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Catholic priest vs minister

The differences between catholic priests 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 a catholic priest and a minister. Additionally, a minister has an average salary of $42,866, 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 minister are community outreach, pastoral care, and bible studies.

Catholic priest vs minister overview

Catholic PriestMinister
Yearly salary$37,428$42,866
Hourly rate$17.99$20.61
Growth rate--
Number of jobs100185
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age5151
Years of experience44

Catholic priest vs minister salary

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

Catholic PriestMinister
Average salary$37,428$42,866
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $57,000Between $31,000 And $58,000
Highest paying CityDublin, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateRhode IslandDelaware
Best paying companyBaptist Health South FloridaNew Life Community Church
Best paying industry-Non Profits

Differences between catholic priest and minister education

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

Catholic PriestMinister
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorTheologyTheology
Most common collegeBoston CollegeEmory University

Catholic priest vs minister demographics

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

Catholic PriestMinister
Average age5151
Gender ratioMale, 97.1% Female, 2.9%Male, 71.3% Female, 28.7%
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, 12.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between catholic priest and minister 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.

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.
  • Show more

Catholic priest vs minister skills

Common catholic priest skills
  • Pastoral Care, 60%
  • Pastoral Ministry, 15%
  • Public Speaking, 10%
  • Spiritual Support, 8%
  • Bishops, 3%
  • Parishes, 2%
Common minister skills
  • Community Outreach, 15%
  • Pastoral Care, 12%
  • Bible Studies, 8%
  • Student Ministry, 8%
  • Public Speaking, 6%
  • Oversight, 4%

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