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Chaplain salary
Average chaplain salary
$46,392
How much does a chaplain make?
The average chaplain salary in the United States is $46,392. Chaplain salaries typically range between $25,000 and $83,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for chaplains is $22.3 per hour.
Chaplain salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Chaplains earn the highest average salary in California.
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Where can a Chaplain earn more?
Chaplain salary estimates from across the web
Average chaplain salary by state
The average chaplain salary in California, Maine, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average chaplain salary states are Tennessee, Arkansas, and Montana.
- State View
- County View
Highest paying states for chaplains
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $55,445 | $26.66 |
| 2 | Delaware | $55,200 | $26.54 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $53,207 | $25.58 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $53,322 | $25.64 |
| 5 | Vermont | $51,250 | $24.64 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $47,428 | $22.80 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $49,061 | $23.59 |
| 8 | Arizona | $53,927 | $25.93 |
| 9 | California | $66,712 | $32.07 |
| 10 | Nevada | $49,352 | $23.73 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $48,309 | $23.23 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $46,700 | $22.45 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $50,485 | $24.27 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $50,449 | $24.25 |
| 15 | Idaho | $44,597 | $21.44 |
| 16 | Iowa | $42,753 | $20.55 |
| 17 | Washington | $46,194 | $22.21 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $49,926 | $24.00 |
| 19 | Ohio | $44,232 | $21.27 |
| 20 | New York | $48,849 | $23.49 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $52,793 | $25.38 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $41,492 | $19.95 |
| 23 | Oregon | $42,624 | $20.49 |
| 24 | Illinois | $45,227 | $21.74 |
| 25 | Utah | $41,361 | $19.89 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $37,148 | $17.86 |
| 27 | Texas | $42,605 | $20.48 |
| 28 | Colorado | $43,176 | $20.76 |
| 29 | Maryland | $44,975 | $21.62 |
| 30 | Alaska | $39,564 | $19.02 |
| 31 | Georgia | $43,322 | $20.83 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $37,687 | $18.12 |
| 33 | Michigan | $40,704 | $19.57 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $41,360 | $19.88 |
| 35 | Alabama | $40,103 | $19.28 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $38,101 | $18.32 |
| 37 | Virginia | $43,131 | $20.74 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $38,974 | $18.74 |
| 39 | Kansas | $37,813 | $18.18 |
| 40 | Missouri | $39,384 | $18.93 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $37,846 | $18.20 |
| 42 | Indiana | $36,971 | $17.77 |
| 43 | Montana | $33,314 | $16.02 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $36,355 | $17.48 |
| 45 | New Jersey | $40,732 | $19.58 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $38,083 | $18.31 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $31,992 | $15.38 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $32,307 | $15.53 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $35,578 | $17.10 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $34,288 | $16.48 |
| 51 | Florida | $32,804 | $15.77 |
Highest paying cities for chaplains
The highest-paying cities for chaplains are San Jose, CA, Portland, ME, and Phoenix, AZ.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $68,504 | $32.93 |
| 2 | Portland, ME | $56,083 | $26.96 |
| 3 | Phoenix, AZ | $53,960 | $25.94 |
| 4 | Providence, RI | $53,180 | $25.57 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | $50,487 | $24.27 |
| 6 | Henderson, NV | $49,997 | $24.04 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $49,648 | $23.87 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $49,070 | $23.59 |
| 9 | Milwaukee, WI | $48,490 | $23.31 |
| 10 | Seattle, WA | $46,325 | $22.27 |
| 11 | Medford, OR | $45,711 | $21.98 |
| 12 | Rochester, NH | $45,565 | $21.91 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $45,562 | $21.90 |
| 14 | Toledo, OH | $45,381 | $21.82 |
| 15 | San Antonio, TX | $43,553 | $20.94 |
| 16 | Colorado Springs, CO | $43,522 | $20.92 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $43,320 | $20.83 |
| 18 | Charlottesville, VA | $42,529 | $20.45 |
| 19 | Des Moines, IA | $42,014 | $20.20 |
| 20 | Philadelphia, PA | $41,817 | $20.10 |
Chaplains are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Chaplain salary details
A chaplain's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $83,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chaplain's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| Average | $46,392 | $3,866 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying chaplain jobs
The highest paying types of chaplains are hospice chaplain, evangelist, and hospital chaplain.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastor | $44,787 | $3,732 | $21.53 | 494 |
| Youth Pastor | $39,712 | $3,309 | $19.09 | 3,120 |
| Youth Minister | $41,513 | $3,459 | $19.96 | 2,830 |
| Evangelist | $50,297 | $4,191 | $24.18 | 753 |
| Chaplain Resident | $45,343 | $3,779 | $21.80 | 7,901 |
| Hospice Chaplain | $52,027 | $4,336 | $25.01 | 9,571 |
Top companies hiring chaplains now:
Which companies pay chaplains the most?
Chaplain salaries at UofL Hospital and Hebrew SeniorLife are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chaplain salary at companies like Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UofL Hospital | $92,255 | $44.35 |
| 2 | Hebrew SeniorLife | $88,290 | $42.45 |
| 3 | Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region | $83,387 | $40.09 |
| 4 | UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital | $83,316 | $40.06 |
| 5 | Boston Medical Center | $82,751 | $39.78 |
| 6 | Children's Minnesota | $82,159 | $39.50 |
| 7 | Stanford Health Care | $81,698 | $39.28 |
| 8 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $80,730 | $38.81 |
| 9 | Griffin Hospital | $78,128 | $37.56 |
| 10 | University of Maryland Medical System | $77,466 | $37.24 |
| 11 | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | $77,118 | $37.08 |
| 12 | Avalon Hospice | $75,661 | $36.38 |
| 13 | The University of Vermont Health Network | $75,360 | $36.23 |
| 14 | Hospice Care Plus | $75,139 | $36.12 |
| 15 | Mount Sinai Health System | $75,018 | $36.07 |
| 16 | Children's Hospital & Medical Center | $74,710 | $35.92 |
| 17 | Park Nicollet Medical Center Inc | $74,632 | $35.88 |
| 18 | GradyHealth | $74,079 | $35.61 |
| 19 | Baystate Health | $73,618 | $35.39 |
| 20 | Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital | $73,188 | $35.19 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chaplain salary by industry
The average chaplain salary varies across industries:
- The average chaplain salary in the health care industry is $58,864, the highest of any industry.
- The average chaplain salary in the finance industry is $51,031.
- Chaplains in the government industry earn an average salary of $42,011, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for chaplains
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $58,864 | $28.30 |
| 2 | Professional | $51,031 | $24.53 |
| 3 | Non Profits | $46,807 | $22.50 |
| 4 | Government | $42,011 | $20.20 |
High Paying Chaplain Jobs
Chaplain salary trends
The average chaplain salary has risen by $6,967 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chaplain earned $39,425 annually, but today, they earn $46,392 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for chaplains over the last decade.
Compare chaplain salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chaplain salary over time
Compare chaplain salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Chaplain salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $46,400 | $22.30 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $45,000 | $21.64 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $43,800 | $21.04 | +3.9% |
| 2022 | $42,100 | $20.23 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $40,900 | $19.64 | +3.3% |
Recently added chaplain salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Illinois | Chaplain I | Pinckneyville, IL | 12/18/2024 | $67,836 |
| Interim Healthcare of Wichita | Chaplain | Salina, KS | 12/16/2024 | $43,827 |
| Providence Health Plan Group | Specialty Chaplain | Seattle, WA | 12/16/2024 | $67,619 |
| Florida Department of Financial Services | Fdc-Ops Chaplain-F/C-70930582-Martin Correctional Institution | Indiantown, FL | 12/16/2024 | $43,827 |
| Zuckerberg San Francisco General | Chaplain (3530)-Department of Public Health | San Francisco, CA | 12/16/2024 | $90,584 |
| Nhccare | Chaplain | Wytheville, VA | 12/16/2024 | $45,914 |
| Azstatejobs | Chaplain I | Pine, AZ | 12/16/2024 | $48,000 |
| Adventist Health System | Chaplain PRN | Boone, CO | 12/15/2024 | $51,653 |
| Interim Healthcare | Chaplain | Sunrise, FL | 12/14/2024 | $43,827 |
| Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | Chaplain-SCI Somerset | Somerset, PA | 12/14/2024 | $58,035 |
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