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Minister salary

Average minister salary

$42,866

$20.61 hourly rate

Entry-level minister salary
$31,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Minister Salary

The average salary for a minister is approximately $42,866 per year or around $21 per hour. Factors influencing these figures include geographic location, years of experience, and specific duties associated with the role. For instance, ministers in larger cities may earn more due to the higher cost of living.

Salary Variation by State

Salary ranges for ministers can vary widely across different states. For example, states like California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to increased demand for pastoral services. In contrast, ministers in rural areas may see lower averages but often enjoy a lower cost of living.

Career Advancement Opportunities

Ministers can advance their careers through further education, such as obtaining a master’s degree in divinity or theology. Additionally, specialized roles, such as youth pastors or church administrators, often command higher salaries. By gaining experience and expanding their skill sets, ministers can enhance both their impact in their communities and their earning potential.

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Where can a Minister earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
68k
48k
28k
8k
Columbus, OH$58,165
Woodstock, GA$38,428
Compare salary by company
Vs
83k
63k
43k
23k
3k
New Life Community Church$61,009
Archdiocese of Washington$33,153

Minister salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a minister typically falls between $32,329 and $104,997.
zippia
$42,866yearly
glassdoor[1]
$104,997yearly
comparably[2]
$32,329yearly

Average minister salary by state

The highest-paying states for ministers are Delaware, Rhode Island, and Maine. The lowest average minister salary states are Arkansas, South Dakota, and Mississippi.

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Average salary:

Highest paying states for ministers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Delaware$59,843$28.77
2Rhode Island$58,293$28.03
3West Virginia$54,157$26.04
4Maine$55,761$26.81
5Connecticut$54,171$26.04
6District of Columbia$58,129$27.95
7Massachusetts$53,683$25.81
8Vermont$50,519$24.29
9New York$50,868$24.46
10New Hampshire$49,349$23.73
11Wyoming$47,043$22.62
12Arizona$48,579$23.36
13Virginia$47,954$23.05
14Tennessee$43,658$20.99
15Idaho$45,684$21.96
16Washington$46,321$22.27
17Maryland$49,087$23.60
18Nevada$43,705$21.01
19South Carolina$42,929$20.64
20California$49,056$23.58
21Pennsylvania$43,935$21.12
22New Jersey$47,249$22.72
23Hawaii$50,186$24.13
24Minnesota$42,565$20.46
25Michigan$41,704$20.05
26Wisconsin$41,995$20.19
27Indiana$41,488$19.95
28North Dakota$40,924$19.68
29Oregon$43,204$20.77
30Utah$41,370$19.89
31Colorado$42,943$20.65
32Florida$41,883$20.14
33North Carolina$39,489$18.99
34Iowa$38,758$18.63
35Kansas$38,834$18.67
36New Mexico$38,668$18.59
37Kentucky$37,339$17.95
38Texas$38,814$18.66
39Georgia$38,594$18.55
40Oklahoma$37,417$17.99
41Ohio$35,531$17.08
42Missouri$37,636$18.09
43South Dakota$33,172$15.95
44Arkansas$33,622$16.16
45Alabama$36,387$17.49
46Louisiana$37,005$17.79
47Illinois$34,455$16.56
48Montana$31,821$15.30
49Mississippi$31,958$15.36
50Nebraska$30,071$14.46
51Alaska$28,061$13.49

Highest paying cities for ministers

The highest-paying cities for ministers are Washington, DC, Fairfield, CT, and Rockville Centre, NY.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington, DC$58,165$27.96
2Fairfield, CT$54,577$26.24
3Rockville Centre, NY$51,471$24.75
4Santa Clara, CA$49,890$23.99
5Manassas, VA$49,319$23.71
6Fort Lee, NJ$47,149$22.67
7Seattle, WA$46,456$22.33
8Philadelphia, PA$44,868$21.57
9Jackson, TN$43,358$20.85
10Lake Oswego, OR$42,977$20.66
11Aurora, CO$42,930$20.64
12Greenville, SC$42,612$20.49
13Detroit, MI$42,381$20.38
14Green Bay, WI$41,986$20.19
15Tampa, FL$41,782$20.09
16Goldsboro, NC$41,317$19.86
17Indianapolis, IN$41,224$19.82
18Houston, TX$39,455$18.97
19Overland Park, KS$38,860$18.68
20Woodstock, GA$38,428$18.48

Minister salary details

A minister's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $58,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average minister salary graph
Average minister salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a minister's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$58,000$4,833$28
75th Percentile$50,000$4,167$24
Average$42,866$3,572$21
25th Percentile$36,000$3,000$17
10th Percentile$31,000$2,583$15

Highest paying minister jobs

The highest paying types of ministers are hospice chaplain, evangelist, and hospital chaplain.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Hospice Chaplain$52,027$4,336$25.019,571
Chaplain$46,392$3,866$22.302,600
Youth Pastor$39,712$3,309$19.093,120
Chaplain Resident$45,343$3,779$21.807,901
Pastor$44,787$3,732$21.53494
Evangelist$50,297$4,191$24.18753

Which companies pay ministers the most?

Minister salaries at New Life Community Church and Seattle University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average minister salary at companies like Hospital Sisters Health System and Mount Aloysius College are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1New Life Community Church$61,009$29.33
2Seattle University$57,196$27.50
3Hospital Sisters Health System$55,514$26.69
4Mount Aloysius College$54,923$26.41
5Battle Creek Country Club$48,017$23.09
6Santa Clara University$46,087$22.16
7City of University City, Missouri$44,991$21.63
8Fairfield City Schools$43,781$21.05
9Saint Anselm College$43,360$20.85
10Kenneth Copeland Ministries$42,028$20.21
11First United Church of Christ$41,300$19.86
12Legacy Christian Fellowship$41,300$19.86
13St. John Fisher College$40,654$19.55
14DePaul University$39,594$19.04
15International Friendships$37,045$17.81
16Marquette University$36,748$17.67
17Good Neighbors$36,110$17.36
18Saint Leo University$35,579$17.11
19New Life Baptist Church$34,729$16.70
20Archdiocese of Washington$33,153$15.94

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$42,000$41,600$41,200$40,800$40,400$40,000
MaleFemale

Minister salary trends

The average minister salary has risen by $6,437 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average minister earned $36,429 annually, but today, they earn $42,866 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for ministers over the last decade.

Compare minister salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average minister salary over time

Compare minister salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Minister salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$42,900$20.61+3.0%
2025$41,600$20.00+2.8%
2024$40,400$19.44+3.9%
2023$38,900$18.69+2.9%
2022$37,700$18.15+3.3%

Recently added minister salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Intervarsity USACampus Staff Minister-New England Area (Graduate and Faculty Ministry)Rowe, MA06/29/2025$44,016
Intervarsity USACampus Staff Minister-Id/Mt/or/Wa (Graduate & Faculty Ministry)Ione, WA06/29/2025$44,016
Intervarsity USACampus Staff Minister-Iowa/Missouri/Nebraska/Kansas (Graduate and Faculty Ministry)Noel, MO06/29/2025$44,016
Intervarsity USACampus Staff Minister-Purdue University/West Lafayette (Undergraduate Ministry)Hope, IN06/29/2025$39,288
Intervarsity USACampus Staff Minister I-Louisiana Area (Undergraduate Ministry)Noble, LA06/29/2025$39,288
Intervarsity USACampus Staff Minister-UNC Charlotte (Graduate & Faculty Ministries)Boone, NC06/29/2025$44,016
Intervarsity USACampus Staff Minister-Georgia (Graduate & Faculty Ministry)Nunez, GA06/29/2025$44,016
Intervarsity USACampus Staff Minister I-South Texas Area (Undergraduate Ministry)Nome, TX06/29/2025$33,900
Intervarsity USACampus Staff Minister-Nc/Sc/Va (Graduate and Faculty Ministry)Cope, SC06/29/2025$44,016
Intervarsity USACampus Staff Minister-Tennessee & Kentucky (Graduate and Faculty Ministry)Kentucky06/29/2025$44,016

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