How to hire a minister

How to hire a minister, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a minister, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A minister's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, ministers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of minister salaries for various roles:

   Type of Minister	Description	Hourly rate
   Minister		$14-27
   Hospice Chaplain	A Hospice Chaplain provides care and comfort to patients nearing the end of life because of terminal illnesses. They collaborate with the community and the care team to ensure that care is in accord with the patient's faith.	$16-36
   Chaplain	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... Show more	$12-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Community Outreach
   • Pastoral Care
   • Bible Studies
   • Student Ministry
   • Public Speaking
   • Oversight
   • Spiritual Care
   • GOD
   • Prayer
   • Community Services
   • Funeral Services
   • Conflict Resolution
   • Gospel
   • Evangelism

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the community in a Eucharistic prayer service, providing theological reflection every Monday and throughout the summer.
   • Lead church to incorporate a vision for integrating evangelistic and discipleship efforts.
   • Introduce young people to Christ; disciple them in spiritual growth; train them in serving Christ with their life.
   • Conduct other teaching assignments and conduct gospel meetings.
   • Serve as overseer of all ministries and mission assignments.
   • Promote understanding of the gospel by working with church members.

   More minister duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, ministers' average salary in alaska is 53% less than in delaware.
   • Seniority. Entry-level ministers 47% less than senior-level ministers.
   • Certifications. A minister 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 minister's salary.

   Average minister salary

   $42,866yearly

   $20.61 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level minister salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average minister salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$58,165	$28
   2	Connecticut	$54,577	$26
   3	New York	$51,471	$25
   4	California	$49,890	$24
   5	Virginia	$49,319	$24
   6	New Jersey	$47,149	$23
   7	Washington	$46,456	$22
   8	Pennsylvania	$44,868	$22
   9	Tennessee	$43,358	$21
   10	Oregon	$42,977	$21
   11	Colorado	$42,930	$21
   12	South Carolina	$42,612	$20
   13	Michigan	$42,381	$20
   14	Wisconsin	$41,986	$20
   15	Florida	$41,782	$20
   16	North Carolina	$41,317	$20
   17	Indiana	$41,224	$20
   18	Texas	$39,455	$19
   19	Kansas	$38,860	$19
   20	Georgia	$38,428	$18

   Average minister salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	New Life Community Church	$61,009	$29.33
   2	Seattle University	$57,196	$27.50
   3	Hospital Sisters Health System	$55,514	$26.69	2
   4	Mount Aloysius College	$54,923	$26.41
   5	Battle Creek Country Club	$48,017	$23.09
   6	Santa Clara University	$46,087	$22.16
   7	City of University City, Missouri	$44,991	$21.63
   8	Fairfield City Schools	$43,781	$21.05
   9	Saint Anselm College	$43,360	$20.85
   10	Kenneth Copeland Ministries	$42,028	$20.21
   11	First United Church of Christ	$41,300	$19.86
   12	Legacy Christian Fellowship	$41,300	$19.86
   13	St. John Fisher College	$40,654	$19.55
   14	DePaul University	$39,594	$19.04
   15	International Friendships	$37,045	$17.81	37
   16	Marquette University	$36,748	$17.67
   17	Good Neighbors	$36,110	$17.36
   18	Saint Leo University	$35,579	$17.11
   19	New Life Baptist Church	$34,729	$16.70
   20	Archdiocese of Washington	$33,153	$15.94	2

4. Writing a minister job description

   A minister 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a minister job description:

   Minister job description example

   • Requires the development of a ministry partner team which supplies the necessary prayer and financial support to cover salary, benefits, and ministry expenses
   • Training is provided to develop a team of ministry partners
   • Pay range is typically between $24,000 and $70,000 after the period of support development, based on experience and other factors

   Columbus State Campus Minister Benefits :

   • Paid vacation, sick, holidays, and more (once eligible)
   • Health benefits (medical, dental, and vision) for eligible staff
   • Flexible hours and work-from-home availability
   • Work for a growing Christian organization
   • Staff care to support mental, social, and spiritual health for all staff

   About the area and Responsibilities of a Columbus State Campus Minister

   CSCC is a community college in the Columbus area which serves as a feeder to OSU. There are 26,000 students at the university. Students from over 130 countries attend CSCC. This position is part of the Central Ohio ministry team and requires the candidate to live in or near Columbus, OH.

   The Columbus State Campus Minister will (list not all inclusive):

   • Participate in IFI sponsored outreach and special events on campus and develop culture-specific outreaches
   • Evangelize international students by developing personal relationships, providing one-on-one Bible study encounters, and leading group Bible studies
   • Disciple international students through close personal involvement and structured and informal one-on-one times
   • Develop and maintain financial and prayer partnerships for the budgeted needs of the role by sharing the vision of the ministry
   • Meet regularly with supervisor for input, direction, and counsel; quarterly meet with supervisor to assess achievement of agreed-upon goals; meet with other IFI staff for personal mentoring or training
   • Study International cultures, especially the culture of the people you are or will be serving

   Qualifications needed of a Columbus State Campus Minister, including Spiritual Characteristics

   • Adherence to IFI's statement of faith, core values, and policies
   • Is faithful, loyal, and dedicated to IFI's mandate from the Lord to extend God's love globally through equipping Christians to be effective cross-cultural communicators of the Gospel
   • Well organized with attention to detail and ability to complete tasks independently
   • Be a team player
   • Ability to work under stress and be flexible
   • Enjoys working with people and has strong interpersonal skills
   • Proficient with technology, including Microsoft Office and Google applications

   Education/Experience Preferred for a Columbus State Campus Minister:

   • Minimum of a Bachelor Degree
   • Minimum of one-year involvement in campus ministry or completion of IFI ISEED Program

   International Friendships, Inc. (IFI) is a faith-based organization. Therefore, only those willing to adhere to IFI's statement of faith, core values, and policies will be reviewed for this open position. International Friendships, Inc. is otherwise an equal opportunity employer.

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

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5. Post your job

   To find ministers 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 ministers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level ministers 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 minister job on Zippia to find and recruit minister candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting ministers 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 minister

   Once you have selected a candidate for the minister 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new minister. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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