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The differences between chaplains and senior pastors 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 senior pastor. Additionally, a chaplain has an average salary of $46,392, which is higher than the $45,556 average annual salary of a senior pastor.
The top three skills for a chaplain include patients, social work and clinical pastoral. The most important skills for a senior pastor are community outreach, pastoral care, and overseer.
| Chaplain | Senior Pastor | |
| Yearly salary | $46,392 | $45,556 |
| Hourly rate | $22.30 | $21.90 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 2,600 | 466 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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.
Senior pastors take responsibility in offering pastoral care and spiritual leadership in churches and parishes. They engage in community events, especially those with a religious theme. Their other duties and responsibilities include teaching, management, and preaching. They also oversee the management of the ministry of the congregation. The qualities of senior pastors include being accountable, humble, loyal, and honest. They should also be compassionate and loving to those they serve within the congregation.
Chaplains and senior pastors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chaplain | Senior Pastor | |
| Average salary | $46,392 | $45,556 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $83,000 | Between $29,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | UofL Hospital | Bethel Church |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a chaplain and a senior pastor in terms of educational background:
| Chaplain | Senior Pastor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Theology | Theology |
| Most common college | Emory University | Emory University |
Here are the differences between chaplains' and senior pastors' demographics:
| Chaplain | Senior Pastor | |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.3% Female, 31.7% | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 6.6% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |