Leaders and caregivers within religious communities — preaching, teaching, counseling, and showing up at life's biggest moments, from births and weddings to hospital rooms and funerals.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Senior Pastor (Large Congregation): Leads a large church — preaching each week, guiding staff, and setting the vision for thousands of members. Typical pay $120k.
Rabbi: Spiritual leader and teacher of a Jewish congregation. Typical pay $125k.
Bishop / Denominational Executive: Oversees many congregations in a region — appointing clergy, solving conflicts, and setting direction. Typical pay $115k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Seminary Professor: Teaches future clergy and researches religious texts, history, and ethics. Typical pay $82k.
Pastor / Minister: Leads worship, preaches, and cares for the members of a local congregation. Typical pay $60k.
Hospital Chaplain: Provides spiritual and emotional support to patients, families, and staff of any faith (or none). Typical pay $65k.
Military Chaplain: Commissioned officer who provides religious services and counseling to troops of all faiths. Typical pay $85k.
Executive Pastor: Runs the business side of a large church — staff, budget, buildings, and operations. Typical pay $90k.
Imam: Leads prayers, gives Friday sermons, and teaches and counsels a Muslim community. Typical pay $60k.
Cantor: Sings and leads the music of Jewish worship services and teaches students for their bar and bat mitzvahs. Typical pay $80k.
Church Business Administrator: Manages a congregation's money, buildings, staff, and day-to-day operations. Typical pay $65k.
Church Planter: Starts a new church congregation from scratch, meeting neighbors, finding a place to meet, recruiting volunteers, and raising money to keep it going. Typical pay $58k.
Mohel: A Jewish ritual specialist who performs the brit milah, the circumcision ceremony for baby boys on their eighth day, with prayers and blessings. Typical pay $75k.
Church Technical Director: Runs the sound, lighting, video and livestream for a church's services, leading a team of volunteers every weekend. Typical pay $60k.
Starter: fastest way in
Youth Pastor: Leads the teen and kid ministry of a church — retreats, small groups, and mentoring. Typical pay $46k.
Worship Leader: Leads music during religious services and directs the band, choir, or musicians. Typical pay $48k.
Director of Religious Education: Runs a congregation's classes for kids and adults — Sunday school, confirmation, and more. Typical pay $50k.
Missionary: Serves a faith organization abroad or at home through teaching, medical care, building, or church planting. Typical pay $38k.
Sports Team Chaplain: Provides spiritual care and counseling to a professional or college sports team. Typical pay $45k.
Spiritual Director: Meets one-on-one with people to help them grow in their spiritual life and prayer. Typical pay $35k.
Campus Minister: Leads religious life for college students through worship, Bible studies, retreats, and counseling. Typical pay $46k.
Mashgiach (Kosher Supervisor): Supervises restaurants, caterers, and food factories to make sure food follows Jewish dietary law. Typical pay $45k.
Sofer (Torah Scribe): Hand-writes and repairs Torah scrolls, mezuzahs, and tefillin using a quill and special ink. Typical pay $50k.
Corporate / Workplace Chaplain: Visits workplaces to offer confidential care to employees going through hard times. Typical pay $45k.
Children's Ministry Director: Leads a congregation's programs for kids, from Sunday school to vacation Bible camp. Typical pay $44k.
Hindu Temple Priest: Performs daily rituals and ceremonies at a Hindu temple and for families' weddings and blessings. Typical pay $45k.
Port Chaplain: Climbs aboard cargo ships to visit sailors far from home, offering a listening ear, phone SIM cards, rides to stores and help with problems. Typical pay $48k.
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.