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Chaplain salary
Average chaplain salary
$46,392
Understanding Chaplain Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Chaplain in the United States is about $46,392 per year, which translates to approximately $22 per hour. Salaries can vary depending on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the specific industry in which a chaplain works.
Salary Variation by State
For example, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for chaplains in various sectors, including healthcare and education. In contrast, states with lower living costs may show lower average salaries.
Industry Insights
Chaplains can find employment in diverse settings such as hospitals, military, educational institutions, and correctional facilities. Each sector typically offers varying salary scales and benefits. For instance, chaplains in healthcare may earn more due to the specialized nature of their work.
Career Growth Opportunities
As the demand for spiritual support grows across various industries, chaplains have the opportunity to advance their careers and increase their earning potential by pursuing further education and certifications. This can lead to positions with greater responsibilities and higher salaries.
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Where can a Chaplain earn more?
Chaplain salary estimates from across the web
Average chaplain salary by state
The average chaplain salary in California, Maine, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average chaplain salary states are Tennessee, Arkansas, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for chaplains
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $55,445 | $26.66 |
| 2 | Delaware | $55,200 | $26.54 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $53,207 | $25.58 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $53,322 | $25.64 |
| 5 | Vermont | $51,250 | $24.64 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $47,428 | $22.80 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $49,061 | $23.59 |
| 8 | Arizona | $53,927 | $25.93 |
| 9 | California | $66,712 | $32.07 |
| 10 | Nevada | $49,352 | $23.73 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $48,309 | $23.23 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $46,700 | $22.45 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $50,485 | $24.27 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $50,449 | $24.25 |
| 15 | Idaho | $44,597 | $21.44 |
| 16 | Iowa | $42,753 | $20.55 |
| 17 | Washington | $46,194 | $22.21 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $49,926 | $24.00 |
| 19 | Ohio | $44,232 | $21.27 |
| 20 | New York | $48,849 | $23.49 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $52,793 | $25.38 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $41,492 | $19.95 |
| 23 | Oregon | $42,624 | $20.49 |
| 24 | Illinois | $45,227 | $21.74 |
| 25 | Utah | $41,361 | $19.89 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $37,148 | $17.86 |
| 27 | Texas | $42,605 | $20.48 |
| 28 | Colorado | $43,176 | $20.76 |
| 29 | Maryland | $44,975 | $21.62 |
| 30 | Alaska | $39,564 | $19.02 |
| 31 | Georgia | $43,322 | $20.83 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $37,687 | $18.12 |
| 33 | Michigan | $40,704 | $19.57 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $41,360 | $19.88 |
| 35 | Alabama | $40,103 | $19.28 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $38,101 | $18.32 |
| 37 | Virginia | $43,131 | $20.74 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $38,974 | $18.74 |
| 39 | Kansas | $37,813 | $18.18 |
| 40 | Missouri | $39,384 | $18.93 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $37,846 | $18.20 |
| 42 | Indiana | $36,971 | $17.77 |
| 43 | Montana | $33,314 | $16.02 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $36,355 | $17.48 |
| 45 | New Jersey | $40,732 | $19.58 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $38,083 | $18.31 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $31,992 | $15.38 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $32,307 | $15.53 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $35,578 | $17.10 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $34,288 | $16.48 |
| 51 | Florida | $32,804 | $15.77 |
Highest paying cities for chaplains
The highest-paying cities for chaplains are San Jose, CA, Portland, ME, and Phoenix, AZ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $68,504 | $32.93 |
| 2 | Portland, ME | $56,083 | $26.96 |
| 3 | Phoenix, AZ | $53,960 | $25.94 |
| 4 | Providence, RI | $53,180 | $25.57 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | $50,487 | $24.27 |
| 6 | Henderson, NV | $49,997 | $24.04 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $49,648 | $23.87 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $49,070 | $23.59 |
| 9 | Milwaukee, WI | $48,490 | $23.31 |
| 10 | Seattle, WA | $46,325 | $22.27 |
| 11 | Medford, OR | $45,711 | $21.98 |
| 12 | Rochester, NH | $45,565 | $21.91 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $45,562 | $21.90 |
| 14 | Toledo, OH | $45,381 | $21.82 |
| 15 | San Antonio, TX | $43,553 | $20.94 |
| 16 | Colorado Springs, CO | $43,522 | $20.92 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $43,320 | $20.83 |
| 18 | Charlottesville, VA | $42,529 | $20.45 |
| 19 | Des Moines, IA | $42,014 | $20.20 |
| 20 | Philadelphia, PA | $41,817 | $20.10 |
Chaplains are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Chaplain salary details
A chaplain's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $83,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chaplain's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| Average | $46,392 | $3,866 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying chaplain jobs
The highest paying types of chaplains are hospice chaplain, evangelist, and hospital chaplain.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastor | $44,787 | $3,732 | $21.53 | 494 |
| Youth Pastor | $39,712 | $3,309 | $19.09 | 3,120 |
| Youth Minister | $41,513 | $3,459 | $19.96 | 2,830 |
| Evangelist | $50,297 | $4,191 | $24.18 | 753 |
| Chaplain Resident | $45,343 | $3,779 | $21.80 | 7,901 |
| Hospice Chaplain | $52,027 | $4,336 | $25.01 | 9,571 |
Top companies hiring chaplains now:
Which companies pay chaplains the most?
Chaplain salaries at UofL Hospital and Hebrew SeniorLife are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chaplain salary at companies like Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UofL Hospital | $92,255 | $44.35 |
| 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 |
| 6 | Children's Minnesota | $82,159 | $39.50 |
| 7 | Stanford Health Care | $81,698 | $39.28 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 20 | Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital | $73,188 | $35.19 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chaplain salary by industry
The average chaplain salary varies across industries:
- The average chaplain salary in the health care industry is $58,864, the highest of any industry.
- The average chaplain salary in the finance industry is $51,031.
- Chaplains in the government industry earn an average salary of $42,011, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for chaplains
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $58,864 | $28.30 |
| 2 | Professional | $51,031 | $24.53 |
| 3 | Non Profits | $46,807 | $22.50 |
| 4 | Government | $42,011 | $20.20 |
High paying chaplain jobs
Chaplain salary trends
The average chaplain salary has risen by $6,967 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chaplain earned $39,425 annually, but today, they earn $46,392 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for chaplains over the last decade.
Compare chaplain salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chaplain salary over time
Compare chaplain salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Chaplain salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $46,400 | $22.30 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $45,000 | $21.64 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $43,800 | $21.04 | +3.9% |
| 2022 | $42,100 | $20.23 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $40,900 | $19.64 | +3.3% |
Recently added chaplain salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutterhealth | Chaplain Student | San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2025 | $52,175 |
| Parkland Health and Hospital System | Staff Chaplain-Prn | Dallas, TX | 06/30/2025 | $72,377 |
| Compassus | Chaplain | Peoria, IL | 06/30/2025 | $44,119 |
| Compassus | Chaplain-PRN | Olympia, WA | 06/30/2025 | $62,923 |
| State of Ohio | Chaplain | Grafton, OH | 06/29/2025 | $66,241 |
| Prime Healthcare Services | Chaplain | Evanston, IL | 06/29/2025 | $58,853 |
| Christian Living Communities | Chaplain | Denver, CO | 06/29/2025 | $59,208 |
| John Muir Health | Chaplain-Staff-Wcmc Spiritual Care--PMS | Walnut Creek, CA | 06/28/2025 | $83,083 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Chaplain | Tacoma, WA | 06/28/2025 | $68,686 |
| National Healthcare Corporation | Chaplain | Lenoir City, TN | 06/27/2025 | $46,000 |
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