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Home > Articles > 3 Surprises on What Pastors Get Paid
3 Surprises on What Pastors Get Paid
Results from Christianity Today International’s latest nationwide research
Kevin Miller

Topics:Administration, Church staff, Compensation, Job descriptions, Money, Salaries
Filters:Business administrator, Church board, Finances, Financial officer, Management, Pastor
Purpose:Ministry
References:1 Corinthians 9:14
Date Added:September 25, 2007

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And before we assume that the church runs counter to the still-prevalent cultural practice of paying women less than men for comparable work, women were paid less than men in every other church position surveyed (except for secretary). On average, females earned approximately 80 percent of the compensation of males. Or, in other words, males earned about 30 percent more than females.

3. That additional degree is probably worth it.

Wondering whether to finish your master's or doctorate? Even in pastoral ministry, from a financial standpoint, the answer is yes.

Roughly stated, moving from a bachelor's degree to a master's degree boosts your income from 10 to 20 percent, and getting your doctorate gets you 15 percent more on top of that. Or here's another way of looking at it: that additional degree will earn you from $7,000 to $15,000 more per year. So if you're going to serve with that degree for five or more years, you'll probably end up ahead.

Want More Information?

All data above is taken from The 2008 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff, which presents data on 13 church positions, based on research among nearly 2,100 American churches, who were surveyed between January 2007 and May 2007. To pre-order for October shipment, go to Compensation Handbook or call 1-800-222-1840.