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Hospital chaplain vs volunteer

The differences between hospital chaplains and volunteers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a hospital chaplain, becoming a volunteer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a hospital chaplain has an average salary of $49,423, which is higher than the $31,227 average annual salary of a volunteer.

The top three skills for a hospital chaplain include patients, clinical pastoral and pastoral care. The most important skills for a volunteer are child care, patient charts, and patient care.

Hospital chaplain vs volunteer overview

Hospital ChaplainVolunteer
Yearly salary$49,423$31,227
Hourly rate$23.76$15.01
Growth rate6%12%
Number of jobs4,3439,583
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age5143
Years of experience412

Hospital chaplain vs volunteer salary

Hospital chaplains and volunteers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Hospital ChaplainVolunteer
Average salary$49,423$31,227
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $92,000Between $23,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between hospital chaplain and volunteer education

There are a few differences between a hospital chaplain and a volunteer in terms of educational background:

Hospital ChaplainVolunteer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorTheologyBusiness
Most common collegeBoston CollegeCalifornia State University - Fullerton

Hospital chaplain vs volunteer demographics

Here are the differences between hospital chaplains' and volunteers' demographics:

Hospital ChaplainVolunteer
Average age5143
Gender ratioMale, 68.4% Female, 31.6%Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.3% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage16%11%

Differences between hospital chaplain and volunteer duties and responsibilities

Hospital chaplain example responsibilities.

  • Lead outreach efforts to local faith groups engaging them in the life and ministry opportunities on campus.
  • Conduct spiritual assessments and develop pastoral care plans for assign patients.
  • Minister to cardiac, pediatrics, oncology, mental health, and hospice wards.
  • Show compassion, empathy and care for each patient.
  • Educate patients and families in stress management and facilitate comforting end-of-life conversations.
  • Counsele inmates struggling with a variety of problems including: psychological issues, addiction recovery, abuse recovery, and rehabilitation.
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Volunteer example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage web presence, including Facebook account and other social media business accounts!
  • Train staff members on managing contacts, scheduling programs, and running analytic reports with the Salesforce program.
  • Lead team-building exercises and facilitate group discussions on leadership topics.
  • Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation where applicable.
  • Supervise and maintain safe play for children's soccer games.
  • Teach GED to refugees and survivors of torture seeking to enroll in college.
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Hospital chaplain vs volunteer skills

Common hospital chaplain skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • Clinical Pastoral, 12%
  • Pastoral Care, 11%
  • Spiritual Care, 9%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Crisis Intervention, 4%
Common volunteer skills
  • Child Care, 12%
  • Patient Charts, 10%
  • Patient Care, 10%
  • Front Desk, 9%
  • Community Outreach, 9%
  • Mathematics, 9%

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