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What is a church organist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a church organist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.31 an hour? That's $52,640 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 6,400 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreChurch OrganistUS Average
Salary
4.1

Avg. Salary $52,640

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.2

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 5.68%

Black or African American 11.44%

Hispanic or Latino 12.25%

Unknown 4.96%

White 65.49%

Gender

female 42.57%

male 57.43%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
4.2

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Church organist career paths

Key steps to become a church organist

  1. Explore church organist education requirements

    Most common church organist degrees

    Bachelor's

    64.7 %

    Master's

    18.8 %

    Associate

    7.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific church organist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Worship Services48.59%
    Easter26.20%
    Chorus25.21%
  3. Research church organist duties and responsibilities

    • Design procedures and PowerPoint presentations.
    • Act as a vacation bible school instructor in the summer months.
  4. Prepare your church organist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your church organist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a church organist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable church organist resume templates

    Build a professional church organist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your church organist resume.
    Church Organist Resume
    Church Organist Resume
    Church Organist Resume
    Church Organist Resume
    Church Organist Resume
    Church Organist Resume
    Church Organist Resume
    Church Organist Resume
    Church Organist Resume
  5. Apply for church organist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a church organist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first church organist job

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Average church organist salary

The average church organist salary in the United States is $52,640 per year or $25 per hour. Church organist salaries range between $25,000 and $108,000 per year.

Average church organist salary
$52,640 Yearly
$25.31 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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