Associate pastor vs minister

The differences between associate pastors and ministers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate pastor and a minister. Additionally, an associate pastor has an average salary of $46,081, which is higher than the $42,866 average annual salary of a minister.

The top three skills for an associate pastor include community outreach, pastoral care and oversight. The most important skills for a minister are community outreach, pastoral care, and bible studies.

Associate pastor vs minister overview

	Associate Pastor	Minister
Yearly salary	$46,081	$42,866
Hourly rate	$22.15	$20.61
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	432	185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	4	4

Associate pastor vs minister salary

Associate pastors and ministers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Associate Pastor	Minister
Average salary	$46,081	$42,866
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $71,000	Between $31,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	West Virginia	Delaware
Best paying company	Calvary Church	New Life Community Church
Best paying industry	Education	Non Profits

Differences between associate pastor and minister education

There are a few differences between an associate pastor and a minister in terms of educational background:

	Associate Pastor	Minister
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Theology	Theology
Most common college	North Park University	Emory University

Associate pastor vs minister demographics

Here are the differences between associate pastors' and ministers' demographics:

	Associate Pastor	Minister
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4%	Male, 71.3% Female, 28.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between associate pastor and minister duties and responsibilities

Associate pastor example responsibilities.

Manage and provide oversight for the administration of all ministry areas within the organization.
Deliver messages base on the bible.
Assist children's outreach including VBS and AWANA.
Produce services through media development, PowerPoint, sound system, and print materials.
Direct all children and youth ministries, including outreach, VBS, missions, and choirs.
Implement a comprehensive prayer strategy.

Minister example responsibilities.

Lead the community in a Eucharistic prayer service, providing theological reflection every Monday and throughout the summer.
Lead church to incorporate a vision for integrating evangelistic and discipleship efforts.
Introduce young people to Christ; disciple them in spiritual growth; train them in serving Christ with their life.
Conduct other teaching assignments and conduct gospel meetings.
Serve as overseer of all ministries and mission assignments.
Promote understanding of the gospel by working with church members.

Associate pastor vs minister skills

Common associate pastor skills

Community Outreach, 20%
Pastoral Care, 12%
Oversight, 9%
Youth Ministry, 5%
Youth Program, 4%
Public Speaking, 4%

Common minister skills

Community Outreach, 15%
Pastoral Care, 12%
Bible Studies, 8%
Student Ministry, 8%
Public Speaking, 6%
Oversight, 4%