Average and Median Salaries

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an annual wage range of $24,210 to $77,390 and reports an average annual salary of $48,290 for clergy across all religious institutions in the United States. The Occupational Information Network (O*Net), a job analysis tool provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, shows a median hourly wage of $20.65 and a median annual wage of $42,950; however, these figures may vary by region, church size and church member contributions.
  
  

Regional Variation

• The highest-paying positions for clergy (of all religions) are concentrated in the East and West Coast regions of the United States, while the lowest-paying states are located in the South and Southwest. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that New York and California are the states with the highest level of employment for clergy; California is also one of the top-paying states with an average annual salary of $60,260.
  
  

Variation by Church Size

• Outreach ministers employed by churches with large congregations often earn higher salaries.Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  The salary of an outreach minister is determined by the church and may vary based on church size and church member contributions. A study of 250 large churches published in 2010 by the Leadership Network, a Christian nonprofit public charity, reported that a senior pastor in a large church may earn a top salary of $400,000, while an outreach pastor at a large church earns an average salary of $65,000 and a top salary of $110,00. Thus, the salary of an outreach minister employed by a megachurch --- a Protestant church with 2,000 or more members --- can easily exceed the average salary for all clergy reported by the U.S. Department of Labor ($48,290).
  
  

Employment Outlook

• The U.S. Department of Labor projects an average rate of growth (7 to 13 percent) for professions in the clergy, including outreach ministers, through the year 2018. Jobs for clergy are expected to increase predominantly in the Southern region of the United States with Tennessee, Georgia and Louisiana showing the highest percentage change in employment rate through 2018.