The highest-paying states for clergy (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of clergy in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $72,350, Washington is the highest paying state for clergy. It is followed by District of Columbia (average annual salary $66,470). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of clergy in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $72,350 |
$48,870 | 860 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $66,470 |
$51,130 | 230 |
| 3 | California | $64,620 |
$38,330 | 5,990 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $64,240 |
$39,730 | 810 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $63,500 |
$37,110 | 90 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $61,260 |
$35,590 | 1,320 |
| 7 | Nevada | $60,840 |
$25,790 | 120 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $60,460 |
$43,140 | 460 |
| 9 | Maine | $60,150 |
$42,480 | 100 |
| 10 | Colorado | $60,000 |
$48,340 | 530 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $59,820 |
$37,770 | 630 |
| 12 | Arizona | $58,710 |
$30,180 | 1,300 |
| 13 | Montana | $58,570 |
$27,320 | 600 |
| 14 | Maryland | $58,390 |
$36,230 | 940 |
| 15 | Vermont | $58,230 |
$52,810 | 40 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $57,200 |
$42,870 | 120 |
| 17 | New York | $56,600 |
$30,080 | 7,260 |
| 18 | Georgia | $55,700 |
$33,070 | 1,070 |
| 19 | Virginia | $55,410 |
$28,870 | 1,230 |
| 20 | Delaware | $54,210 |
$47,490 | 70 |
| 21 | Missouri | $54,170 |
$38,680 | 730 |
| 22 | Iowa | $52,870 |
$42,740 | 370 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $52,450 |
$23,320 | 920 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $52,440 |
$29,070 | 2,280 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $51,780 |
$37,790 | 250 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $51,700 |
$30,370 | 1,150 |
| 27 | Oregon | $51,340 |
$31,640 | 4,220 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $51,260 |
$30,040 | 1,380 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $51,070 |
$29,580 | 390 |
| 30 | Florida | $50,980 |
$28,550 | 3,170 |
| 31 | Illinois | $50,650 |
$29,870 | 2,040 |
| 32 | Indiana | $50,380 |
$37,840 | 1,110 |
| 33 | Ohio | $50,310 |
$35,990 | 1,640 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $49,970 |
$35,890 | 330 |
| 35 | Texas | $49,590 |
$34,720 | 2,870 |
| 36 | Alabama | $49,430 |
$24,820 | 550 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $49,410 |
$33,810 | 50 |
| 38 | Kansas | $49,400 |
$40,490 | 370 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $49,040 |
$29,530 | 280 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $48,570 |
$29,170 | 150 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $48,200 |
$34,990 | 230 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $47,800 |
$35,290 | 600 |
| 43 | Alaska | $47,490 |
$30,700 | 100 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $47,370 |
$32,070 | 190 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $47,100 |
$35,060 | 440 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $46,550 |
$30,040 | 570 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $46,280 |
$28,730 | 220 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $45,480 |
$29,360 | 450 |
| 49 | Michigan | $44,660 |
$30,450 | 1,880 |
| 50 | Utah | $44,160 |
$26,950 | 160 |
| 51 | Guam | $44,040 |
$18,090 | 50 |
| 52 | Idaho | $35,050 |
$35,030 | 180 |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $22,670 |
$18,020 | 270 |