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Catholic priest vs deacon

The differences between catholic priests and deacons can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a catholic priest and a deacon. Additionally, a deacon has an average salary of $49,574, which is higher than the $37,428 average annual salary of a catholic priest.

The top three skills for a catholic priest include pastoral care, pastoral ministry and public speaking. The most important skills for a deacon are pastoral care, community outreach, and bible study.

Catholic priest vs deacon overview

Catholic PriestDeacon
Yearly salary$37,428$49,574
Hourly rate$17.99$23.83
Growth rate--
Number of jobs100117
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age5151
Years of experience44

Catholic priest vs deacon salary

Catholic priests and deacons have different pay scales, as shown below.

Catholic PriestDeacon
Average salary$37,428$49,574
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $57,000Between $26,000 And $92,000
Highest paying CityDublin, CA-
Highest paying stateRhode Island-
Best paying companyBaptist Health South Florida-
Best paying industry--

Differences between catholic priest and deacon education

There are a few differences between a catholic priest and a deacon in terms of educational background:

Catholic PriestDeacon
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorTheologyTheology
Most common collegeBoston CollegeEmory University

Catholic priest vs deacon demographics

Here are the differences between catholic priests' and deacons' demographics:

Catholic PriestDeacon
Average age5151
Gender ratioMale, 97.1% Female, 2.9%Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between catholic priest and deacon duties and responsibilities

Catholic priest example responsibilities.

  • Lead the largest VBS program and confirmation class ever, with aggressive marketing, recruiting, and coaching.
  • Perform other various functions as needed including communication with church leadership to ensure efficient operations for church outreach activities.
  • Perform other various functions as needed including communication with church leadership to ensure efficient operations for church outreach activities.

Deacon example responsibilities.

  • Lead Jr and Sr high youth ministries.
  • Coordinate serving and prayer schedules.
  • Develop and participate in leadership workshops for new leaders and assist new leaders in assuming leadership responsibilities.
  • Develop deacons in fulfilling their respective leadership obligations.

Catholic priest vs deacon skills

Common catholic priest skills
  • Pastoral Care, 60%
  • Pastoral Ministry, 15%
  • Public Speaking, 10%
  • Spiritual Support, 8%
  • Bishops, 3%
  • Parishes, 2%
Common deacon skills
  • Pastoral Care, 46%
  • Community Outreach, 26%
  • Bible Study, 8%
  • Prayer, 8%
  • Oversight, 7%
  • Leadership Meetings, 5%

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