Clergy Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for clergys across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $66,860 ≈ $32/hr
National median salary $60,810
Total employment 57,200 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +1%
Slower than average
Annual openings 23,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 262,000 → 264,600 (+2,600)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$87,150
- Washington$81,460
- New York$73,790
- Massachusetts$73,510
- Connecticut$72,100
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- West Virginia$51,130
- Kansas$51,970
- Arkansas$52,160
- Alabama$53,790
- Louisiana$54,690
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $87,150 | $77,710 | $42 | +30.3% | 7,110 |
| 2 | Washington | $81,460 | $80,830 | $39 | +21.8% | 1,060 |
| 3 | New York | $73,790 | $58,580 | $35 | +10.4% | 7,790 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $73,510 | $72,190 | $35 | +9.9% | 840 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $72,100 | $63,470 | $35 | +7.8% | 900 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $71,770 | $64,800 | $35 | +7.3% | 310 |
| 7 | Nevada | $71,420 | $73,910 | $34 | +6.8% | 210 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $70,050 | $60,680 | $34 | +4.8% | 120 |
| 9 | Vermont | $68,540 | $64,950 | $33 | +2.5% | 50 |
| 10 | Arizona | $68,350 | $61,900 | $33 | +2.2% | 1,070 |
| 11 | Oregon | $68,130 | $63,140 | $33 | +1.9% | 3,850 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $67,750 | $65,200 | $33 | +1.3% | 100 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $66,370 | $64,100 | $32 | -0.7% | 270 |
| 14 | Colorado | $66,160 | $63,700 | $32 | -1% | 440 |
| 15 | Delaware | $65,850 | $63,260 | $32 | -1.5% | 120 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $65,740 | $65,500 | $32 | -1.7% | 1,460 |
| 17 | Maine | $64,070 | $64,340 | $31 | -4.2% | 160 |
| 18 | Maryland | $63,980 | $61,620 | $31 | -4.3% | 670 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $63,730 | $60,950 | $31 | -4.7% | 770 |
| 20 | Montana | $63,190 | $59,550 | $30 | -5.5% | 680 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $63,040 | $61,050 | $30 | -5.7% | 720 |
| 22 | Illinois | $62,490 | $61,820 | $30 | -6.5% | 2,200 |
| 23 | Texas | $62,430 | $59,480 | $30 | -6.6% | 3,180 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $61,870 | $61,230 | $30 | -7.5% | 1,160 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $61,240 | $61,590 | $29 | -8.4% | 40 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $61,130 | $59,600 | $29 | -8.6% | 1,430 |
| 27 | Georgia | $60,880 | $60,530 | $29 | -8.9% | 1,380 |
| 28 | Missouri | $60,750 | $58,740 | $29 | -9.1% | 920 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $60,710 | $59,110 | $29 | -9.2% | 510 |
| 30 | Iowa | $60,200 | $60,630 | $29 | -10% | 370 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $60,180 | $59,860 | $29 | -10% | 140 |
| 32 | Florida | $59,110 | $56,940 | $28 | -11.6% | 3,560 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $58,750 | $59,660 | $28 | -12.1% | 230 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $58,590 | $56,630 | $28 | -12.4% | 450 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $58,550 | $57,260 | $28 | -12.4% | 710 |
| 36 | Indiana | $58,400 | $59,020 | $28 | -12.7% | 1,060 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $58,370 | $58,920 | $28 | -12.7% | 410 |
| 38 | Ohio | $58,320 | $59,160 | $28 | -12.8% | 2,020 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $57,610 | $57,520 | $28 | -13.8% | 270 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $57,480 | $58,300 | $28 | -14% | 2,150 |
| 41 | Idaho | $57,470 | $59,570 | $28 | -14% | 150 |
| 42 | Virginia | $57,350 | $55,430 | $28 | -14.2% | 1,220 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $56,880 | $52,450 | $27 | -14.9% | 250 |
| 44 | Michigan | $55,620 | $56,490 | $27 | -16.8% | 1,880 |
| 45 | Alaska | $54,750 | $55,780 | $26 | -18.1% | 150 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $54,690 | $54,140 | $26 | -18.2% | 400 |
| 47 | Alabama | $53,790 | $50,180 | $26 | -19.5% | 850 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $52,160 | $49,070 | $25 | -22% | 350 |
| 49 | Kansas | $51,970 | $52,130 | $25 | -22.3% | 450 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $51,130 | $48,460 | $25 | -23.5% | 290 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 291 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $84,050 | $104,000 | — |
| 2 | Bozeman, MT | $81,770 | $83,660 | 80 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81,750 | $85,010 | 740 |
| 4 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $81,280 | $79,270 | 70 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $80,760 | $85,300 | 70 |
| 6 | Vallejo, CA | $79,590 | $75,860 | 60 |
| 7 | Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $79,100 | $78,250 | 30 |
| 8 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $78,330 | $78,400 | 450 |
| 9 | Salem, OR | $78,220 | $72,290 | 380 |
| 10 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $77,510 | $77,970 | 330 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing clergys (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $101,750 | $98,260 | 1,100 |
| 2 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $101,750 | $98,260 | 1,100 |
| 3 | Grantmaking and Giving Services | $92,910 | $90,880 | — |
| 4 | Outpatient Care Centers | $80,640 | $75,620 | 130 |
| 5 | Food Manufacturing | $79,140 | $74,620 | 120 |
| 6 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | $79,140 | $74,640 | 110 |
| 7 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $77,560 | $77,760 | 2,900 |
| 8 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $77,560 | $77,760 | 2,900 |
| 9 | Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing | $75,280 | $68,540 | 170 |
| 10 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $72,760 | $74,680 | 3,910 |
| 11 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, State Government Owned | $71,520 | $72,480 | 120 |
| 12 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $70,190 | $66,570 | — |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do clergy make in the U.S.?
The median clergy salary in the United States is $60,810 per year (mean $66,860), and about 80% earn between $37,860 and $98,890.
How much do clergy make per hour?
Roughly $32 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $66,860 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays clergy the most?
California has the highest average pay for clergy at $87,150 per year (median $77,710).
What is the job outlook for clergy?
Employment is projected to change +1% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 23,000 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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