How to hire a pastor

How to hire a pastor, step by step

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

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

What does a pastor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your pastor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a pastor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A pastor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, pastors 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of pastors.

   Type of Pastor	Description	Hourly rate
   Pastor	A Pastor is responsible for providing religious services and performing all daily operations of a church or other organization. They ensure that the systems, practices, and policies of the organization effectively support its ministry activities.	$14-30
   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
   • Overseer
   • Bible Study
   • Public Speaking
   • GOD
   • Youth Ministry
   • Funeral Services
   • Spiritual Care
   • Prayer
   • Discipleship
   • Baptist
   • Evangelism
   • Outreach Events
   • Conflict Resolution

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and provide oversight for the administration of all ministry areas within the organization.
   • Provide formal and informal leadership training and forums for frequent communication, encouragement and evaluation.
   • Coordinate visitation program, VBS, and youth programs.
   • Develop children's ministry including writing of curriculum for Sunday school and VBS.
   • Begin to birth new Sunday school groups, and new bible study small groups.
   • Provide hand-outs, and employ PowerPoint slides to illustrate concepts and provide visual referencing of all teaching content.

   More pastor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the pastor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A pastor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a pastor in Kansas may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level pastor. Additionally, a pastor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average pastor salary

   $44,787yearly

   $21.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level pastor salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 15, 2026

   Average pastor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$59,603	$29
   2	California	$55,997	$27
   3	Maryland	$54,680	$26
   4	Arizona	$52,844	$25
   5	Virginia	$48,027	$23
   6	New Jersey	$47,615	$23
   7	New York	$47,274	$23
   8	Wisconsin	$47,107	$23
   9	Pennsylvania	$46,661	$22
   10	Florida	$45,655	$22
   11	Texas	$45,338	$22
   12	Nevada	$45,060	$22
   13	Colorado	$44,669	$21
   14	Kentucky	$43,665	$21
   15	Minnesota	$42,884	$21
   16	Illinois	$41,028	$20
   17	Washington	$40,970	$20
   18	Georgia	$40,639	$20
   19	Kansas	$38,929	$19
   20	Nebraska	$31,271	$15

   Average pastor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bethel Church	$67,378	$32.39
   2	Victory Church	$65,681	$31.58	5
   3	First Baptist Church of Glenarden	$63,592	$30.57
   4	The Journey Church	$63,017	$30.30	1
   5	Lifepoint Church Ohio	$51,364	$24.69
   6	East Penn Manufacturing	$51,236	$24.63
   7	Westminster Presbyterian Church	$50,033	$24.05
   8	United Methodist Church	$49,182	$23.65	3
   9	FCC Bristol, RI	$49,118	$23.61
   10	The MIL Corporation	$48,121	$23.14
   11	Kenneth Copeland Ministries	$44,632	$21.46
   12	Red Gold	$43,362	$20.85
   13	Calvary Lutheran Church	$43,146	$20.74
   14	Immanuel	$42,251	$20.31
   15	First Evangelical Lutheran Church	$41,157	$19.79
   16	EVERGREEN PRESBYTERIAN	$41,157	$19.79
   17	Pilgrim Baptist Church	$41,157	$19.79
   18	Community Church	$41,157	$19.79
   19	First United Church of Christ	$41,157	$19.79
   20	Congregational Church Retirement Community	$41,157	$19.79

4. Writing a pastor job description

   A job description for a pastor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a pastor job description:

   Pastor job description example

   Primary Purpose: To provide oversight and direction for the overall weekend worship service at Turning Point Church, particularly how people are introduced and encouraged to engage with the presence of God. This position should aim to be an ‘atmosphere' architect, ensuring that the gospel of Jesus Christ can be delivered with ease in large part to the excellence of worship and production-related elements that preceded it.
   General Responsibilities Include (but are not limited to the following):
   
   Serve as a primary worship leader for all weekend services and church-wide special events (i.e., Glisten, Warrior, Easter, Christmas, etc.)
   
   Responsible for overseeing the selection and preparation process of all worship ‘sets' for weekend services and events here at Turning Point Church.
   
   Assist with the coordination of all worship and production rehearsals and run-throughs of the worship service, which include pre-service and mid-week.
   
   Oversee all worship staff, as well as volunteer teams, ensuring each receives the direction, training and support they need to accomplish their goals.
   
   Lead all recruitment and development efforts of non-paid volunteer singers and band/musicians, not only for adult environments, but in children and student ministry environments as needed.
   
   Responsible for working alongside production staff and volunteers to assure audio, video and lighting quality for both online and on-site worship experiences is maintained at a high level, and that each team is well-prepared for each service.
   
   To coordinate with Senior Pastors and directors to regularly evaluate and assess the effectiveness of the worship experience, hosting weekly debrief meetings and/or monthly meetings for the purpose of service enhancement or adjustments.
   
   Requirements
   
   Preferred Experience + Skills:
   
   Associate or Bachelor's Degree in Music, Worship studies, or a related field
   
   3-5 years of experience worship leading and leading worship and production teams in a church or para-ministry setting
   
   Excellent communication skills and ability to lead multiple teams and projects at once
   
   Working knowledgeable of pro tools and ableton software for background vocal pre-recordings and service production
   
   Embody the character, chemistry, calling and competency desired of all Turning Point Church staff/employees
   
   Benefits
   
   FT Salary w/ Medical Benefits
   
   Cell Phone Reimbursement
   
   Short Term Disability & Life Insurance

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit pastors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 pastor

   Once you've selected the best pastor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new pastor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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