for adults.
- What you bring:
- You can explain nutrition knowledge in everyday terms and motivate people to change.
- How to get there:
- Training providers, adult education centers and technical schools employ experts, often on a freelance basis. A course in teaching methods lasting a few weeks makes it easier to get started.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€5,254gross per monthMedian salary
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Specialist advisor for drinks and tube feeding
Also: Medical device consultant for nutrition therapy
With on-the-job training
At manufacturers of medical nutrition, you advise hospitals, care homes and care services and train nursing staff.
- What you bring:
- You know malnutrition, tube feeding and nutrition therapy from clinic or practice.
- How to get there:
- Manufacturers and homecare companies give nutrition professionals product training over a few weeks. If you also advise on medical devices such as feeding pumps and tubes, § 83 MPDG requires expertise (Sachkenntnis), which you meet with your training and the product training. Expect field work, and bring a driving license class B.*Regulated by law (Medical Devices Law Implementation Act (MPDG) § 83).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€5,550gross per monthMedian salary
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Health promotion officer at a health insurance fund
Also: Prevention counselor
With on-the-job training
At health insurance funds or associations, you plan prevention programs, review course offerings and look after projects in daycare centers, schools or companies.
- What you bring:
- You know how nutrition, exercise and behavior work together and what people really put into practice.
- How to get there:
- Health insurance funds and associations train nutrition experts on the job in prevention law and project work. For officer positions a university degree is usually expected.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light -
Specialist editor for nutrition
Also: Editor for health portals
With on-the-job training
At publishers, health portals or manufacturers, you write and check articles and recipes.
- What you bring:
- You can present nutrition topics accurately and clearly and put myths in context.
- How to get there:
- Editorial teams train experts with writing experience on the job, and writing samples are important. You can start freelance or apply for permanent positions.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible€4,728gross per monthMedian salary
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Head of housekeeping in a senior care facility
Also: Head of housekeeping and catering
With on-the-job training
In senior care facilities or hospitals, you manage catering, cleaning and laundry and lead the housekeeping team.
- What you bring:
- You know catering, hygiene and the needs of older or sick people.
- How to get there:
- Providers also hire nutrition scientists (Ökotrophologen) for housekeeping management and train them on the job in organization and staff planning. If you have training but no degree, further training as a housekeeping operations manager (hauswirtschaftliche Betriebsleitung) helps.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Often at weekends€3,996gross per monthMedian salary
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Workplace health management officer
Also: Consultant for workplace health promotion
With on-the-job training
In workplace health management, you plan programs on nutrition, exercise and stress and evaluate them.
- What you bring:
- You can teach health topics in groups and support behavior change.
- How to get there:
- Companies, health insurance funds and service providers train nutrition experts on the job. Certificate courses in workplace health management usually take a few weeks to a few months. There are also positions at service providers that look after several companies.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office
Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
Which jobs can I do as a nutrition advisor without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Quality manager in the food industry, Head of kitchen in institutional catering, Lecturer for nutrition in adult education, Specialist advisor for drinks and tube feeding, Health promotion officer at a health insurance fund, Specialist editor for nutrition, Head of housekeeping in a senior care facility and Workplace health management officer.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Specialist advisor for drinks and tube feeding (€5,550 gross per month), Lecturer for nutrition in adult education (€5,254 gross per month) and Specialist editor for nutrition (€4,728 gross per month). Half of employees earn more, half earn less; when you start it is often lower. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), April 2025. No guarantee of accuracy.
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