Also called: Army chaplain candidate, Navy Chaplain Candidate Program Officer, Air Force chaplain candidate
Seminary students who serve part-time as reserve officers, training to become military chaplains after graduation.
Chaplain candidates spend summers shadowing military chaplains, counseling troops, and leading services, while finishing a master of divinity. It's a paid, part-time try-out for the chaplaincy.
Part-time reserve officer drill and training pay while in seminary; not a full-time salary. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's degree and enrollment in a graduate theology program, plus endorsement from a religious organization. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Theology, Religious Studies, Philosophy.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk for 10 years. Learning ministry by shadowing chaplains and counseling troops stays human.
Classes: World religions, Philosophy, Speech.
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.