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Ordained minister vs hospital chaplain

The differences between ordained ministers and hospital chaplains can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an ordained minister and a hospital chaplain. Additionally, a hospital chaplain has an average salary of $49,423, which is higher than the $48,558 average annual salary of an ordained minister.

The top three skills for an ordained minister include pastoral care, public speaking and GOD. The most important skills for a hospital chaplain are patients, clinical pastoral, and pastoral care.

Ordained minister vs hospital chaplain overview

Ordained MinisterHospital Chaplain
Yearly salary$48,558$49,423
Hourly rate$23.35$23.76
Growth rate-6%
Number of jobs1034,343
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age5151
Years of experience44

Ordained minister vs hospital chaplain salary

Ordained ministers and hospital chaplains have different pay scales, as shown below.

Ordained MinisterHospital Chaplain
Average salary$48,558$49,423
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $91,000Between $26,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between ordained minister and hospital chaplain education

There are a few differences between an ordained minister and a hospital chaplain in terms of educational background:

Ordained MinisterHospital Chaplain
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorTheologyTheology
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityBoston College

Ordained minister vs hospital chaplain demographics

Here are the differences between ordained ministers' and hospital chaplains' demographics:

Ordained MinisterHospital Chaplain
Average age5151
Gender ratioMale, 60.4% Female, 39.6%Male, 68.4% Female, 31.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black 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%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between ordained minister and hospital chaplain duties and responsibilities

Ordained minister example responsibilities.

  • Lead church to incorporate a vision for integrating evangelistic and discipleship efforts.
  • Supervise the administrative staff and day-to-day operations of a 1200-member, three campus organization to include business development and programmatic oversight.
  • Supervise the administrative staff and day-to-day operations of a 1200-member, three campus organization to include business development and programmatic oversight.

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.
  • Show more

Ordained minister vs hospital chaplain skills

Common ordained minister skills
  • Pastoral Care, 48%
  • Public Speaking, 21%
  • GOD, 11%
  • Memorial Services, 7%
  • Spiritual Guidance, 7%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
Common hospital chaplain skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • Clinical Pastoral, 12%
  • Pastoral Care, 11%
  • Spiritual Care, 9%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Crisis Intervention, 4%

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