How to hire a chaplain

How to hire a chaplain, step by step

Here's a step-by-step chaplain hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a chaplain job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new chaplain
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a chaplain do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the chaplain you need to hire. Certain chaplain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect chaplain also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of chaplains and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Chaplain	Description	Hourly rate
   Chaplain	A Chaplain is responsible for providing spiritual guidance and support to soldiers, families, and other groups of people in a wide range of challenging environments. Their primary duties include performing religious services and leading prayers.	$12-39
   Pastor	Pastors are considered the leader of a church whose primary role is to give sermons to church members. They also have other duties, including conducting worship services, planning weekly sermons, and interpreting scriptures for the congregation... Show more	$14-30
   Youth Pastor	A Youth Pastor is focused on offering spiritual guidance. They also ensure that the youth ministry is functioning in an effective and focused manner.	$14-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Social Work
   • Clinical Pastoral
   • Spiritual Care
   • Pastoral Care
   • Patient Care
   • Ministry
   • Ethics
   • CPE
   • Home Health
   • Compassion
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Religious Services
   • Community Clergy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide full pastoral ministry, visitation and counseling to inmates and incarcerate patients.
   • Participate as members of a psychiatric or rehabilitation team in staff conferences concerning patients and inmates.
   • Perform functions in field and combat environments, combat lifesaver tasks and apply communication skills in crisis/potential suicide intervention.
   • Visit patients/families identify as appropriate for pastoral services and provide direct spiritual counseling, prayer, and ministry as appropriate.
   • Certify in ASIST (suicideprevention )
   • Participate in bi-weekly IDG meetings as part of IDG team.

   More chaplain duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your chaplain job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A chaplain can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, chaplains' average salary in nebraska is 52% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level chaplains 70% less than senior-level chaplains.
   • Certifications. A chaplain with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a chaplain's salary.

   Average chaplain salary

   $46,392yearly

   $22.30 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level chaplain salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average chaplain salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$68,504	$33
   2	Maine	$56,083	$27
   3	Arizona	$53,960	$26
   4	Rhode Island	$53,180	$26
   5	Minnesota	$50,487	$24
   6	Nevada	$49,997	$24
   7	Massachusetts	$49,648	$24
   8	New York	$49,070	$24
   9	Wisconsin	$48,490	$23
   10	Washington	$46,325	$22
   11	Oregon	$45,711	$22
   12	New Hampshire	$45,565	$22
   13	Illinois	$45,562	$22
   14	Ohio	$45,381	$22
   15	Texas	$43,553	$21
   16	Colorado	$43,522	$21
   17	Georgia	$43,320	$21
   18	Virginia	$42,529	$20
   19	Iowa	$42,014	$20
   20	Pennsylvania	$41,817	$20

   Average chaplain salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	UofL Hospital	$92,255	$44.35	1
   2	Hebrew SeniorLife	$88,290	$42.45
   3	Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region	$83,387	$40.09
   4	UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital	$83,316	$40.06
   5	Boston Medical Center	$82,751	$39.78	4
   6	Children's Minnesota	$82,159	$39.50	1
   7	Stanford Health Care	$81,698	$39.28	3
   8	Massachusetts General Hospital	$80,730	$38.81
   9	Griffin Hospital	$78,128	$37.56
   10	University of Maryland Medical System	$77,466	$37.24	3
   11	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$77,118	$37.08
   12	Avalon Hospice	$75,661	$36.38
   13	The University of Vermont Health Network	$75,360	$36.23
   14	Hospice Care Plus	$75,139	$36.12
   15	Mount Sinai Health System	$75,018	$36.07
   16	Children's Hospital & Medical Center	$74,710	$35.92
   17	Park Nicollet Medical Center Inc	$74,632	$35.88
   18	GradyHealth	$74,079	$35.61
   19	Baystate Health	$73,618	$35.39	4
   20	Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital	$73,188	$35.19

4. Writing a chaplain job description

   A chaplain job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a chaplain job description:

   Chaplain job description example

   Staff Chaplain - Part Time - (220002ZG) Description Facility Profile
   
   TGH is the area's only level I trauma center and one of just two ABA-verified adult & pediatric burn centers in Florida. With five medical helicopters*, we transport critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. The hospital is home to one of the busiest solid organ transplant centers in the country. TGH is a nationally designated comprehensive stroke center, and has a 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit. Other outstanding centers include cardiovascular, orthopedics, high-risk and normal obstetrics, urology, ENT, endocrinology, and the Children's Medical Center, which features a nine-bed pediatric intensive care unit and pediatric kidney transplant services. As the region's leading safety net hospital, Tampa General is committed to providing area residents with world-class and compassionate health care ranging from the simplest to the most complex medical services.
   
   Tampa General Hospital was named the #1 hospital in Tampa Bay by U.S. News & World Report, 2020-2021, and recognized as one of America's Best Hospital's in five medical specialties: Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Nephrology, and Orthopedics. Tampa General Hospital has been designated a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the highest recognition for nursing excellence, for the fourth consecutive time - an accomplishment that fewer than one percent of hospitals nationwide have earned. TGH is accredited by The Joint Commission and was awarded disease-specific certification in five medical specialties. TGH is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). *Air transport provided by Metro Aviation, Inc.
   Department Profile
   
   The Center for Spiritual Health and Education (chaplains), including board-certified chaplains (Association of Professional Chaplains), ACPE certified educators (Association of Clinical Pastoral Education), residents and interns. The team responds to the spiritual and life needs of patients, families and team members at Tampa General Hospital.
   
   Job Summary
   
   Under the supervision of the Manager of Spiritual Health and Education, the Chaplain I provides spiritual support to patients, visitors and staff members. Uses, as appropriate, a wide range of pastoral skills, including listening/attending, empathic reflection, conflict resolution/confrontation, crisis management and appropriate use of religious/spiritual resources. Responsible for performing job duties in accordance with mission, vision and values of Tampa General Hospital.
   
   Qualifications Required Skills
   
   Master of Divinity degree or equivalent preferred, 4 units of ACPE Clinical Pastoral Education, and denominational endorsement for chaplaincy required.
   Eligibility for Board Certification by the Association for Professional Chaplains or by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains within two years required.
   
   Note: Two 10 hour shift (Sunday & Monday OR Friday & Saturday from 2:00pm to 12:30am)
   Primary Location: TampaWork Locations: TGH Main Campus 1 Tampa General Circle Tampa 33606Job: Pastoral CareOrganization: TGH - HospitalSchedule: Part-time Scheduled Days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, SaturdayShift: Evening JobShift Hours: 2:00pm-12:30amJob Posting: Sep 23, 2022, 8:27:04 PM

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find chaplains for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any chaplains they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level chaplains with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your chaplain job on Zippia to find and recruit chaplain candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting chaplains requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new chaplain

   Once you have selected a candidate for the chaplain position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new chaplain first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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