How to hire a senior pastor

How to hire a senior pastor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior 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 senior pastor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior pastor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior pastor do?

Post a senior pastor job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior pastor you need to hire. Certain senior pastor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a senior pastor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a senior pastor that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior pastors.

   Type of Senior Pastor	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Pastor	A Senior Pastor is the head of a church, who provides pastoral care, supervises the administration and management functions of ministers, and provides spiritual leadership. They also conduct weddings, funerals, and nursing home services as well as elaborate on the policies and procedures of church.	$13-34
   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
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Community Outreach
   • Pastoral Care
   • Overseer
   • Bible Study
   • GOD
   • Funeral Services
   • Youth Ministry
   • Public Speaking
   • Evangelism
   • Baptist
   • Discipleship
   • Leadership Development
   • Prayer
   • Local Community

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and provide oversight for the administration of all ministry areas within the organization.
   • Emphasize Christ-centered teaching, fervent prayer, multilevel family Christian education programs, evangelism and mission outreaches.
   • Encourage servant evangelism and outreach through numerous community service projects i.e.
   • Major responsibilities include purchasing or developing curriculum, group leadership, volunteer recruitment and training.
   • Major responsibilities include purchasing or developing curriculum, group leadership, volunteer recruitment and training.

   More senior pastor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior pastor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior pastor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior pastors' average salary in alaska is 64% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior pastors 59% less than senior-level senior pastors.
   • Certifications. A senior pastor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior pastor's salary.

   Average senior pastor salary

   $45,556yearly

   $21.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior pastor salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 1, 2026

   Average senior pastor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$65,888	$32
   2	Connecticut	$57,505	$28
   3	Arizona	$53,068	$26
   4	Texas	$52,203	$25
   5	Georgia	$51,585	$25
   6	North Carolina	$47,678	$23
   7	Illinois	$44,530	$21
   8	Louisiana	$42,615	$20
   9	Michigan	$42,516	$20
   10	Ohio	$40,773	$20
   11	Florida	$39,848	$19

   Average senior pastor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bethel Church	$68,502	$32.93
   2	First Baptist Church of Glenarden	$64,681	$31.10	1
   3	United Methodist Church	$50,058	$24.07	3
   4	Good Shepherd Lutheran Church	$41,279	$19.85
   5	First United Church of Christ	$40,624	$19.53
   6	The Bridge Community Church	$35,294	$16.97
   7	The Christian and Missionary Alliance	$34,210	$16.45
   8	Oak Grove Baptist Church	$28,628	$13.76

4. Writing a senior pastor job description

   A senior pastor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a senior pastor job description:

   Senior pastor job description example

   Lead Pastor Position
   
   The Lead Pastor at FBC Tarrytown will be the primary teacher with responsibility for the spiritual growth and welfare of the church. He is the primary leader and vision-caster, playing a critical role in church governance as a member of our leadership team, our Elder Body. He has a passion for making disciples who make disciples, for being the hands and feet of Jesus to people in need, and for reflecting the ethnic diversity of our community.
   
   *Lead Pastor Responsibilities*
   
   *Teaching*
   
   ? The Lead Pastor is the primary teacher within the church, with responsibility for the spiritual growth and welfare of the church.
   
   ? Biblically grounded, he majors on the majors, focusing his teaching on those issues on which orthodox Christians agree rather than on those issues that divide Christ-followers.
   
   ? The Lead Pastor can relate to multiple generations and diverse populations-wherever they are on their spiritual journey-and address difficult biblical topics with a balance of truth and love.
   
   ? His preaching is Christ-centered. The Lead Pastor is able to teach the imperatives of Scripture, the moral norms for how we should live, and how we are unable to fulfill the commands of Scripture on our own so that listeners clearly understand their crisis and need for Christ.
   
   *Leadership*
   
   ? Primary leader and vision-caster.
   
   ? Responsibility for sharing the mission and vision of the church.
   
   ? Leads the pastoral staff and works hand-in-hand with the Elder Body developing and articulating God's vision for the church.
   
   ? Strategic thinker, able to cast a compelling vision that unifies the body and reinforces the mission and purpose of the church.
   
   ? Plays a critical role in church governance, representing the pastoral staff on the Elder Body, serving in accordance with FBC of Tarrytown's Bylaws.
   
   ? Embraces the church's philosophy of collaborative team ministry, where each team member is interdependent and accountable to one another, the Senior Pastor, and the Elder Body.
   
   ? Loves people over programs with a focus on shepherding and discipleship. ? Supervises and leads the staff, e.g., weekly meetings, performance evaluations, mentoring.
   
   ? Embraces a collaborative leadership style and humility in relationships.
   
   ? A team player who actively seeks and values the participation and contributions of others, while also possessing the confidence to be decisive, when necessary, even in the face of opposition. Not a micromanager.
   
   ? A consensus builder who fosters teamwork and empowers church staff and leaders as a mentor and coach.
   
   *What You Bring*
   
   *Education & Experience*
   
   ? A minimum four years of college and a theological degree from an accredited seminary or equivalent.
   
   ? Ministry experience of four or more years overseeing a church is strongly preferred.
   
   *Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities*
   
   ? Must fully embrace our Bylaws including the Statement of Faith and the Mission and Vision statements.
   
   ? Embraces FBC Tarrytown's vision of making disciples who make disciples in the diverse population groups in our community.
   
   ? Must be a dependable team player who takes initiative and demonstrates strong communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
   
   Job Type: Full-time
   
   Pay: $60,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year
   
   Benefits:
   * Flexible schedule
   * Health insurance
   * Paid time off
   * Retirement plan
   * Tuition reimbursement
   
   Ability to commute/relocate:
   * Tarrytown, NY 10591: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
   
   Experience:
   * ministry: 1 year (Preferred)
   
   Work Location: One location

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior pastor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 senior pastor

   Once you've found the senior pastor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a senior pastor?