SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination. Provide spiritual and moral guidance and assistance to members.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 21-2011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $37,860 | $3,155 | $728 | $18.20 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $48,260 | $4,022 | $928 | $23.20 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $60,810 | $5,068 | $1,169 | $29.24 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $76,640 | $6,387 | $1,474 | $36.85 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $98,890 | $8,241 | $1,902 | $47.54 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Clergy is $60,810, which is 19% higher. Among the 17 occupations of the field Community and Social Service, it ranks number 7 by median pay. With 57,200 jobs, it makes up about 3.7 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Clergy pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($80,830), California ($77,710) and Nevada ($73,910). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($28,880), Guam ($37,460) and West Virginia ($48,460). The most jobs were in New York (7,790), California (7,110) and Oregon (3,850). The occupation is most concentrated in Oregon, where its share of all jobs is 5.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1,060 | $80,830 | $81,460 | $38.86 |
| California | 7,110 | $77,710 | $87,150 | $37.36 |
| Nevada | 210 | $73,910 | $71,420 | $35.53 |
| Massachusetts | 840 | $72,190 | $73,510 | $34.71 |
| New Jersey | 1,460 | $65,500 | $65,740 | $31.49 |
| New Hampshire | 100 | $65,200 | $67,750 | $31.35 |
| Vermont | 50 | $64,950 | $68,540 | $31.23 |
| District of Columbia | 310 | $64,800 | $71,770 | $31.15 |
| Maine | 160 | $64,340 | $64,070 | $30.93 |
| New Mexico | 270 | $64,100 | $66,370 | $30.82 |
| Colorado | 440 | $63,700 | $66,160 | $30.63 |
| Connecticut | 900 | $63,470 | $72,100 | $30.51 |
| Delaware | 120 | $63,260 | $65,850 | $30.41 |
| Oregon | 3,850 | $63,140 | $68,130 | $30.35 |
| Arizona | 1,070 | $61,900 | $68,350 | $29.76 |
| Illinois | 2,200 | $61,820 | $62,490 | $29.72 |
| Maryland | 670 | $61,620 | $63,980 | $29.63 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $61,590 | $61,240 | $29.61 |
| Minnesota | 1,160 | $61,230 | $61,870 | $29.44 |
| Hawaii | 720 | $61,050 | $63,040 | $29.35 |
| Wisconsin | 770 | $60,950 | $63,730 | $29.30 |
| North Dakota | 120 | $60,680 | $70,050 | $29.17 |
| Iowa | 370 | $60,630 | $60,200 | $29.15 |
| Georgia | 1,380 | $60,530 | $60,880 | $29.10 |
| South Dakota | 140 | $59,860 | $60,180 | $28.78 |
| Rhode Island | 230 | $59,660 | $58,750 | $28.68 |
| North Carolina | 1,430 | $59,600 | $61,130 | $28.65 |
| Idaho | 150 | $59,570 | $57,470 | $28.64 |
| Montana | 680 | $59,550 | $63,190 | $28.63 |
| Texas | 3,180 | $59,480 | $62,430 | $28.60 |
| Ohio | 2,020 | $59,160 | $58,320 | $28.44 |
| Oklahoma | 510 | $59,110 | $60,710 | $28.42 |
| Indiana | 1,060 | $59,020 | $58,400 | $28.37 |
| Kentucky | 410 | $58,920 | $58,370 | $28.33 |
| Missouri | 920 | $58,740 | $60,750 | $28.24 |
| New York | 7,790 | $58,580 | $73,790 | $28.16 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,150 | $58,300 | $57,480 | $28.03 |
| Nebraska | 270 | $57,520 | $57,610 | $27.65 |
| Tennessee | 710 | $57,260 | $58,550 | $27.53 |
| Florida | 3,560 | $56,940 | $59,110 | $27.38 |
| South Carolina | 450 | $56,630 | $58,590 | $27.23 |
| Michigan | 1,880 | $56,490 | $55,620 | $27.16 |
| Alaska | 150 | $55,780 | $54,750 | $26.82 |
| Virginia | 1,220 | $55,430 | $57,350 | $26.65 |
| Louisiana | 400 | $54,140 | $54,690 | $26.03 |
| Mississippi | 250 | $52,450 | $56,880 | $25.22 |
| Kansas | 450 | $52,130 | $51,970 | $25.06 |
| Alabama | 850 | $50,180 | $53,790 | $24.13 |
| Arkansas | 350 | $49,070 | $52,160 | $23.59 |
| West Virginia | 290 | $48,460 | $51,130 | $23.30 |
| Guam | 30 | $37,460 | $46,110 | $18.01 |
| Puerto Rico | 290 | $28,880 | $31,690 | $13.89 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
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Common questions
How much do Clergy earn in the United States?
The median pay was $60,810 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,860 and the highest-paid 10% more than $98,890.
How many people work as Clergy?
About 57,200 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.