Religious Worker Salary


How Much Does a Religious Worker Make?

On average, a Religious Worker make $45,050 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $28,530, while the top-paid 10 percent made $73,310.

Annually National Average Salary: $45,050

$28K
$31K
$45K
$50K
$73K
10%
25%
50%
75%
90%

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS.




Salary by State

  • Annually
  • Monthly
  • Hourly

Annual Salary by State

State 10% Annual 25% Annual Avg. Annual 75% Annual 90% Annual
Arizona$28,810$28,810$45,620$63,500$63,500
California$32,240$34,750$52,800$59,160$81,640
Colorado$30,440$30,440$48,360$60,920$79,070
Connecticut$30,720$33,950$41,450$46,660$53,750
District of Columbia$33,490$33,490$52,430$70,590$88,380
Florida$26,800$29,130$40,690$48,160$63,550
Georgia$26,210$28,700$41,150$47,290$56,670
Hawaii$28,910$29,120$37,830$37,810$51,870
Illinois$27,040$29,120$42,850$48,450$55,490
Indiana$24,630$29,030$38,650$45,920$56,390
Iowa$21,390$28,620$42,460$46,180$68,390
Kentucky$29,890$31,780$37,740$41,580$47,200
Maryland$27,560$28,720$54,510$65,380$82,070
Massachusetts$35,810$37,570$46,570$55,910$56,150
Michigan$22,960$28,790$41,620$48,650$70,570
Minnesota$28,440$29,640$43,730$49,050$75,500
Mississippi$18,000$18,000$29,990$34,700$45,770
Montana$28,560$28,850$40,030$44,400$73,290
Nebraska$28,230$29,070$40,540$49,890$51,380
New Jersey$30,380$35,160$52,120$68,080$78,480
New York$29,540$31,500$49,380$52,790$112,800
North Carolina$28,700$31,330$32,660$33,700$37,010
Ohio$22,050$25,060$35,470$41,600$55,110
Oregon$29,730$29,730$36,880$39,160$46,390
Pennsylvania$19,630$28,850$43,250$49,420$83,380
Rhode Island$31,200$31,200$47,400$56,560$80,630
South Dakota$32,830$45,650$49,400$47,240$72,280
Tennessee$28,040$36,790$52,880$64,090$75,730
Texas$33,760$37,910$48,790$55,680$72,140
Virginia$31,090$36,520$51,140$62,010$77,180
Washington$37,960$44,370$50,650$50,120$73,570

Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is Maryland, where the average salary is $54,510.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

Maryland - $54,510
Tennessee - $52,880
California - $52,800
District of Columbia - $52,430
New Jersey - $52,120

Religious Workers: Salary Overview

Religious workers are usually employed by religious organizations where they perform a variety of tasks that vary depending on their position in the organization.

Some are religious leaders, others are social workers, teachers, nurses, counselors, or lay employees.

Not all people who work in a church are paid- some are volunteers.

On this page, we will provide information about the religious workers who are paid employees.

Depending on the place of employment and their job title their responsibilities may include overseeing sacred activities, nurturing the congregation, and working with community leaders on fundraising events.

Although many of the tasks are common to all confessions some responsibilities differ depending on their religion.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for clergy members was $55,400 as of May 2019 but salaries vary between less than $26,000 and more than $87,000 a year.

BLS reports that the median annual wage for religious workers (all other) was $29,820 per year, as of May 2018 which means that half of the workers in this profession earned less than this amount while half earned more.

Salaries vary depending on a variety of factors, including education, the level of experience, the employer, and the job description.

The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,400 while the top 10 percent made more than $58,320 per year.

Religious Worker Salary by Industry

Most clergy workers are employed by religious organizations and were paid as of May 2019, on average with $53,260 per year.

General medical and surgical hospitals also hired clergy members and paid them, on average, with $55,840 per year.

The mean annual wage was $58,070 for clergy who worked in the field of home health care services and $58,090 for those employed by nursing care facilities.

The average annual wage reported by religious leaders who worked for elementary and secondary schools was $51,600.

The highest-paying industry for clergy workers was the federal executive branch- a field where the reported average wage for this profession was $77,040.

The biggest employer for other religious workers were religious organizations.

The average annual wage for those who worked in this sector was $34,930.

Religious workers employed by elementary and secondary schools made, on average, $30,280 a year while those who worked for colleges, universities, and professional schools earned $34,810.

The average annual wage was $47,620 for religious workers employed in the field of home health care services and $49,910 for those who worked by general medical and surgical hospitals.

The highest average annual wage was reported by religious workers employed by continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly.

Salaries for religious workers also vary based on other factors, such as experience and confession.

According to a Lifeway 2018 report cited by reachrightstudios.com, the average annual compensation reported by pastors who had less than 5 years of experience was $53,784.

Pastors who had between 6-10 years of experience reported an average annual wage of $59,550 while those with 11-15 years of experience earned, on average, $62,901 per year.

Those with 16-20 years of experience earned, on average $66,441 a year as of May 2018.

The highest average annual wage was reported by pastors who had between 21-30 years of experience.

They reportedly earned around $70,380 a year.

Pastors who have more than 31 years of experience earned, on average, $66,698 per year.

According to the Lifeway report, pastors can make between $1,300 and more than $459,000 a year.

Salaries for pastors vary widely depending on a variety of other factors, including how many hours they work, the size of their congregation, certifications, additional skills, and many more.

The location of the church is also important in determining a pastor’s salary.

Pastors in rural areas, for example, may earn less than pastors in big cities.

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Religious Workers. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.

* Employment conditions in your area may vary.


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