Dietetic Technicians Salary
The median pay for a dietetic technicians in Pennsylvania is $34,090/year ($16.39/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $35,896 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 57.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $34K actually covers in Pennsylvania, month by month
About dietetic technicians
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Dietetic technicians pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $34K locally vs. $38K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 57.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level dietetic technicians (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Dietetic Technicians salary by metro in Pennsylvania
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $37K | +8% | 270 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $35K | +3% | 980 |
| Reading | $34K | +0% | 50 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $34K | -0% | 120 |
| Pittsburgh | $32K | -5% | 250 |
| Lancaster | $32K | -7% | 80 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $32K | -7% | 90 |
| York-Hanover | $30K | -11% | 80 |
| Altoona | $30K | -12% | 50 |
| Erie | $29K | -15% | 70 |
Compare to other states
Track dietetic technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a dietetic technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 57.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for dietetic technicians in Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dietetic technicians typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,090/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 65% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is dietetic technician a high-paying job in Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $34K locally vs. $38K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for dietetic technicians?
Pennsylvania pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do dietetic technicians make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $34,090 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,810, and experienced dietetic technicians can clear $45,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,365/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 57.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a dietetic technicians salary go in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median dietetic technicians salary is worth about $35,896 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do dietetic technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.