Clergy: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Community and Social Service · SOC 21-2011 · O*NET 21-2011.00
Conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination. Provide spiritual and moral guidance and assistance to members.
Clergy fall under the Community and Social Service category in the U.S. occupational classification. Clergy earn a median salary of $60,820 per year, ranking in the top 47% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +1.0% job growth through 2034, projected to grow slower than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do clergy earn?
The median annual wage for clergy is $60,820. That puts clergy at #378 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $37,140 |
| 25th percentile | $47,220 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $60,820 |
| 75th percentile | $76,340 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $99,720 |
| Median hourly wage | $29.24/hr |
Is clergy a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for clergy is +1.0%, projected to grow slower than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 262K positions in 2024 to 264K in 2034, a net change of 2K. Flat growth typically reflects a mature, stable field. Most openings will come from retirements rather than new positions, which can favor candidates with strong networks and willingness to relocate.
What do clergy do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working clergy, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Pray and promote spirituality.
- 2.Prepare and deliver sermons or other talks.
- 3.Read from sacred texts, such as the Bible, Torah, or Koran.
- 4.Organize and lead regular religious services.
- 5.Instruct people who seek conversion to a particular faith.
- 6.Share information about religious issues by writing articles, giving speeches, or teaching.
- 7.Counsel individuals or groups concerning their spiritual, emotional, or personal needs.
- 8.Administer religious rites or ordinances.
Top skills for clergy
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become clergy?
The standard path into clergy begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
- Social Workers, All Other$69,480 median
- Healthcare Social Workers$68,090 median
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$65,140 median
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists$64,520 median
- Marriage and Family Therapists$63,780 median
- Health Education Specialists$63,000 median
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about clergy
What is the median salary for clergy?
The median annual salary for clergy is $60,820 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is clergy a growing career?
BLS projects +1.0% growth for clergy from 2024 through 2034, which is flat growth projected to grow slower than the US average.
What education does my child need to become clergy?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to clergy?
Related occupations within the Community and Social Service category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.