Clergy
Clergy (SOC 21-2011) earn a median $60,810 a year ($29.24 an hour) in the United States, with 57,200 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What clergy do
Clergy lead religious worship and carry out the spiritual functions of their faith or denomination, and provide moral and spiritual guidance to members of their congregations and communities. Typical tasks include organizing and leading regular religious services, preparing and delivering sermons or other talks, reading from sacred texts such as the Bible, Torah, or Quran, and praying and promoting spirituality. Clergy also perform religious rites, instruct people who seek conversion to the faith, counsel individuals or groups about spiritual, emotional, or personal needs, and share information about religious issues by writing, speaking, or teaching. Clergy differ from directors of religious activities and education, who run educational programs, from other religious workers, such as cantors and monks, and from counselors and social workers.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a master's degree.
Also called: Chaplain, Administrator Pastor, Bishop, Brother, Campus Minister.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.20 | $23.20 | $29.24 | $36.85 | $47.54 | $32.15 | 57,200 |
| Annual | $37,860 | $48,260 | $60,810 | $76,640 | $98,890 | $66,860 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where clergy earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $21.94 | $33.12 | $38.86 | $43.95 | $52.02 | $39.16 | 1,060 | 0.30 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $45,630 | $68,890 | $80,830 | $91,410 | $108,200 | $81,460 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $20.53 | $29.48 | $37.36 | $46.94 | $75.49 | $41.90 | 7,110 | 0.39 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $42,690 | $61,310 | $77,710 | $97,640 | $157,030 | $87,150 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $24.55 | $29.09 | $35.53 | $38.07 | $39.81 | $34.34 | 210 | 0.14 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $51,070 | $60,510 | $73,910 | $79,180 | $82,810 | $71,420 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $24.81 | $29.45 | $34.71 | $37.75 | $47.43 | $35.34 | 840 | 0.23 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $51,600 | $61,250 | $72,190 | $78,530 | $98,650 | $73,510 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $19.01 | $23.83 | $31.49 | $36.19 | $45.09 | $31.61 | 1,460 | 0.34 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $39,540 | $49,570 | $65,500 | $75,270 | $93,780 | $65,740 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $18.64 | $22.76 | $28.16 | $39.16 | $62.12 | $35.48 | 7,790 | 0.80 | 2.19 |
| Annual | $38,780 | $47,330 | $58,580 | $81,450 | $129,200 | $73,790 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $20.53 | $29.48 | $37.36 | $46.94 | $75.49 | $41.90 | 7,110 | 0.39 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $42,690 | $61,310 | $77,710 | $97,640 | $157,030 | $87,150 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $18.26 | $23.78 | $30.35 | $38.23 | $48.06 | $32.75 | 3,850 | 1.96 | 5.33 |
| Annual | $37,970 | $49,470 | $63,140 | $79,520 | $99,960 | $68,130 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.29 | $18.97 | $27.38 | $31.71 | $42.58 | $28.42 | 3,560 | 0.36 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $35,950 | $39,460 | $56,940 | $65,960 | $88,560 | $59,110 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $17.89 | $23.97 | $28.60 | $33.55 | $40.84 | $30.02 | 3,180 | 0.23 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $37,220 | $49,850 | $59,480 | $69,780 | $84,940 | $62,430 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $27.29 | $36.68 | $40.41 | $65.55 | $85.49 | $50.00 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $56,750 | $76,290 | $84,050 | $136,350 | $177,820 | $104,000 | ||||
| Bozeman, MT | Hourly | $21.92 | $29.74 | $39.31 | $44.36 | $62.09 | $40.22 | 80 | 1.05 | 2.86 |
| Annual | $45,590 | $61,870 | $81,770 | $92,270 | $129,140 | $83,660 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $21.34 | $35.68 | $39.30 | $45.12 | $60.10 | $40.87 | 740 | 0.35 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $44,390 | $74,210 | $81,750 | $93,850 | $125,000 | $85,010 | ||||
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | Hourly | $20.55 | $29.14 | $39.08 | $44.20 | $51.15 | $38.11 | 70 | 0.34 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $42,740 | $60,620 | $81,280 | $91,940 | $106,400 | $79,270 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $21.28 | $30.94 | $38.83 | $46.15 | $63.68 | $41.01 | 70 | 0.32 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $44,270 | $64,350 | $80,760 | $95,990 | $132,460 | $85,300 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $18.93 | $22.79 | $29.74 | $43.14 | $63.23 | $37.44 | 6,110 | 0.64 | 1.75 |
| Annual | $39,370 | $47,390 | $61,860 | $89,740 | $131,510 | $77,870 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $18.09 | $23.75 | $31.59 | $38.61 | $49.78 | $33.60 | 1,750 | 1.44 | 3.93 |
| Annual | $37,620 | $49,410 | $65,710 | $80,300 | $103,540 | $69,890 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.73 | $24.05 | $29.72 | $36.60 | $41.06 | $30.59 | 1,690 | 0.38 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $36,870 | $50,030 | $61,820 | $76,130 | $85,400 | $63,640 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $22.53 | $29.70 | $35.86 | $45.70 | $55.53 | $38.66 | 1,130 | 0.48 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $46,860 | $61,780 | $74,580 | $95,050 | $115,490 | $80,410 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $16.86 | $18.41 | $28.11 | $33.42 | $50.11 | $29.97 | 990 | 0.35 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $35,080 | $38,300 | $58,470 | $69,500 | $104,230 | $62,340 | ||||
Top industries employing clergy
Religious Organizations employ 43.3% of clergy nationally (24,750 jobs) at a median $58,680 a year ($28.21 an hour), followed by Home Health Care Services (19.1%) and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (16.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religious Organizations NAICS 813100 | 24,750 | 43.3% | $58,680 | $28.21 |
| Home Health Care Services NAICS 621600 | 10,920 | 19.1% | $61,210 | $29.43 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 9,220 | 16.1% | $63,040 | $30.31 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 1,860 | 3.3% | $49,970 | $24.02 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 1,310 | 2.3% | $61,590 | $29.61 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (57,200). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $49,720 for clergy in May 2021 and $60,810 in May 2025, with employment of 50,790 and 57,200.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $49,720 | $23.90 | 50,790 |
| May 2022 | $55,550 | $26.71 | 53,140 |
| May 2023 | $58,920 | $28.33 | 56,640 |
| May 2024 | $60,820 | $29.24 | 58,080 |
| May 2025 | $60,810 | $29.24 | 57,200 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $38.86 | $80,830 | $45,630 | $108,200 | 1,060 | 0.30 | 0.81 |
| 2 | California profile | $37.36 | $77,710 | $42,690 | $157,030 | 7,110 | 0.39 | 1.06 |
| 3 | Nevada profile | $35.53 | $73,910 | $51,070 | $82,810 | 210 | 0.14 | 0.37 |
| 4 | Massachusetts profile | $34.71 | $72,190 | $51,600 | $98,650 | 840 | 0.23 | 0.63 |
| 5 | New Jersey profile | $31.49 | $65,500 | $39,540 | $93,780 | 1,460 | 0.34 | 0.93 |
| 6 | New Hampshire profile | $31.35 | $65,200 | $51,480 | $81,160 | 100 | 0.14 | 0.39 |
| 7 | Vermont profile | $31.23 | $64,950 | $54,390 | $80,540 | 50 | 0.15 | 0.41 |
| 8 | District of Columbia profile | $31.15 | $64,800 | $40,600 | $99,270 | 310 | 0.45 | 1.21 |
| 9 | Maine profile | $30.93 | $64,340 | $47,390 | $74,030 | 160 | 0.25 | 0.68 |
| 10 | New Mexico profile | $30.82 | $64,100 | $47,050 | $85,280 | 270 | 0.31 | 0.83 |
| 11 | Colorado profile | $30.63 | $63,700 | $50,750 | $82,410 | 440 | 0.15 | 0.41 |
| 12 | Connecticut profile | $30.51 | $63,470 | $44,390 | $100,460 | 900 | 0.53 | 1.44 |
| 13 | Delaware profile | $30.41 | $63,260 | $51,270 | $78,150 | 120 | 0.25 | 0.67 |
| 14 | Oregon profile | $30.35 | $63,140 | $37,970 | $99,960 | 3,850 | 1.96 | 5.33 |
| 15 | Arizona profile | $29.76 | $61,900 | $44,440 | $102,290 | 1,070 | 0.33 | 0.90 |
| 16 | Illinois profile | $29.72 | $61,820 | $36,760 | $86,390 | 2,200 | 0.36 | 0.98 |
| 17 | Maryland profile | $29.63 | $61,620 | $36,450 | $104,330 | 670 | 0.24 | 0.66 |
| 18 | Wyoming profile | $29.61 | $61,590 | $40,910 | $78,850 | 40 | 0.15 | 0.42 |
| 19 | Minnesota profile | $29.44 | $61,230 | $38,350 | $79,000 | 1,160 | 0.39 | 1.07 |
| 20 | Hawaii profile | $29.35 | $61,050 | $46,710 | $90,270 | 720 | 1.15 | 3.13 |
| 21 | Wisconsin profile | $29.30 | $60,950 | $47,320 | $80,770 | 770 | 0.26 | 0.71 |
| 22 | North Dakota profile | $29.17 | $60,680 | $35,740 | $86,840 | 120 | 0.28 | 0.76 |
| 23 | Iowa profile | $29.15 | $60,630 | $46,920 | $73,340 | 370 | 0.24 | 0.64 |
| 24 | Georgia profile | $29.10 | $60,530 | $35,260 | $85,530 | 1,380 | 0.28 | 0.77 |
| 25 | South Dakota profile | $28.78 | $59,860 | $37,890 | $75,500 | 140 | 0.31 | 0.84 |
| 26 | Rhode Island profile | $28.68 | $59,660 | $34,180 | $88,420 | 230 | 0.47 | 1.27 |
| 27 | North Carolina profile | $28.65 | $59,600 | $39,880 | $82,350 | 1,430 | 0.29 | 0.79 |
| 28 | Idaho profile | $28.64 | $59,570 | $32,310 | $77,740 | 150 | 0.17 | 0.46 |
| 29 | Montana profile | $28.63 | $59,550 | $35,050 | $96,460 | 680 | 1.33 | 3.62 |
| 30 | Texas profile | $28.60 | $59,480 | $37,220 | $84,940 | 3,180 | 0.23 | 0.61 |
| 31 | Ohio profile | $28.44 | $59,160 | $36,910 | $79,180 | 2,020 | 0.36 | 0.99 |
| 32 | Oklahoma profile | $28.42 | $59,110 | $40,150 | $79,860 | 510 | 0.30 | 0.82 |
| 33 | Indiana profile | $28.37 | $59,020 | $37,860 | $77,670 | 1,060 | 0.33 | 0.90 |
| 34 | Kentucky profile | $28.33 | $58,920 | $40,640 | $80,630 | 410 | 0.20 | 0.55 |
| 35 | Missouri profile | $28.24 | $58,740 | $44,260 | $77,940 | 920 | 0.32 | 0.86 |
| 36 | New York profile | $28.16 | $58,580 | $38,780 | $129,200 | 7,790 | 0.80 | 2.19 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania profile | $28.03 | $58,300 | $31,580 | $81,360 | 2,150 | 0.36 | 0.96 |
| 38 | Nebraska profile | $27.65 | $57,520 | $45,920 | $67,230 | 270 | 0.26 | 0.71 |
| 39 | Tennessee profile | $27.53 | $57,260 | $41,600 | $73,920 | 710 | 0.22 | 0.59 |
| 40 | Florida profile | $27.38 | $56,940 | $35,950 | $88,560 | 3,560 | 0.36 | 0.97 |
| 41 | South Carolina profile | $27.23 | $56,630 | $42,110 | $79,950 | 450 | 0.20 | 0.53 |
| 42 | Michigan profile | $27.16 | $56,490 | $36,730 | $74,470 | 1,880 | 0.43 | 1.16 |
| 43 | Alaska profile | $26.82 | $55,780 | $35,910 | $76,820 | 150 | 0.45 | 1.23 |
| 44 | Virginia profile | $26.65 | $55,430 | $32,710 | $81,680 | 1,220 | 0.30 | 0.81 |
| 45 | Louisiana profile | $26.03 | $54,140 | $31,270 | $75,490 | 400 | 0.21 | 0.56 |
| 46 | Mississippi profile | $25.22 | $52,450 | $35,030 | $85,810 | 250 | 0.22 | 0.59 |
| 47 | Kansas profile | $25.06 | $52,130 | $29,060 | $68,250 | 450 | 0.31 | 0.85 |
| 48 | Alabama profile | $24.13 | $50,180 | $38,480 | $71,650 | 850 | 0.40 | 1.10 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $23.59 | $49,070 | $30,070 | $78,850 | 350 | 0.27 | 0.72 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $23.30 | $48,460 | $36,600 | $63,770 | 290 | 0.41 | 1.12 |
Part of Community and Social Service Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 21-2011 Clergy.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 21-2011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 21-2011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.