Also called: Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, Chaplain of the House, State Senate Chaplain
Opens each day of a legislature with prayer and serves as private pastor and counselor to lawmakers and their staff.
The U.S. Senate and House each have a full-time chaplain who prays at the start of every session, leads weekly Bible studies, and quietly counsels members and staff through crises. They stay out of politics and serve people from both parties and many faiths. Most state legislatures use volunteer or part-time chaplains instead.
The two Congressional chaplains earn senior-staff federal pay; most state chaplains are part-time or unpaid. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 20 years after high school. Bachelor's, Master of Divinity, ordination, and many years in ministry or military chaplaincy.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Theology, Religious Studies, Divinity, Counseling.
Growing slowly. Only two full-time federal posts; state roles are mostly part-time (approx.).
Low risk for 10 years. Pastoral counseling and leading worship for lawmakers stay entirely human.
Classes: Speech and debate, Psychology, World history.
Official data: O*NET occupation 21-2011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.