Directors, Religious Activities and Education
Directors, Religious Activities and Education (SOC 21-2021) earn a median $52,100 a year ($25.05 an hour) in the United States, with 22,160 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Alabama.
What directors, religious activities and education do
Directors of religious activities and education plan and coordinate programs that promote the religious education and activities of a congregation or denominational group. Typical tasks include developing or directing study courses and religious education programs within congregations, selecting curricula and class structures for educational programs, identifying and recruiting volunteers, and scheduling special events such as camps, conferences, meetings, seminars, and retreats. Some counsel members on marital, health, financial, and religious matters and lead activities for particular age groups such as children, youth, or adults. The occupation differs from clergy, who conduct worship services and perform ordained functions, from other religious workers, who provide direct spiritual support in other capacities, and from school teachers and administrators, who work in secular education. They also train and oversee instructional staff for religious education, collaborate with other ministry members to set goals for religious education programs, and carry out program plans by ordering materials, scheduling speakers, and reserving space.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Campus Ministry Director, Adult Ministries Director, Children and Youth Ministries Director, Campus Ministries Director, Children and Family Ministries Director.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.67 | $21.16 | $25.05 | $35.45 | $47.26 | $29.86 | 22,160 |
| Annual | $34,670 | $44,010 | $52,100 | $73,730 | $98,310 | $62,100 | ||
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 directors, religious activities and education 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 | ||||||
| Alabama | Hourly | $25.53 | $31.62 | $38.13 | $55.04 | $58.74 | $39.72 | 90 | 0.05 | 0.31 |
| Annual | $53,090 | $65,780 | $79,310 | $114,490 | $122,180 | $82,620 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $23.22 | $24.14 | $36.26 | $48.93 | $59.89 | $38.31 | 330 | 0.02 | 0.16 |
| Annual | $48,300 | $50,220 | $75,420 | $101,760 | $124,570 | $79,690 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $21.51 | $28.69 | $35.05 | $46.52 | $50.34 | $36.93 | 320 | 0.07 | 0.46 |
| Annual | $44,740 | $59,680 | $72,910 | $96,770 | $104,700 | $76,810 | ||||
| Nebraska | Hourly | $15.00 | $30.10 | $34.86 | $36.62 | $61.40 | $36.24 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.24 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $62,610 | $72,500 | $76,160 | $127,710 | $75,380 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $24.74 | $26.21 | $32.58 | $41.85 | $60.43 | $37.20 | 100 | 0.04 | 0.24 |
| Annual | $51,450 | $54,520 | $67,760 | $87,050 | $125,690 | $77,380 | ||||
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 | $16.99 | $20.69 | $24.04 | $37.37 | $47.08 | $31.31 | 3,550 | 0.37 | 2.57 |
| Annual | $35,340 | $43,040 | $49,990 | $77,740 | $97,930 | $65,130 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $20.00 | $22.02 | $29.60 | $36.94 | $57.07 | $33.73 | 3,200 | 0.18 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $41,600 | $45,800 | $61,570 | $76,840 | $118,710 | $70,150 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $15.44 | $19.31 | $21.81 | $24.11 | $33.90 | $23.85 | 1,860 | 0.95 | 6.65 |
| Annual | $32,110 | $40,170 | $45,360 | $50,150 | $70,520 | $49,600 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.85 | $18.36 | $23.67 | $30.28 | $42.81 | $26.48 | 1,420 | 0.14 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $28,810 | $38,180 | $49,230 | $62,990 | $89,040 | $55,070 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $13.88 | $21.49 | $26.69 | $34.29 | $49.28 | $28.91 | 1,210 | 0.20 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $28,870 | $44,700 | $55,510 | $71,320 | $102,500 | $60,130 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $25.64 | $34.11 | $44.77 | $46.52 | $54.06 | $40.99 | 200 | 0.07 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $53,330 | $70,940 | $93,120 | $96,770 | $112,440 | $85,260 | ||||
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | Hourly | $23.39 | $29.61 | $40.70 | $48.34 | $58.12 | $41.21 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.24 |
| Annual | $48,660 | $61,580 | $84,650 | $100,540 | $120,880 | $85,710 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $24.11 | $28.61 | $40.14 | $51.23 | $59.89 | $41.27 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.15 |
| Annual | $50,140 | $59,510 | $83,480 | $106,560 | $124,570 | $85,850 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $23.80 | $29.14 | $40.03 | $50.48 | $61.79 | $40.94 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.15 |
| Annual | $49,500 | $60,610 | $83,260 | $104,990 | $128,530 | $85,160 | ||||
| Richmond, VA | Hourly | $20.03 | $22.31 | $37.03 | $50.65 | $51.96 | $35.83 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.36 |
| Annual | $41,670 | $46,410 | $77,020 | $105,350 | $108,070 | $74,520 | ||||
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 | $17.15 | $21.07 | $28.45 | $42.00 | $48.07 | $34.27 | 2,940 | 0.31 | 2.17 |
| Annual | $35,680 | $43,820 | $59,170 | $87,370 | $99,990 | $71,270 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $20.00 | $22.03 | $30.00 | $35.34 | $53.00 | $32.57 | 1,270 | 0.20 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $41,600 | $45,810 | $62,390 | $73,500 | $110,240 | $67,750 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $15.09 | $20.14 | $22.17 | $25.48 | $37.81 | $25.14 | 1,100 | 0.91 | 6.38 |
| Annual | $31,380 | $41,880 | $46,110 | $52,990 | $78,640 | $52,280 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $14.07 | $22.93 | $24.78 | $30.28 | $43.44 | $28.09 | 490 | 0.18 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $29,260 | $47,690 | $51,540 | $62,990 | $90,340 | $58,430 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $16.73 | $23.77 | $28.52 | $35.94 | $51.79 | $31.52 | 480 | 0.17 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $34,800 | $49,450 | $59,320 | $74,750 | $107,730 | $65,560 | ||||
Top industries employing directors, religious activities and education
Religious Organizations employ 77.7% of directors, religious activities and education nationally (17,220 jobs) at a median $50,980 a year ($24.51 an hour), followed by Elementary and Secondary Schools (7.3%) and Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religious Organizations NAICS 813100 | 17,220 | 77.7% | $50,980 | $24.51 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 1,620 | 7.3% | $55,770 | $26.81 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 1,340 | 6.0% | $49,480 | $23.79 |
| Individual and Family Services NAICS 624100 | 330 | 1.5% | $44,050 | $21.18 |
| Civic and Social Organizations NAICS 813400 | 270 | 1.2% | $52,230 | $25.11 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (22,160). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $46,980 for directors, religious activities and education in May 2021 and $52,100 in May 2025, with employment of 21,000 and 22,160.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,980 | $22.59 | 21,000 |
| May 2022 | $49,380 | $23.74 | 24,030 |
| May 2023 | $50,140 | $24.11 | 23,270 |
| May 2024 | $54,840 | $26.37 | 21,460 |
| May 2025 | $52,100 | $25.05 | 22,160 |
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
43 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 | Alabama profile | $38.13 | $79,310 | $53,090 | $122,180 | 90 | 0.05 | 0.31 |
| 2 | Texas profile | $36.26 | $75,420 | $48,300 | $124,570 | 330 | 0.02 | 0.16 |
| 3 | Georgia profile | $35.05 | $72,910 | $44,740 | $104,700 | 320 | 0.07 | 0.46 |
| 4 | Nebraska profile | $34.86 | $72,500 | $31,200 | $127,710 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.24 |
| 5 | Colorado profile | $32.58 | $67,760 | $51,450 | $125,690 | 100 | 0.04 | 0.24 |
| 6 | Iowa profile | $31.80 | $66,140 | $40,600 | $102,900 | 220 | 0.14 | 0.98 |
| 7 | New Jersey profile | $31.60 | $65,730 | $35,680 | $97,120 | ** | ** | ** |
| 8 | North Carolina profile | $30.42 | $63,280 | $43,110 | $111,230 | 260 | 0.05 | 0.37 |
| 9 | Massachusetts profile | $30.25 | $62,930 | $57,820 | $80,160 | 160 | 0.04 | 0.30 |
| 10 | Nevada profile | $30.03 | $62,460 | $52,280 | $71,060 | 90 | 0.06 | 0.40 |
| 11 | Tennessee profile | $29.78 | $61,940 | $25,120 | $101,940 | 130 | 0.04 | 0.28 |
| 12 | District of Columbia profile | $29.74 | $61,870 | $46,840 | $100,560 | 170 | 0.25 | 1.72 |
| 13 | California profile | $29.60 | $61,570 | $41,600 | $118,710 | 3,200 | 0.18 | 1.23 |
| 14 | Virginia profile | $28.37 | $59,020 | $40,900 | $122,530 | 380 | 0.09 | 0.65 |
| 15 | Maryland profile | $28.28 | $58,820 | $37,370 | $111,530 | 300 | 0.11 | 0.76 |
| 16 | Indiana profile | $28.12 | $58,490 | $40,920 | $91,700 | 670 | 0.21 | 1.47 |
| 17 | Arizona profile | $27.47 | $57,140 | $39,900 | $119,990 | 300 | 0.09 | 0.64 |
| 18 | Utah profile | $27.30 | $56,790 | $30,050 | $81,960 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.20 |
| 19 | Washington profile | $27.16 | $56,480 | $40,460 | $72,080 | 390 | 0.11 | 0.78 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania profile | $26.69 | $55,510 | $28,870 | $102,500 | 1,210 | 0.20 | 1.41 |
| 21 | Illinois profile | $25.77 | $53,600 | $35,970 | $94,880 | ** | ** | ** |
| 22 | South Dakota profile | $25.65 | $53,360 | $27,500 | $79,330 | 50 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| 23 | Missouri profile | $25.47 | $52,980 | $35,940 | $112,070 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.15 |
| 24 | Kentucky profile | $25.11 | $52,230 | $35,080 | $179,990 | 250 | 0.13 | 0.88 |
| 25 | Minnesota profile | $24.09 | $50,110 | $36,020 | $89,530 | 760 | 0.26 | 1.81 |
| 26 | New York profile | $24.04 | $49,990 | $35,340 | $97,930 | 3,550 | 0.37 | 2.57 |
| 27 | Mississippi profile | $23.76 | $49,430 | $47,640 | $87,730 | 120 | 0.11 | 0.75 |
| 28 | Ohio profile | $23.72 | $49,340 | $30,340 | $101,150 | 740 | 0.13 | 0.93 |
| 29 | Florida profile | $23.67 | $49,230 | $28,810 | $89,040 | 1,420 | 0.14 | 1.00 |
| 30 | New Mexico profile | $23.19 | $48,240 | $45,370 | $72,400 | 60 | 0.06 | 0.45 |
| 31 | Connecticut profile | $23.00 | $47,850 | $37,560 | $73,400 | 160 | 0.09 | 0.65 |
| 32 | Hawaii profile | $22.88 | $47,590 | $34,360 | $75,590 | 310 | 0.49 | 3.47 |
| 33 | Oklahoma profile | $22.64 | $47,100 | $41,110 | $74,990 | 110 | 0.07 | 0.46 |
| 34 | Kansas profile | $21.94 | $45,640 | $29,880 | $84,430 | 140 | 0.09 | 0.66 |
| 35 | Michigan profile | $21.92 | $45,590 | $30,120 | $78,700 | 950 | 0.22 | 1.52 |
| 36 | Oregon profile | $21.81 | $45,360 | $32,110 | $70,520 | 1,860 | 0.95 | 6.65 |
| 37 | Montana profile | $21.74 | $45,220 | $28,460 | $69,220 | 640 | 1.25 | 8.75 |
| 38 | Idaho profile | $21.63 | $44,990 | $31,650 | $67,100 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.30 |
| 39 | Rhode Island profile | $21.53 | $44,770 | $37,090 | $56,040 | 120 | 0.24 | 1.66 |
| 40 | Wisconsin profile | $19.32 | $40,180 | $29,420 | $73,570 | 130 | 0.05 | 0.32 |
| 41 | South Carolina profile | $17.37 | $36,120 | $27,040 | $91,990 | 170 | 0.07 | 0.52 |
| 42 | Arkansas profile | $16.31 | $33,920 | $23,750 | $81,240 | 140 | 0.11 | 0.76 |
| 43 | Louisiana profile | $14.20 | $29,540 | $23,320 | $71,860 | ** | ** | ** |
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 21-2021 Directors, Religious Activities and Education.
**- 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 21-2021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 21-2021.00, 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.