i have to say those figures, if they truly represent the state of pastor pay are scandalous — and i work for a church, not as a pastor, but as a web developer for about a third of the cited figure (my church attendance is 500+) and i live in a top 10 us metro/city, though it’s not as expensive as NY or SF…

what is the average salary for u.s. worker? 40-50K? somewhere in that range… …that your average pastor makes 2X that? plus all of the tax benefits enjoyed (easily amount to 5-10K+, if that’s not already factored in to the survey figures…)

what kind of sacrifice is that? what message does it send that the pastor lives the good life, able to indulge in material pursuits that congregation give offerings intended to serve the poor…

at the minimum, it sends a bad message to nonbelievers and is very unchristian IMV…

not that they shouldn’t be entitled to a decent living, but 2X the average person?

Naum,
I’m a mentor to a young man serving at minimum salary in the UMC as he begins his ministry. He now has over $100,000 of debt he accrued getting through 4 years of college and 3 years of seminary. Most of the “average workers” you mention don’t have this kind of debt to deal with right away.

Another reason pastors are compensated better today than in previous generations is that the church became embarrassed about having to provide charity for retired pastors living in poverty.

Fishon,

As a fellow rural pastor, I echo your passion for pastoring in small out of the way places. God cares for the Corinths and the Colossaes of the world.

We use an affordable Christian ministry to help with medical bills. Check it out at http://www.tccm.org/. Health issues don’t have to wipe you out!

Derek

Friends,

We have 350 people involved a week—up from about 180 two years ago.  I’m the only full-time person but I also gratefully have the following paid staff working alongside me ...

3/4 time office manager
3/4 time worship arts director
3/4 time student ministries director
1/2 time office assistant
1/2 time children’s ministries director
1/3 time finance manager
1/4 time student ministries assistant
1/4 time community groups coordinator
1/4 time drama coordinator
1/4 webmaster
1/4 administrative support

TOTAL STAFF = 5.75 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES

Our total Ministry Funding Plan is 403K
My total payment as the lead pastor-teacher is right around 80K [salary,-housing (55k), insurance (13K), retirement (7K), fuel allowance (1.5K) and professional expenses 3.5K)].

Wow!! I am surprised at those figures.  I am not a senior pastor, nor do I want to be, as I see what they have to go through and deal with.  It is a LOT of responsibility, and appears to be overwhelming to me.

I am, however, a youth pastor at a church running 300-500 people, and a youth group running 50-100.  My salary is 25K and that includes benefits.  I cant live off of that, so my wife has to have a great full-time job just to help support us, while my pastors wife is employed by the church.  My wife is vitally important to my job but doesnt really have the time to dedicate, as she has to work and be a mother, etc.

My question is: Why do youth pastors get the short end of the stick on the pay scale?  We have senior pastors making 88K, but youth guys making 25k.  I can tell you, I dont have anywhere near the responsibility my pastor has, and dont expect equal pay, but I do A LOT at the church above and beyond my job description, and work well over 50 hours a week, but struggle to make ends meet.  This seems to me like a typical situation that in my mind at least, needs to be rectified.

I think that Frustrated is just Todd trying to stir the pot!

Great job Todd it work!

Craig

Todd.

You initial statements were a little misleading and has lead to some discussion.  Just to clarify, their is a large difference between salary and salary package.  You quoted “What Pastors make” and what you gave numbers for is what a “Pastor costs”.  In most business scenarios, an employee cost 25-35% more than they actually earn, therefore an employee that makes in the mid $50’s could easily cost $75,000.  For example, I live in the d.c. region and health insurance costs over $9,000/year, retirement contributions are about $5,000, Social Security match is another $4,000, and continuing education is $1,500.  So a $55,000 salary now becomes a $74,500 cost, not including vacation allowance.  Just thought I would clarify to make it a fair conversation.  Your opening comment was just not appropriately stated and has caused some unnecssary discussion.  Hope this helps.

This is an interesting discussion.  I have had the privilege of church planting, pastoring a mid-sized church, and now pastoring a 2-site church that is quite large.  These various experiences have afforded me new appreciation for pastors (and pastoral families) of all sizes.  Most pastors that I know are God-honoring, honest, hardworking, underpaid servants for our gracious Lord!

I fully agree that pastors do many things beyond preaching (and some of us preach many more times than 1X each week...indeed, some of us preach a number of times each Sunday and then again on Wesdnesday). 

Although I know many pastors of “larger churches,” (those who may make around that national average according to the Compensation Handbook), but I personally do not know of too many pastors who I believe to be overpaid.  I know many overworked, overstressed, and tired pastors (some of whom are tired of being accused of working a few hours each week)...but as for overpaid pastors...I do not know many of them.

One caution that I might offer (to the dialogue) is this:  it is not just solo pastorates that have overworked clergy.  I have great admiration for solo pastors (and their families), but many larger church pastors (and/or staff pastors) are also working heavy hours.

Amen, Peter,
One of the perks of being a rural pastor is, I get to be a fisher of men and a fisher of Stealhead. I do have more time to spare, but I do get tired of chasing the Rattlesnakes out of my best holes.
fishon

Thses figures of pastors Salaries are completely irelevent and will vary from one pastor to the other. It all depends on what part of the country you live in.

I have a pastor friend who pastors 150 people on the west coast and his salary is around $68,000 a year including housing, utilities gas milage and cell phone and one vehicle and a few misc. comps. Then another pastor I know lives in rural PA. has a little over 300 in his church and draws around 45,K including all the above. T

The difference= Cost of Living. There are hundreds of details that go along with deciding a pastors salary.

Myself we have between 70 and 80 in our church and our salary is 40K plus pretty much all of the same Comps.

When comparing being a Sr. Pastor to the bussiness world and factoring in almost an 70 -75 hour work week plus all the in between hats we wear in the upper end of the spectrum Full time sr. Pastors are vastly under paid. But if you’re heart is in it for the right reasons., thats all doesn’t seem to much matter.

Thank you all and God bless.

Paul did not erect churches....let alone the multi-million dollar “compounds” we see all over the land. Paul didn’t institute “family programs.” Paul didn’t die a wealthy man with followers saying, “a worker is worthy of his pay.”

As a matter of fact, there is evidence that the church continued attending the temple as Jesus did.

I always love the pastors (most of whom have a vested interest in this concept) who quote “do not forsake the assembling of yourselves” to those who don’t attend, but don’t seem to mind or know when asked about how many serious, active, healthy RELATIONSHIPS their parish have.  I would venture to say that in most churches, 20 percent of the people or less have a serious vested interest in each other’s lives and see each other on days other than Sunday.  This makes the church look like a gathering place for money.

Frustrated, I see your frustration, empathize and agree with most of what you say.  Profanity only lessens your credibility and shows how closely you follow the Spirit and Word.  I imagine one’s youthfulness should give him/her a pass in this area, but a person commands more respect when he gives it.

I personally have seen at least two pastors who just couldn’t find time to spend time with a person/people in desparately needed Godly counsel. One was seriously considering suicide.  They were both, and I quote, “so busy lately with my kids and the doctorate I’m working on.” Yes, both of them. I see that too much. 

Yes, the early church was too young to have mega churches, but it seemed the more organized the church got, the more it moved towards paid staff etc, the more trouble and corruption entered.

Peter, I think a pastor should know what his people give.  I realize that it is a huge responsibility to have that information but it is necessary.

One of the most powerful grips Satan has on us as people is materialism.  Debt, selfish spending, over spending, under giving are words that mark us as Christ followers.  If I am responsible to care for spiritually for those in my church, I need to be able to help in this area as well. 

I should know if someone is leaving their spouse, hurting their children, lying, struggling to grow, caught in unforgiveness… Why should I not know if someone is sinning by not being a faithful giver too. 

Giving is not an option, generosity is not an option for us as believers.  Regardless of your opinion about tithing, giving is not optional.  In my experience, almost every single time someone makes a commitment to let God be owner and they become manager in this arena of life, huge spiritual growth follows. 

One task a shepherd has is to guard their flock… the bible warns us to watch out for all kinds of greed.  I think it is necessary to know.