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The differences between chaplains and chaplains assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a chaplain and a chaplains assistant. Additionally, a chaplain has an average salary of $46,392, which is higher than the $42,258 average annual salary of a chaplains assistant.
The top three skills for a chaplain include patients, social work and clinical pastoral. The most important skills for a chaplains assistant are administrative data, communication equipment, and combat.
| Chaplain | Chaplains Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $46,392 | $42,258 |
| Hourly rate | $22.30 | $20.32 |
| Growth rate | - | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 2,600 | 2,500 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The word chaplain is originally referred to as representatives of the Christian faith. In tradition, a chaplain is a cleric or formal leader with an established religion or any non-ordained members of religious institutes. Chaplains now are diverse in terms of faith and often serve various constituencies. Chaplains are professionally trained and certified to provide spiritual guidance in a clinical setting to individuals who has issues with meaning, hope, and transcendence or any specific life circumstances it may be. They offer reflective listening and non-judgmental emotional and inner comfort in various settings, including the military, parishes, hospitals, prisons, universities, and schools.
Chaplain Assistants are military ministers who assist chaplains in their missions and daily activities by supporting the unit ministry team programs and worship services. These assistants must coordinate the necessary force protection requirements to conduct religious support operations for their combat missions. They are required to prepare their facilities for various religious services to support their team's programs and worship services. Chaplain Assistants must also maintain reports, files, and administrative data for their religious operations.
Chaplains and chaplains assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chaplain | Chaplains Assistant | |
| Average salary | $46,392 | $42,258 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $83,000 | Between $25,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | UofL Hospital | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a chaplain and a chaplains assistant in terms of educational background:
| Chaplain | Chaplains Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Theology | Business |
| Most common college | Emory University | Boston College |
Here are the differences between chaplains' and chaplains assistants' demographics:
| Chaplain | Chaplains Assistant | |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.3% Female, 31.7% | Male, 67.7% Female, 32.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 6.6% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 6.6% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |