11 Jobs in a Church To Pursue (Plus Salaries and Duties)

Updated June 24, 2022

Churches offer a wide variety of employment opportunities to people of different experience levels and skill sets. No matter the religion, you can often find open positions at your local church. Knowing the types of church jobs you can pursue can help you make a more informed career decision. In this article, we list the various jobs in a church you can pursue, in addition to their average salaries and main duties, to help you find a role suited to your skill set.

11 jobs in a church

If you want to pursue a religious career, there are many jobs in churches to consider. Whether you want a spiritual role or something more behind the scenes, you can find a role that will suit you. Here are 11 different jobs available in a church:

1. Custodian

National average salary: $23,540 per year

Primary duties: Church custodians clean and perform basic repairs between events, services and activities. They ensure the cleanliness of church buildings and grounds. Church custodians may also clean certain areas and rooms, such as the sanctuary, bathroom or meeting area.

Related: Learn About Being a Custodian

2. Music director

National average salary: $30,797 per year

Primary duties: Music directors at a church lead a choir and worship music ministry. They plan and organize all worship services with music and media. Music directors also perform a variety of administrative tasks, like establishing the music program's budget and holding office hours.

3. Church secretary

National average salary: $32,642 per year

Primary duties: Church secretaries handle the church office's daily operations. They also help pastors and church staff with administrative and clerical duties. Church secretaries answer phone calls, organize schedules, file paperwork and create programs for worship services.

4. Youth pastor

National average salary: $37,649 per year

Primary duties: Youth pastors serve as spiritual mentors to a church's youth group, which often comprises individuals aged 12-30. They oversee the youth ministry and encourage each student's spiritual growth. Youth pastors also offer counseling and support to these individuals and provide instruction that's aligned with their church's religion.

5. Receptionist

National average salary: $40,949 per year

Primary duties: A church receptionist performs clerical and administrative tasks at the front desk of the building. They answer phone calls and greet people as they enter. These receptionists may also perform other duties that involve computers, such as typing documents.

6. Worship leader

National average salary: $41,473 per year

Primary duties: Worship leaders lead the worship music portion of a church service. They assemble a worship team, organize rehearsals, create worship sets and team member schedules and attend staff meetings.

7. Pastor

National average salary: $42,586 per year

Primary duties: Pastors lead a church or congregation. They prepare weekly sermons, preach during worship services, counsel church members and interpret biblical scripture to their congregation.

Related: Learn About Being a Pastor

8. Associate pastor

National average salary: $43,397 per year

Primary duties: Associate pastors help a senior or lead pastor with duties related to the church's daily operations. They may manage church ministry events, help with church services or oversee church volunteers.

9. Chaplain

National average salary: $49,959 per year

Primary duties: Chaplains perform religious rites, lead worship services, offer counseling and provide advice on various spiritual and religious matters. They typically serve people in health care settings, as well as those at fire departments, police departments and prisons. Chaplains also oversee education programs, provide crisis intervention and create spiritual care plans for patients alongside health staff members.

10. Office manager

National average salary: $52,568 per year

Primary duties: Office managers in a church handle the daily operations of their congregation's office. They create budgets, manage payroll and record church income from various sources like donations and sales. These office managers also organize church events and meetings, handle correspondence and manage databases.

11. Accountant

National average salary: $55,904 per year

Primary duties: Church accountants maintain their congregation's financial documents. They record expenses, track contributions and review all church spending. Church accountants also obtain and record pledges, process financial information and deter fraud.

Tips for finding jobs in churches

When starting your job search, it's important to implement different strategies to help you make the most of your time. Having a more efficient job search can also help you find more worthwhile employment opportunities. Use these tips to help you find a church job:

Review the job requirements. Before applying for a church position, read through the job post to determine what the church seeks in a candidate. Then, consider your own skill set and qualifications and only apply if they appear to align.
Search for jobs online. Find relevant openings on church job sites. Using these sites can help you narrow down your search and ensure you know of find jobs in which you're actually interested.
Talk with churches directly. Since not all churches post their open positions online, consider contacting them directly so you can speak with them in person. Get to know the churches you're interested in working for, as well as some of its key leaders.
Consider your skills. As you search for employment, think of your strongest skills and which church jobs use them. Research some common skill sets for various church positions and see where your qualifications align.
Maintain an organized job search. While you search for jobs, keep track of the positions for which you apply. Remember who you applied with, who you spoke with and with whom you have yet to apply.
Use your network. Consider asking your friends, family and professional network if they know of any church job openings you might find interesting. If they know of a job you want to apply for, they may provide you with a letter of recommendation to help you get the job.