Missionary vs priest

The differences between missionaries and priests can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a missionary has an average salary of $51,599, which is higher than the $44,712 average annual salary of a priest.

The top three skills for a missionary include spanish language, community outreach and ministry. The most important skills for a priest are pastoral care, spiritual care, and educational programs.

Missionary vs priest overview

	Missionary	Priest
Yearly salary	$51,599	$44,712
Hourly rate	$24.81	$21.50
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	4	80
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	49	51
Years of experience	-	4

Missionary vs priest salary

Missionaries and priests have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Missionary	Priest
Average salary	$51,599	$44,712
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $108,000	Between $24,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	-	Campbell, CA
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	Prime Healthcare
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between missionary and priest education

There are a few differences between a missionary and a priest in terms of educational background:

	Missionary	Priest
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Theology
Most common college	-	Emory University

Missionary vs priest demographics

Here are the differences between missionaries' and priests' demographics:

	Missionary	Priest
Average age	49	51
Gender ratio	Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%	Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.5% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 6.6% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	28%	16%

Differences between missionary and priest duties and responsibilities

Missionary example responsibilities.

Train in cross-cultural evangelism and discipleship.
Assist Sunday school teacher -Teach class
Prepare PowerPoint slides for worship every week.
Coach small groups in language basics within a larger ESL classroom.
Work to help people in Taiwan learn about the LDS church and improve their lives.
Serve as a team leader in both Peru and Ecuador , 7 weeks in total.

Priest example responsibilities.

Lead Jr and Sr high youth ministries.
Commence a teleconference prayer program to serve church members and the community.
Engage and encourage urban working class congregation through preaching, prayer and share community service.
Participate in all phases of parish life in assignments in inner city, suburban, and rural parishes.
Serve, support and encourage the pastoral leadership by providing oversight of the spiritual health and care of the church body.
Develop and participate in leadership workshops for new leaders and assist new leaders in assuming leadership responsibilities.

Missionary vs priest skills

Common missionary skills

Spanish Language, 21%
Community Outreach, 11%
Ministry, 8%
Bible Studies, 7%
Public Speaking, 5%
LDS, 4%

Common priest skills

Pastoral Care, 28%
Spiritual Care, 13%
Educational Programs, 7%
Financial Statements, 6%
CPE, 6%
Spiritual Support, 5%

Updated January 8, 2025

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