Leads a congregation's ministry to middle and high school students through weekly gatherings, mentoring, trips, retreats and family support. BLS does not publish separate figures for directors, religious activities and education; it counts them within director, religious activity and education (SOC 21-2021), whose median pay is $52,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 21-2021
- Community and Social Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Youth Pastor in four numbers
- Median pay
- $52,100a year, or $25.05/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $35KTop 10% $98K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.3%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 13,000141,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025141.9K
- Projected 2035146.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 141.9K Projected 2035 146.6K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school0.9%
- Certificate21.1%
- Associate's14.4%
- Bachelor's53.6%
- Post-bacc certificate0.6%
- Master's9.2%
Highest education held by directors, religious activities and education Segment Value High school 0.9% Certificate 21.1% Associate's 14.4% Bachelor's 53.6% Post-bacc certificate 0.6% Master's 9.2%
Also advertised as: Youth Minister, Student Pastor, Director of Youth Ministry, Youth Ministry Coordinator, Student Ministries Director.
Pay
How much do Directors, Religious Activities and Education make?
Every youth pastor in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$52,100
Middle half earn $44,010 to $73,730
- 10th
- $34,670
- 25th
- $44,010
- 75th
- $73,730
- 90th
- $98,310
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $34,670 |
| 25th | $44,010 |
| Median | $52,100 |
| 75th | $73,730 |
| 90th | $98,310 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $52,100
- Median hourly wage
- $25.05/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $62,100
- People employed
- 22,160
Versus all US occupations
At $52,100, the median for Directors, Religious Activities and Education sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus community and social service occupations
Inside the Community and Social Service group, where the middle occupation pays $60,300, this is 14% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $98,310 or more while the bottom 10% earn $34,670, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 25% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Alabama pays the most at $79,310, and still leads at $89,290 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Directors, Religious Activities and Education the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Alabama | $79,310 | $89,290 | 90 |
| 2Texas | $75,420 | $77,707 | 330 |
| 3Georgia | $72,910 | $75,717 | 320 |
| 4Nebraska | $72,500 | $80,463 | 40 |
| 5Colorado | $67,760 | $65,753 | 100 |
| 6Iowa | $66,140 | $75,363 | 220 |
| 7New Jersey | $65,730 | $60,411 | N/A |
| 8North Carolina | $63,280 | $67,086 | 260 |
| 9Massachusetts | $62,930 | $59,504 | 160 |
| 10Nevada | $62,460 | $62,473 | 90 |
Job outlook
Is Youth Pastor a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Directors, Religious Activities and Education | +3.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Directors, Religious Activities and Education to change 3.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 4,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 13,000 openings are projected each year, 9.2% of the 141,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Youth Pastor
Many churches prefer a bachelor's degree in youth ministry, theology, Bible or a related field, and some expect seminary training or ordination, depending on the denomination. Christian colleges and seminaries offer dedicated youth ministry programs, and practical experience volunteering or interning with a youth group is often what gets someone hired.
Denominations set their own requirements for licensing or ordination. The Association of Youth Ministry Educators connects the academic programs that train youth pastors, and organizations such as Princeton Theological Seminary's Institute for Youth Ministry offer continuing education. Many people start as volunteer leaders or ministry interns while in college.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as directors, religious activities and education.
- Bachelor's Degree53.6%
- Post-Secondary Certificate21.1%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree14.4%
- Master's Degree9.2%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)0.9%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 53.6% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 21.1% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 14.4% |
| Master's Degree | 9.2% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 0.9% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Youth Pastor do?
Youth pastors lead the part of a congregation focused on teenagers. They plan and teach weekly youth group meetings and small groups, train adult volunteers to mentor students, and organize events such as retreats, summer camps, mission trips and service projects.
A big part of the job is relationships. Youth pastors show up at games and school events, meet students for coffee, and are often the trusted adult a teenager calls during a crisis involving family problems, mental health or faith questions. They work with parents, coordinate with the senior pastor and other staff, and follow child safety policies covering background checks, supervision and reporting. In smaller churches the role is often part-time or combined with children's or worship ministry.
Day-to-day tasks
- Plan and teach weekly youth group gatherings
- Recruit, screen and train adult volunteer leaders
- Organize retreats, camps and mission trips
- Mentor and counsel students individually
- Communicate with parents and support families
- Follow child safety and reporting policies
- Attend student events to build relationships
- Coordinate youth programs with church leadership
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Youth pastors work in church offices and in the community, with heavy evening and weekend schedules around school calendars. Trips, camps and overnight retreats are a regular part of the job, and the work is high energy and relationship driven.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.9
- Learning Strategies3.8
- Writing3.3
- Monitoring3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Instructing3.9
- Service Orientation3.9
- Coordination3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.5
- Persuasion3.1
- Systems Analysis3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Instructing | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.5 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Desktop publishing software
- Instant messaging software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Youth Pastor?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SEA) built on O*NET's Director, Religious Activity and Education profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Youth Pastor |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Social7.0
- Enterprising6.2
- Artistic4.1
- Conventional3.2
- Investigative2.7
- Realistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Youth Pastor
O*NET related occupations
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor
$64,330median a year
Most earn $45K to $105K
+2.9%Master's - Management
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
More community and social service careers
Median annual pay, with directors, religious activities and education highlighted
- Healthcare Social Worker$67,880
- Marriage and Family Therapist$66,940
- Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$66,270
- Health Education Specialist$64,070
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$60,280
- Youth Pastor$52,100
- Community Health Worker$51,850
- Rehabilitation Counselor$46,850
- Social and Human Service Assistant$45,930
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Worker | $67,880 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $66,940 |
| Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist | $66,270 |
| Health Education Specialist | $64,070 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $60,280 |
| Youth Pastor | $52,100 |
| Community Health Worker | $51,850 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $46,850 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $45,930 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Youth Pastor appears on
Questions
Youth Pastor: frequently asked questions
How much do Directors, Religious Activities and Education make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for directors, religious activities and education. It counts them within director, religious activity and education, whose median pay is $52,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $44,010 and $73,730, and the top 10% earn $98,310 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Youth Pastor?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Directors, Religious Activities and Education, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 53.6% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Youth Pastor a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.3% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 13,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Youth Pastor do?
Youth pastors lead the part of a congregation focused on teenagers. A typical task: plan and teach weekly youth group gatherings. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Graphics or photo imaging software.
Which states pay Directors, Religious Activities and Education the most?
The highest state medians for Directors, Religious Activities and Education are Alabama ($79,310), Texas ($75,420), Georgia ($72,910) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Youth Pastor?
O*NET scores Directors, Religious Activities and Education highest on the Social, Enterprising and Artistic interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ENFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.