What is a hospice chaplain and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
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Hospice chaplains are crucial to the care of patients in their end-of-life process. They provide spiritual solace and comfort to individuals with terminal illnesses. Hospice Chaplains can work in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities and even patient's homes.

These professionals are members of an interdisciplinary medical team responsible for giving care to patients on the brink of death. When ministering to a patient, hospice chaplains often account for a patient's spiritual, mental, physical and emotional health. They may also provide counsel to the patient's family members. Besides spiritual counsel, hospice chaplains may also perform administrative duties like filing and reporting.

Hospice chaplains usually have a bachelor's degree in religious studies or related subjects. They may also have advanced degrees in theology, divinity or pastoral studies. Employers may also prefer ordained ministers when filling the role of a hospice chaplain.

ScoreHospice ChaplainUS Average
Salary
4.1

Avg. Salary $52,027

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.2

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 6.70%

Black or African American 11.93%

Hispanic or Latino 9.11%

Unknown 4.01%

White 67.81%

Gender

female 33.38%

male 66.62%

Age - 52
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52
Stress Level
8.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.3

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Hospice Chaplain career paths

Key steps to become a hospice chaplain

  1. Explore hospice chaplain education requirements

    Most common hospice chaplain degrees

    Master's

    41.8 %

    Bachelor's

    41.8 %

    Doctorate

    6.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific hospice chaplain skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Patients31.27%
    Home Health14.95%
    Clinical Pastoral9.68%
    Patient Care7.76%
    Pastoral Care4.93%
  3. Complete relevant hospice chaplain training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hospice chaplains learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hospice chaplain based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hospice chaplain resumes.
  4. Research hospice chaplain duties and responsibilities

    • Provide direct spiritual and emotional support to patients and families depending on their individual spiritual beliefs.
    • Serve on CPE accreditation committee.
    • Work with clinical staff as part of the IDT team.
    • Provide direct supervision and training to CPE students in both a hospital setting and home care setting.
  5. Prepare your hospice chaplain resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hospice chaplain resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a hospice chaplain resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Hospice Chaplain Resume templates

    Build a professional Hospice Chaplain resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Hospice Chaplain resume.
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    Hospice Chaplain Resume
  6. Apply for hospice chaplain jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a hospice chaplain job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Hospice Chaplain Job

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Average hospice chaplain salary

The average Hospice Chaplain salary in the United States is $52,027 per year or $25 per hour. Hospice chaplain salaries range between $35,000 and $76,000 per year.

Average Hospice Chaplain Salary
$52,027 Yearly
$25.01 hourly

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How do hospice chaplains rate their job?

4.5/5

Out of 2 Hospice Chaplain reviews, 100% were positive.

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Based On 2 Ratings

Work/Life Balance
4.0
Career Growth
4.0
Pay / Salary
2.0
Overall Rating
4.5

Hospice Chaplain reviews

profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

being with patients and families during this time of need

Cons

the huge amount of mandated paperwork, DON'T work for a for-profit!


profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

I enjoy working with people allowing them to know they are not alone and I will be with them until the end.

Cons

I don’t like when I have to give a person up knowing this is the end.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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