Senior pastor salary
Employees of US religious organizations in the BLS group “Clergy” earn a median $58,680 a year (May 2025). No posting for a senior pastor on this board lists pay yet.
What the BLS survey shows
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, religious organizations (NAICS 813100), bls.gov/oes. OEWS leaves out the self-employed and does not count a housing allowance or parsonage.
What churches posted here
No posting for a senior pastor on this board lists pay yet. Churches can post a job free, and a posting with pay shows first among its peers.
Clergy pay by state
All employers in each state, not only churches. A state missing here had too few responses for the BLS to publish.
| State | Median a year | Middle half | People employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $80,830 | $68,890 to $91,410 | 1,060 |
| California | $77,710 | $61,310 to $97,640 | 7,110 |
| Nevada | $73,910 | $60,510 to $79,180 | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $72,190 | $61,250 to $78,530 | 840 |
| New Jersey | $65,500 | $49,570 to $75,270 | 1,460 |
| New Hampshire | $65,200 | $60,590 to $75,910 | 100 |
| Vermont | $64,950 | $61,430 to $77,490 | 50 |
| Washington, D.C. | $64,800 | $52,690 to $93,880 | 310 |
| Maine | $64,340 | $57,230 to $74,010 | 160 |
| New Mexico | $64,100 | $59,490 to $76,000 | 270 |
| Colorado | $63,700 | $58,860 to $73,300 | 440 |
| Connecticut | $63,470 | $54,850 to $78,000 | 900 |
| Delaware | $63,260 | $58,890 to $75,620 | 120 |
| Oregon | $63,140 | $49,470 to $79,520 | 3,850 |
| Arizona | $61,900 | $51,990 to $76,670 | 1,070 |
| Illinois | $61,820 | $46,630 to $75,160 | 2,200 |
| Maryland | $61,620 | $44,320 to $73,970 | 670 |
| Wyoming | $61,590 | $45,190 to $67,350 | 40 |
| Minnesota | $61,230 | $49,720 to $74,260 | 1,160 |
| Hawaii | $61,050 | $49,090 to $68,860 | 720 |
| Wisconsin | $60,950 | $56,170 to $72,510 | 770 |
| North Dakota | $60,680 | $46,610 to $72,490 | 120 |
| Iowa | $60,630 | $52,910 to $66,290 | 370 |
| Georgia | $60,530 | $46,490 to $69,890 | 1,380 |
| South Dakota | $59,860 | $48,970 to $72,220 | 140 |
| Rhode Island | $59,660 | $42,190 to $71,710 | 230 |
| North Carolina | $59,600 | $49,350 to $66,910 | 1,430 |
| Idaho | $59,570 | $41,600 to $72,570 | 150 |
| Montana | $59,550 | $43,610 to $79,890 | 680 |
| Texas | $59,480 | $49,850 to $69,780 | 3,180 |
| Ohio | $59,160 | $44,650 to $65,210 | 2,020 |
| Oklahoma | $59,110 | $50,670 to $64,900 | 510 |
| Indiana | $59,020 | $47,980 to $65,330 | 1,060 |
| Kentucky | $58,920 | $48,510 to $65,370 | 410 |
| Missouri | $58,740 | $51,780 to $65,750 | 920 |
| New York | $58,580 | $47,330 to $81,450 | 7,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,300 | $41,140 to $65,740 | 2,150 |
| Nebraska | $57,520 | $50,960 to $62,650 | 270 |
| Tennessee | $57,260 | $48,930 to $63,980 | 710 |
| Florida | $56,940 | $39,460 to $65,960 | 3,560 |
| South Carolina | $56,630 | $49,820 to $62,500 | 450 |
| Michigan | $56,490 | $42,790 to $62,020 | 1,880 |
| Alaska | $55,780 | $37,030 to $59,230 | 150 |
| Virginia | $55,430 | $40,570 to $69,690 | 1,220 |
| Louisiana | $54,140 | $43,480 to $61,160 | 400 |
| Mississippi | $52,450 | $48,270 to $60,790 | 250 |
| Kansas | $52,130 | $44,980 to $59,080 | 450 |
| Alabama | $50,180 | $48,140 to $57,650 | 850 |
| Arkansas | $49,070 | $38,350 to $59,430 | 350 |
| West Virginia | $48,460 | $37,390 to $58,970 | 290 |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates.
Every church pay figure in one file
All postings with pay on this board, the BLS figures for every church role, and clergy pay in every state, as a spreadsheet.
Every email we send has a link that unsubscribes you.
Open senior pastor jobs (3) Senior pastor interview questions Every church role's pay