Pay by state · 52 states
Clergy Salary by State (2026)
Clergy earn the most in Washington at $80,830 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $28,880 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $60,810. All 52 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $80,830Washington
- National median
- $60,810BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $28,880Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Clergy salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of clergy OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $80,830 | $68,890 | $91,410 | 1,060 | $75,533 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $77,710 | $61,310 | $97,640 | 7,110 | $70,186 |
| 3 | NVNevada | $73,910 | $60,510 | $79,180 | 210 | $73,926 |
| 4 | MAMassachusetts | $72,190 | $61,250 | $78,530 | 840 | $68,260 |
| 5 | NJNew Jersey | $65,500 | $49,570 | $75,270 | 1,460 | $60,199 |
| 6 | NHNew Hampshire | $65,200 | $60,590 | $75,910 | 100 | $62,593 |
| 7 | VTVermont | $64,950 | $61,430 | $77,490 | 50 | $66,304 |
| 8 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $64,800 | $52,690 | $93,880 | 310 | $58,962 |
| 9 | MEMaine | $64,340 | $57,230 | $74,010 | 160 | $66,296 |
| 10 | NMNew Mexico | $64,100 | $59,490 | $76,000 | 270 | $69,514 |
| 11 | COColorado | $63,700 | $58,860 | $73,300 | 440 | $61,813 |
| 12 | CTConnecticut | $63,470 | $54,850 | $78,000 | 900 | $61,259 |
| 13 | DEDelaware | $63,260 | $58,890 | $75,620 | 120 | $63,382 |
| 14 | OROregon | $63,140 | $49,470 | $79,520 | 3,850 | $61,087 |
| 15 | AZArizona | $61,900 | $51,990 | $76,670 | 1,070 | $61,484 |
| 16 | ILIllinois | $61,820 | $46,630 | $75,160 | 2,200 | $61,846 |
| 17 | MDMaryland | $61,620 | $44,320 | $73,970 | 670 | $58,709 |
| 18 | WYWyoming | $61,590 | $45,190 | $67,350 | 40 | $66,447 |
| 19 | MNMinnesota | $61,230 | $49,720 | $74,260 | 1,160 | $62,086 |
| 20 | HIHawaii | $61,050 | $49,090 | $68,860 | 720 | $55,525 |
| 21 | WIWisconsin | $60,950 | $56,170 | $72,510 | 770 | $64,775 |
| 22 | NDNorth Dakota | $60,680 | $46,610 | $72,490 | 120 | $68,211 |
| 23 | IAIowa | $60,630 | $52,910 | $66,290 | 370 | $69,085 |
| 24 | GAGeorgia | $60,530 | $46,490 | $69,890 | 1,380 | $62,860 |
| 25 | SDSouth Dakota | $59,860 | $48,970 | $72,220 | 140 | $67,573 |
| 26 | RIRhode Island | $59,660 | $42,190 | $71,710 | 230 | $58,330 |
| 27 | NCNorth Carolina | $59,600 | $49,350 | $66,910 | 1,430 | $63,185 |
| 28 | IDIdaho | $59,570 | $41,600 | $72,570 | 150 | $62,381 |
| 29 | MTMontana | $59,550 | $43,610 | $79,890 | 680 | $62,919 |
| 30 | TXTexas | $59,480 | $49,850 | $69,780 | 3,180 | $61,284 |
| 31 | OHOhio | $59,160 | $44,650 | $65,210 | 2,020 | $63,768 |
| 32 | OKOklahoma | $59,110 | $50,670 | $64,900 | 510 | $67,291 |
| 33 | INIndiana | $59,020 | $47,980 | $65,330 | 1,060 | $63,239 |
| 34 | KYKentucky | $58,920 | $48,510 | $65,370 | 410 | $65,351 |
| 35 | MOMissouri | $58,740 | $51,780 | $65,750 | 920 | $64,680 |
| 36 | NYNew York | $58,580 | $47,330 | $81,450 | 7,790 | $54,280 |
| 37 | PAPennsylvania | $58,300 | $41,140 | $65,740 | 2,150 | $59,751 |
| 38 | NENebraska | $57,520 | $50,960 | $62,650 | 270 | $63,838 |
| 39 | TNTennessee | $57,260 | $48,930 | $63,980 | 710 | $62,327 |
| 40 | FLFlorida | $56,940 | $39,460 | $65,960 | 3,560 | $55,060 |
| 41 | SCSouth Carolina | $56,630 | $49,820 | $62,500 | 450 | $60,406 |
| 42 | MIMichigan | $56,490 | $42,790 | $62,020 | 1,880 | $58,711 |
| 43 | AKAlaska | $55,780 | $37,030 | $59,230 | 150 | $54,494 |
| 44 | VAVirginia | $55,430 | $40,570 | $69,690 | 1,220 | $54,825 |
| 45 | LALouisiana | $54,140 | $43,480 | $61,160 | 400 | $61,378 |
| 46 | MSMississippi | $52,450 | $48,270 | $60,790 | 250 | $60,320 |
| 47 | KSKansas | $52,130 | $44,980 | $59,080 | 450 | $57,878 |
| 48 | ALAlabama | $50,180 | $48,140 | $57,650 | 850 | $56,494 |
| 49 | ARArkansas | $49,070 | $38,350 | $59,430 | 350 | $56,443 |
| 50 | WVWest Virginia | $48,460 | $37,390 | $58,970 | 290 | $54,147 |
| 51 | GUGuam | $37,460 | $23,500 | $68,370 | 30 | N/A |
| 52 | PRPuerto Rico | $28,880 | $26,910 | $30,090 | 290 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Clergy, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $80,830, while Washington leads once prices are taken into account at $75,533.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Clergy pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Clergy the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Clergy at $80,830 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($77,710) and Nevada ($73,910).
Which state pays Clergy the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Clergy at $28,880 a year, $51,950 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Clergy earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Washington first at $75,533 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $80,830. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.