The minimum salary for a Methodist pastor is $50,000.
The best way to ensure that a pastor is paid fairly and adequately is to use an industry standard like those provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS has been gathering data on employment in the United States since 1894, when they first began tracking the number of people employed in different professions. They’ve kept their database up-to-date since then, adding more information as it became available.
The BLS uses several different methods to determine what constitutes a “standard” salary for different jobs. For example, they’ll look at average pay for someone with similar experience and education level in their region; or they’ll see what other companies with similar size and type pay their employees; or they’ll simply use their own judgment based on what seems reasonable given all available data points. This last method is how the BLS determined that $50K/year is an appropriate minimum salary for Methodist pastors—and it’s also how we came to this same conclusion ourselves!
In addition to finding out whether or not you’re making enough money at your job (or whether or not you should quit), another good reason why people want to know.
Minimum Salary For Methodist Pastor
The Book of Discipline states that elders in full connection shall receive no less than the base compensation established by the Annual Conference (342.1). In our Annual Conference, the Commission on Equitable Compensation proposes this minimum salary, and it is set by the Annual Conference. Our Conference extends this standard to all clergy appointed full-time, not just to elders. Housing, pension, and insurance benefits may not be included in calculating if the church is paying this minimum compensation.
For 2022, the following minimum salary standards apply.
| Year | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| % increase over previous year | 0% | 2.5% | 2% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 3.0% |
| Full Conference Members | $ 47,077 | $ 47,077 | $ 45,929 | $ 45,028 | $ 43,930 | $ 42,859 |
| Probationary and Associate Members | $ 42,271 | $ 42,271 | $ 41,240 | $ 40,431 | $ 39,445 | $ 38,483 |
| Full-time Local Pastors | $ 39,625 | $ 39,625 | $ 38,658 | $ 37,900 | $ 36,976 | $ 36,074 |
| Retired Supply ** | deleted | $ 2,000 | $ 2,000 | $ 2,000 | $ 2,000 | $ 2,000 |
| ADDITIONAL BENEFITS: | ||||||
| Spouse or first dependent, if not married | $ 700 | $ 700 | $ 700 | $ 700 | $ 700 | $ 700 |
| First dependent if married (second if not married) | $ 600 | $ 600 | $ 600 | $ 600 | $ 600 | $ 600 |
| Each additional dependent | $ 500 | $ 500 | $ 500 | $ 500 | $ 500 | $ 500 |
For Additional Benefits, the term dependent means “is a dependent on the pastor’s tax return.”
** Note that Retired Supply category was a salary supplement, not a minimum standard. No Retired Supply minister has applied for or received these funds in over 2 decades. The 2021 Annual Conference deleted this category of supplement as no longer needed.
Clergy Benefits and Costs for 2022
Expressed in annual cost
Download a printed copy of this chart
| Category | Min. Salary | Health Ins. Allowance | CRSP-DB | CRSP-DC | CPP |
| Full time elder | $46,195 | Mandatory $17,500 | $5,700 | 3% of salary + housing | 3% of salary + housing |
| Full-time local pastor | $42,391 | Mandatory $17,500 | $5,700 | 3% of salary + housing | 3% of salary + housing |
| 3/4 time elder | Negotiated | Optional $17,500 | $4,275 | 3% of salary + housing | Not eligible |
| 1/2 time elder | Negotiated | Not eligible | $2,850 | 3% of salary + housing | Not eligible |
| 1/4 time elder | Negotiated | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible |
| 3/4 time local pastor | Negotiated | Not eligible | $4,275 | 3% of salary + housing | Not eligible |
| 1/2 time local pastor | Negotiated | Not eligible | $2,850 | 3% of salary + housing | Not eligible |
| 1/4 time local pastor | Negotiated | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible |
| Less than 1/4 time local pastor | Negotiated | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible |
| Supply or CLM | Negotiated | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible |
| Lay employee | Negotiated | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible |
These figures are accurate only for a clergy person appointed by the Bishop to a valid ministry.
For clergy who reside in a church-owned parsonage, the housing benefit is calculated as 25% of salary (not including the health insurance allowance) for pensions.
CRSP-DB — the defined benefits portion of the United Methodist Pension Plan
CRSP-DC — the defined contributions portion of the United Methodist Pension Plan
CPP — a death and disability insurance plan for United Methodist pastors
Deacons — Same as elders for minimum salary, pension; health insurance is optional, unless appointed to a church as the pastor
Lay employees, supply and CLM’s are not eligible for the United Methodist Clergy benefits plans. However, the employer may provide pension benefits from another United Methodist plan or a commercial vendor.
