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Job outlook for ordained ministers in the United States
Ordained minister job and salary trends over time
Ordained minister jobs over time
Ordained minister job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 208 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 214 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 218 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 209 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 204 | 0.00% |
Average ordained minister salary over time
Ordained minister salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,558 | $23.35 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $47,118 | $22.65 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $45,800 | $22.02 | +4.0% |
| 2022 | $44,033 | $21.17 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $42,762 | $20.56 | +3.4% |
Ordained minister jobs by state
Most common states for ordained ministers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 39,536,653 | 3 | 0% |
| 2 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 2 | 0% |
| 3 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2 | 0% |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1 | 0% |
| 5 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 0 | 0% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 0 | 0% |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 0 | 0% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 0 | 0% |
| 11 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 0 | 0% |
| 12 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 0 | 0% |
| 13 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 0 | 0% |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 0 | 0% |
| 16 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 0 | 0% |
Ordained Minister job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of ordained minister experts
Duke University
Vanguard University of Southern California
Seattle Pacific University
Crowley's Ridge College
Clemson University
West Virginia Wesleyan College
California Baptist University
Memphis Theological Seminary
Bethel University & Seminary
La Sierra University
Gardner-Webb University
Union University
Oral Roberts University
Prof. J. Smith
Professor of Historical TheologyDuke University
Theological And Ministerial Studies
What general advice would you give to an Ordained Minister?
Prof. J. Smith: Minimizing debt during undergraduate studies and seminary is crucial due to the low salaries in ministry fields, with graduates often facing significant debt from loans.
What Ordained Minister skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Prof. J. Smith: Leaders of religious communities should focus on the relationship between religion and science, discourse promoting civility and respect, and questions regarding human nature, personal freedom, and happiness.
What will help Ordained Ministers increase their earning potential?
Prof. J. Smith: For undergraduates considering seminary or divinity school, majoring in subjects other than or in addition to religion, such as history, classics, philosophy, or literature, is recommended to develop critical reading skills necessary for the study of religious texts.
What general advice would you give to an Ordained Minister?
Rodolfo Estrada III: Students of theology have the opportunity to pursue careers beyond traditional parish or church ministry. They can find roles as chaplains, work within non-profit organizations, engage in community service, or enter any profession that involves interacting with individuals from various backgrounds and belief systems. I strongly advise acquiring a micro-credential, honing skills in writing and public speaking, or actively collaborating with community leaders to enhance their qualifications and impact.
What Ordained Minister skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Rodolfo Estrada III: Remain receptive and open-minded, always ready to glean wisdom from those around you. It's essential to remember that a theology degree offers a starting point for engaging in a broader discourse spanning centuries of deliberation, dispute, and exchange. While we may not possess all the answers to people's inquiries, we've been equipped with the tools to find life's profoundest questions. Never lose one's love for people, and always have hope for a better future.
What will help Ordained Ministers increase their earning potential?
Rodolfo Estrada III: Over the next 3-5 years, skills in communication and cross-disciplinary collaboration will become increasingly crucial. Many graduates who have a theology degree often work in church or parish ministries. Graduates will not only help people learn about the Christian Bible and tradition, but they will also be asked with questions about contemporary issues. Therefore, the ability to engage with theological concepts in innovative ways and in light of society's challenges will be essential.
Dr. David Nienhuis
Professor of New Testament Studies and Associate Dean for Academic ProgramsSeattle Pacific University
Theological And Ministerial Studies
What general advice would you give to an Ordained Minister?
Dr. David Nienhuis: People typically study theology more for the sake of calling than career. They enter the work because they love God, and they love people. They’re more interested in participating in the healing of the world than in making a huge salary. They’ve not received a “vertical” training that will slot them directly into a specific sort of job, but a “horizontal” training that prepares them for a wide range of careers in which they might practice their calling. Thus, when they are beginning their career, they may need to be patient, as it may take time to find the job that enables them to live out their calling in its fullness. Indeed, they need to cultivate hope, recognizing that each job they take is like a puzzle piece that will eventually form a whole picture, or a steppingstone leading them down the vocational path.
What Ordained Minister skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. David Nienhuis: Despite the persistent secularist claims, our world remains as religious as ever. Theology students are needed to help translate religious beliefs, practices, and values across communities of difference. Today’s world needs people who are both smart and other-oriented, both curious and compassionate— people who are committed to a vision of human flourishing and want to play their part to bring healing to the world and are willing to cross lines of comfort and hostility in order to make that happen.
What will help Ordained Ministers increase their earning potential?
Dr. David Nienhuis: Theology students shouldn’t limit themselves or sell themselves short, thinking they do not have marketable training, for their schooling has provided them with many of the important skills employers are looking for. The study of theology develops “hard” skills like critical thinking, deep research, careful analysis, and thoughtful synthesis, along with all the written and oral communication skills needed to communicate complex ideas in clear and compelling ways. But it also develops in students a range of “soft” skills— like curiosity, empathy, patience, listening, respect, and caregiving— that enable them to tolerate different perspectives and work well with people from backgrounds other than their own.
What general advice would you give to an Ordained Minister?
Josh Parnell: Public speaking skills have always been important in the religious field, and there is no sign that will change in the next 3-5 years. Conflict management is a skill that I believe will become more important and prevalent in the next 3-5 years as religious organizations, much like the society around them, become increasingly polarized.
What Ordained Minister skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Josh Parnell: Networking is everything. Job opportunities in the religious field are primarily the result of good references from trusted individuals, not from objective qualifications. Network with as many respected individuals in the field as possible, beginning with your professors and college administrators. If possible, begin your career through an internship with a respected figure in the field, their endorsement will prove invaluable when you set out on your own.
What will help Ordained Ministers increase their earning potential?
Josh Parnell: There are two common career paths for graduates in religious studies: Ministry (clergy) and academia. Although there are notable exceptions, neither of those career paths typically pay very well; they are 'calling' professions that you do because you are passionate about the job, not because you are looking for financial advancement. So, I strongly advise graduates to develop a second career that they can use to reliably supplement their income.
Dr. Grant Carey
Associate Professor of Religious EducationWhat Ordained Minister skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Grant Carey: We get multiple calls and emails each week looking for qualified people in this field. Right now there is a shortage of workers and this is a profession that can evolve based upon your skills and experience.
Daniel Wueste Ph.D.
Professor of PhilosophyClemson University
Department of Philosophy and Religion
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Ordained Ministers to find work opportunities?
Daniel Wueste Ph.D.: It's difficult to be sanguine about opportunities in the field, as they require an advanced degree, and, at present, graduate school has lost much of its allure as anxiety about the pandemic's effects on higher education grows. However, because philosophy graduates have developed widely applicable/marketable skills in critical thinking, oral and written communication, analysis, and argumentation, they should do comparatively well even in a job market profoundly impacted by the pandemic.
How do you envision technology impacting Ordained Ministers in the next 5 years?
Daniel Wueste Ph.D.: Technology will impact the field (philosophy) as a topic for philosophical investigation (in ethics and social and political philosophy, for example), and as a force in changing the way higher education is delivered. With advances in artificial intelligence, it is likely to enhance the appeal of philosophy as an area of study, as AI aligns well with the philosophy of mind/cognitive science and epistemology.
Debra Dean Murphy Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWest Virginia Wesleyan College
Philosophy and Religious Studies Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Ordained Ministers?
Debra Dean Murphy Ph.D.: Students who major in religious studies do a variety of things with the degree. We've sent students to graduate programs at Princeton, Duke, Vanderbilt, and several other schools. It's also not uncommon for students to have religious studies as a second major alongside history or art, for example. All of which is to say there isn't just one career path for a religious studies major.
For graduates who are pursuing ministry, I do think the pandemic is changing that landscape. Online church in some form is probably here to stay; there are studies already that seem to indicate that. How that affects the hiring of pastors and what their day-to-day work looks like is unknown at this point.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Ordained Ministers to find work opportunities?
Debra Dean Murphy Ph.D.: For our students interested in social justice work-NGOs or non-profits-historically, there are have been more opportunities in urban areas than in rural communities.
How do you envision technology impacting Ordained Ministers in the next 5 years?
Debra Dean Murphy Ph.D.: Depending on the particular vocation religious studies major pursue after graduation, technology will have varying degrees of impact. For those entering various forms of ministry, technology is rapidly changing the game.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Ordained Ministers to find work opportunities?
Greg Cochran Ph.D.: The church-based ministry will abound-and may even increase-throughout the United States. While the less flexible ministries, and those with financial challenges, may not endure through this economic climate, many other churches will adapt and overcome. Graduates with clear convictions, lovingly related to other people, will continue to have work to do. Opportunities will abound because neither human nature nor the nature of human longings has changed. The churches will still possess a resonating message of love, justice, and truth for all kinds of people.
In southern California, for example, a church just this month-while restrictions remain in place--still baptized 1,000 new congregants. Church ministry has endured for 2,000 years. Nimble churches will still be looking for leaders in the next ten years. Probably the patterns will remain the same across the country: churches that adapt will thrive, others will face closing. And new churches will be planted.
How do you envision technology impacting Ordained Ministers in the next 5 years?
Greg Cochran Ph.D.: This question is fascinating. Again, look for the trend lines already in place. Technology is producing more live streams and virtual meetings. Much of this will remain for the foreseeable future. Likewise, church apps will replace bulletins and hymnals. The digital liturgy will probably be a thing.
Giving tithes and offerings online and through apps has skyrocketed through this pandemic and will not likely go away completely. One other area that might be altered through technology is small-group socializing. Social media apps will be tailored to keep churches and small groups connected, without having to scroll through Tweets, posts, and news updates. Look for increased smartphone technology related to ministry. Smart ministry leaders should be investing in smartphone apps and utilization.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Ordained Ministers?
Dr. Peter Gathje Ph.D.: Most of our graduates go into ministry either in a congregational setting or with a non-profit. So, yes, there will be an enduring impact. In congregational settings, people in ministry will be very likely to continue the "virtual" forms of worship, online Christian education, and other gatherings even as in-person worship resumes. The flexibility of virtual worship and the opportunity to participate from one's own home will be attractive to people even beyond the pandemic. Online adult theological education may supplement or even replace traditional Sunday school and Wednesday night offerings. Non-profits will also build upon the lessons learned during this time for virtual meetings, fundraising, and community programs.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Ordained Ministers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Peter Gathje Ph.D.: One result of the pandemic is that people who have been churchgoers will have become accustomed to not going to church on Sunday. I can see the continuing decline of traditional church attendance after the pandemic. So, graduates are going to have to be creative in their ministry and in finding ministry settings. I don't think regional differences are going to matter all that much.
How do you envision technology impacting Ordained Ministers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Peter Gathje Ph.D.: The influence of online Christian education and online/virtual worship and other gatherings will continue to be important. Those who are more adept at the use of those technologies will be better positioned for sustainable ministry.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Ordained Ministers?
Peter Kapsner Ph.D.: Difficult to say. It depends upon how long the significant disruption exists where potential societal changes remain. Pre-pandemic, our country was becoming increasingly secularized as the economy was booming, and the next generations are less and less interested in church communities. Missiology is a lost discipline in places like France and the UK, and the USA is not far behind those countries in secularization trends. But the pandemic is forcing different kinds of questions in terms of spiritual things along with meaning and purpose. Disruption has a way of doing that. So I'd say the near term future of missiology depends upon the enduring impact of the pandemic.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Ordained Ministers to find work opportunities?
Peter Kapsner Ph.D.: Social organizations and non-profits still appear to be thriving in the USA, but their focus is also increasingly less spiritual. Churches have fewer and fewer opportunities. Missiologists undoubtedly will have opportunities to bring "good news" for social and physical needs, as they should, but the needs of the spirit in terms of the historical focus on sin, future, love, life, death, spiritual freedom, and eternity are less relevant to many today.
How do you envision technology impacting Ordained Ministers in the next 5 years?
Peter Kapsner Ph.D.: Missiologists are far less likely to travel to connect with others. Financial support can be very difficult to come by, so I suspect missiologists will be far more comfortable with Zoom connections, etc., that can be done on a shoe-string budget.
John Webster Ph.D.
Professor of Theology and History of ChristianityLa Sierra University
Theology And Religious Vocations
What general advice would you give to an Ordained Minister?
John Webster Ph.D.: We are living through genuinely extraordinary times! But a degree in religion or theology is excellent preparation for times of crisis, stress, and uncertainty. You may well find yourself to be the person for the hour. People are hurting, confused, and fearful of the future. Graduates with a deep understanding of human beings (including their spiritual, emotional and physical needs) and the dynamics of society will be in high demand not only in church circles but also in the public square. Do not lose heart. Whatever your specific career path, our world needs those who care about more than just making money about social justice, values, and caring. We need you!
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Ordained Ministers in the next 3-5 years?
John Webster Ph.D.: We all want to get our lives back to 'normal.' But we will undoubtedly have to grapple with a 'new normal.' A new situation where we have to make technology (be it social media, digital forms of communication, etc.) a tool for more profound and better interpersonal connection rather than merely a stop-gap. We cannot unlearn 'Zoom.' We need to become proficient in using these new tools, while never letting them distort or control our understanding of what it means to be a genuinely good human being. We need to use technology to ensure that even when physical distancing is essential, it does not lead to social distancing. We are all in this together, and technology can help.
Scott Shauf Ph.D.
Professor of Religious Studies; Department ChairGardner-Webb University
Marketing
What general advice would you give to an Ordained Minister?
Scott Shauf Ph.D.: Be open to God's calling, especially to places you don't feel comfortable going. A Biblical Studies degree is designed to prepare you for all sorts of possible ways of ministering, and the Bible applies to all areas of life. Remember what you have learned, and always think critically and faithfully. Consider pursuing a Master of Divinity degree, for the church needs educated ministers. But whether you do or not, never stop learning.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Ordained Ministers in the next 3-5 years?
Scott Shauf Ph.D.: I doubt it's going to change much, but what will happen is that technology currently used in developed countries will become more available in developing countries. Christian ministers must be prepared to use it well.
What Ordained Minister skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Scott Shauf Ph.D.: Be open to God’s calling, especially to places you don’t feel comfortable going. There are many ways to serve in ministry, and God may call you to places and tasks you haven’t even thought of. Remember what you have learned, and always think critically and faithfully. Consider pursuing a Master of Divinity degree, for the church needs educated ministers. But whether you do or not, never stop learning.
What will help Ordained Ministers increase their earning potential?
Scott Shauf Ph.D.: I don’t recommend that young ministers focus too much on salary, especially early in their careers. Focus on getting experience and the necessary education for your goals further down the road.
What general advice would you give to an Ordained Minister?
Ray Neste: Our graduates enter a wide variety of different careers with such a degree, but my essential advice would be the same for each setting. Whether entering local church ministry (pastor, youth pastor, etc.), parachurch ministry, missions, or some other field, I encourage them to stay humble and keep learning. Learn from people in your church or workplace who have been there awhile, so you can learn the particularities of the church and community.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Ordained Ministers in the next 3-5 years?
Ray Neste: In the field of biblical studies, it is hard to say. Indeed, academic resources in digital format will continue to be significant. But, our area ranges from academic work to pastoral ministry, so which technology is most important will vary, depending on the setting. The critical thing for graduates will be to be aware of what is going on around them, being cognizant, but not chasing fads.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Ordained Ministers?
Ray Neste: It is hard to say because people respond so differently, and the pandemic has hit different areas with varying severity. Some younger people have brushed it off as something which does not impact them. I hope it will have a lasting impact in a few ways. 1) Removing the illusion of complacent safety. Life in a fallen world is dangerous, and we will live more wisely when we realize that more fully. We will make better decisions, care for others more fully, and relish the blessings we have more than longing for ones we do not. 2) Related to the first, civilization is fragile, so we must support and cultivate it. It is easy to think that the world will naturally go on, as we have always known it and, thus, we have little responsibility to care for it. I hope, though, that the pandemic effects will help graduates see how fragile civilization is, not so that they might worry, but so that they might see their responsibility to nurture our shared life together. 3) Lastly, I hope that this more stark encounter with death will help us take more seriously our need to hear from God's word, to make the most of life, and to prepare for eternity.
Dr. Christopher Foster
Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies, Graduate School of Theology andOral Roberts University
Biblical and Theological
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Ordained Ministers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Christopher Foster: Streaming technology will be essential: cameras, switchers, and editing software. This type of technology helps reach an audience beyond the local community and can increase giving.
Despite the technological tools, with all the bells and whistles, technology must remain relational and dialogical.
What general advice would you give to an Ordained Minister?
Dr. Christopher Foster: Find a local church where you can serve and begin to apply the things you have learned-even if you are not employed there. Many churches hire from within to ensure staff fit the culture and ethos of the community. Remember your agility skills - creativity and innovation will be a requirement. Be comfortable working in an unknown and do not be afraid to innovate. Run with new ideas or test new approaches in this constantly changing environment.
Work is not your life! Focus on who you are called to be (being) and not what you are invited to do (doing).
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Ordained Ministers?
Dr. Christopher Foster: On the one hand, the pandemic causes graduates who innovate to be even better assets to employers. On the other hand, those graduates who refuse to get out of the box and innovate might need to look elsewhere.
The virtual, streaming, and online component of ministry will likely remain for the foreseeable future. However, we are still in a stop-gap mode. Have we truly innovated? In light of 'Zoom fatigue,' the current virtual approach is unsustainable. We have not yet reached a "new normal." The enduring impact may not look like what we presently suppose.