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Religious Organizations
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, United Methodist Church, Catholic Church
Clergy
Clergy lead worship, perform religious ceremonies, and spend a large part of the job helping people through grief, conflict, and major life events. The work is a mix of preaching, teaching, counseling, and running the day-to-day business of a congregation. The tradeoff is that the role can be deeply meaningful, but it usually comes with irregular hours, emotional strain, and pay that is not especially high for the level of training many workers bring.
Also known as PastorMinisterReverendPriestRabbi
Median Salary
$60,820
Mean $67,160
U.S. Workforce
~58K
23K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+1%
262K to 264.6K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Clergy sits in the Community Services category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~58K workers, with a median annual pay of $60,820 and roughly 23K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 262 K in 2024 to 264.6K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Master's Degree in Divinity, Theology, or Ministry, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Ministry Intern and can progress toward Senior Pastor. High-value skills usually include Sermon Preparation & Homiletics, Religious Text Interpretation & Theology, and Church Management Software (Planning Center, Breeze, ShelbyNext), paired with soft skills such as Speaking, Active Listening, and Social Perceptiveness.
Core Responsibilities
- Lead worship services and other religious ceremonies for the congregation.
- Write and deliver sermons or talks that explain religious teachings in a clear, practical way.
- Meet with individuals and families to offer spiritual support, advice, and comfort during difficult times.
- Plan classes, youth programs, and other religious education activities.
Keep exploring: more Community Services careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Lead worship services and other religious ceremonies for the congregation.
02 Write and deliver sermons or talks that explain religious teachings in a clear, practical way.
03 Meet with individuals and families to offer spiritual support, advice, and comfort during difficult times.
04 Plan classes, youth programs, and other religious education activities.
05 Handle church operations such as scheduling, staffing, supplies, building needs, and volunteer coordination.
06 Help raise money, prepare people for special ceremonies, and share religious messages through teaching, speaking, or writing.
Industries That Hire
🏥
Hospitals & Healthcare
Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente
🎓
Education
Harvard University, Baylor University, University of Notre Dame
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Military & Veterans Services
U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Department of Veterans Affairs
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Nonprofits & Social Services
YMCA, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The work is highly people-centered, with a lot of direct contact through worship, counseling, and life events like weddings and funerals.
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You get a wide variety of duties in one week, from preaching and teaching to planning programs and solving practical problems.
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The job offers steady replacement demand, with about 23.0 thousand annual openings and only 1.0% projected growth, so openings continue even if expansion is slow.
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BLS lists no prior work experience requirement, so people often move into the role through training and mentorship rather than a long job ladder.
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Pay is moderate rather than extreme, with a mean annual wage of $67,160, which can be workable in some communities with lower living costs.
Challenges
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The pay is not especially strong for a role that often requires a master's degree: the median is $60,820 and the mean is only $67,160.
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Growth is basically flat at 1.0% through 2034, so the job market is more about replacing current workers than adding lots of new positions.
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Evenings, weekends, and holidays are routine because services, meetings, and emergencies do not stay on a 9-to-5 schedule.
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The emotional load can be heavy because the job involves grief, conflict, illness, and family crises, not just public speaking.
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Career options can be tied to congregation size, donations, or denominational support, which makes income and job security less predictable than in many other professions.
Career Progression
Ministry Intern
0-2 years
$35K-$45K
Supports clergy staff with services, events, basic admin work, and congregation outreach while learning how a church or faith community runs.
Associate Pastor
2-6 years
$46K-$59K
Leads selected services, teaches classes, meets with members, and takes on more responsibility for pastoral care and church operations.
Clergy THIS ROLE
6-15 years
$60K-$82K
Oversees worship, preaching, counseling, ceremonies, and administrative duties for a congregation or religious organization.
Senior Pastor
15+ years
$83K-$115K
Sets the direction for a larger congregation, manages staff and budgets, and handles major preaching, leadership, and community-facing responsibilities.
Education Paths
Master's Degree in Divinity, Theology, or Ministry
The most common path, held by 47.82% of workers in this role.
Bachelor's Degree in Religion, Theology, or a Related Field
A common route, used by 18.32% of workers in this role.
Some College Plus Denomination Training or Ordination Track
An alternative path for workers who build their training through church service and supervised ministry; 15.21% of workers in this role report some college coursework.
High School Diploma Plus Long-Term Church or Denomination Training
A smaller group enters with a high school diploma and learns through hands-on religious training; 12.16% of workers in this role have this level of formal education.
Key Skills
Technical
Sermon Preparation & Homiletics 94%
Religious Text Interpretation & Theology 90%
Church Management Software (Planning Center, Breeze, ShelbyNext) 82%
Livestreaming & Presentation Tools (Zoom, YouTube Live, OBS) 78%
Microsoft 365, Google Workspace & Scheduling Tools 72%
Donation Tracking, Event Planning & Volunteer Coordination Systems 70%
Soft Skills
SpeakingActive ListeningSocial PerceptivenessInstructingService OrientationJudgment and Decision Making Job Outlook and Trends
+1%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
23K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 262K to 264.6 K over the next decade, representing 1% growth. Around 23 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.