Pastor vs elder

The differences between pastors and elders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a pastor and an elder. Additionally, a pastor has an average salary of $44,787, which is higher than the $32,205 average annual salary of an elder.

The top three skills for a pastor include community outreach, overseer and bible study. The most important skills for an elder are vital signs, blood pressure, and caregiver.

Pastor vs elder overview

	Pastor	Elder
Yearly salary	$44,787	$32,205
Hourly rate	$21.53	$15.48
Growth rate	-	36%
Number of jobs	494	14,156
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	51	51
Years of experience	4	4

Pastor vs elder salary

Pastors and elders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pastor	Elder
Average salary	$44,787	$32,205
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $64,000	Between $24,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Worcester, MA	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	Bethel Church	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between pastor and elder education

There are a few differences between a pastor and an elder in terms of educational background:

	Pastor	Elder
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Theology	Business
Most common college	Emory University	Emory University

Pastor vs elder demographics

Here are the differences between pastors' and elders' demographics:

	Pastor	Elder
Average age	51	51
Gender ratio	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%	Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between pastor and elder duties and responsibilities

Pastor example 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.

Elder example responsibilities.

Work on achieving goals with child base on yearly ISP reports.
Be able to assist clients with ADL's, such as bathing and grooming.
Fill in as substitute caregiver for other assignments.
Administer medications, assist with meals, laundry, mobility and ADL'S.
Assist father with Alzheimer care needs, social activities and day to day routines.
Serve congregation as a small group leader, usher, and children's ministry volunteer.

Pastor vs elder skills

Common pastor skills

Community Outreach, 22%
Overseer, 7%
Bible Study, 7%
Public Speaking, 6%
GOD, 6%
Youth Ministry, 5%

Common elder skills

Vital Signs, 15%
Blood Pressure, 14%
Caregiver, 13%
Home Maintenance, 8%
Meal Preparation, 8%
Social Work, 7%