Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between pastors and youth ministers 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 a youth minister. Additionally, a pastor has an average salary of $44,787, which is higher than the $41,513 average annual salary of a youth minister.
The top three skills for a pastor include community outreach, overseer and bible study. The most important skills for a youth minister are community outreach, bible studies, and youth events.
| Pastor | Youth Minister | |
| Yearly salary | $44,787 | $41,513 |
| Hourly rate | $21.53 | $19.96 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 494 | 2,830 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Pastors are considered the leader of a church whose primary role is to give sermons to church members. They also have other duties, including conducting worship services, planning weekly sermons, and interpreting scriptures for the congregation. As the church leader, they provide counseling and care to their members and offer support in times of crisis. Their job also allows them to officiate at special events like weddings, baptisms, and confirmations. Also, they are responsible for overseeing and supporting congregation staff and ensuring the functionality of church facilities.
A Youth Minister encourages young people to learn more about a given faith and to become more involved in spiritual life. They may be responsible for planning activities and leading Bible studies.
Pastors and youth ministers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pastor | Youth Minister | |
| Average salary | $44,787 | $41,513 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $64,000 | Between $31,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | - |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | - |
| Best paying company | Bethel Church | - |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a pastor and a youth minister in terms of educational background:
| Pastor | Youth Minister | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Theology | Theology |
| Most common college | Emory University | Emory University |
Here are the differences between pastors' and youth ministers' demographics:
| Pastor | Youth Minister | |
| Average age | 51 | 51 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% |
| 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, 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 | 16% | 16% |