Pastor Salary in California is an index of all the pastor salary in California cities. Please note that this tool doesn’t calculate how much you actually would earn, but instead it provides a general idea about your salaries.
Pastor salary statistics for California are available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is part of the U.S. Department of Labor. The bureau publishes an Occupational Outlook Handbook every year that includes information about different occupations and how much they pay.
The following chart shows how much pastors make in California:
If you’re looking to become a pastor in California, we have good news: you’re going to make a lot of money.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pastor salary in California is $60,540 per year. That’s nearly double the national average! The top 10% of pastors in California earn over $77,000 per year. This article also discusses pastor salary los angeles, how to become a pastor in california.
Pastor Salary In California
As of Oct 21, 2022, the average annual pay for a Pastor in California is $41,190 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $19.80 an hour. This is the equivalent of $792/week or $3,432/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $87,835 and as low as $11,414, the majority of Pastor salaries currently range between $24,316 (25th percentile) to $50,617 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $67,985 annually in California.
The average pay range for a Pastor varies greatly (as much as $26,301), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Pastor job market in California is not very active as few companies are currently hiring.
California ranks number 25 out of 50 states nationwide for Pastor salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Pastor jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Pastor Jobs in California
We’ve identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Pastor job is above the average in California. Topping the list is San Francisco, with Fremont and San Jose close behind in second and third. San Jose beats the California average by 31.9%, and San Francisco furthers that trend with another $16,479 (40.8%) above the $40,405.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Pastor appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 11% between San Francisco and Mission Viejo, reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Pastor role.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $56,884 | $4,740 | $1,094 | $27.35 |
| Fremont | $55,424 | $4,619 | $1,066 | $26.65 |
| San Jose | $53,280 | $4,440 | $1,025 | $25.62 |
| Oakland | $52,706 | $4,392 | $1,014 | $25.34 |
| Hayward | $51,672 | $4,306 | $994 | $24.84 |
| Vallejo | $51,514 | $4,293 | $991 | $24.77 |
| Sunnyvale | $51,305 | $4,275 | $987 | $24.67 |
| Santa Barbara | $51,047 | $4,254 | $982 | $24.54 |
| Concord | $50,799 | $4,233 | $977 | $24.42 |
| Mission Viejo | $50,581 | $4,215 | $973 | $24.32 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Pastor Jobs in California
We found at least 5 jobs related to the Pastor job category that pay more per year than a typical Pastor salary in California. Top examples of these roles include: Senior Lead Pastor, Head Of Church Ministry, and Interim Pastor.
Importantly, all of these jobs are paid between $22,141 (54.8%) and $35,998 (89.1%) more than the average Pastor salary of $40,405. If you’re qualified, getting hired for one of these related Pastor jobs may help you make more money than that of the average Pastor position.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Lead Pastor | $76,402 | $6,367 | $1,469 | $36.73 |
| Head Of Church Ministry | $75,044 | $6,254 | $1,443 | $36.08 |
| Interim Pastor | $64,163 | $5,347 | $1,234 | $30.85 |
| Mission Pastor | $62,966 | $5,247 | $1,211 | $30.27 |
| Work From Home Presbyterian Pastor | $62,546 | $5,212 | $1,203 | $30.07 |
how to become a pastor in california
The state of California has no specific requirements, however, and does not recognize, endorse or license pastors. Your status as a pastor is between you and your church.
Discuss your calling with your religious leaders and the elders in your church or other religious institution. They can help you identify the processes and courses of study specific to your religious institution required for ordination, and help you decide if the clergy is the right path for you.
Complete such a course of study as your religious organization requires. These courses can vary widely in length and scope, depending on your religious order. Some programs are relatively cursory or you can complete them via correspondence or distance learning. Others require a full master’s of divinity degree or its equivalent, requiring years of theological study.
Complete a ministry or leadership program as required by your religious institution. Some traditions require you to complete a period of service in an assistant or apprentice pastoral capacity prior to full ordination.
pastor salary los angeles
As of Oct 21, 2022, the average annual pay for a Church Pastor in Los Angeles is $37,195 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $17.88 an hour. This is the equivalent of $715/week or $3,099/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $63,594 and as low as $11,563, the majority of Church Pastor salaries currently range between $25,753 (25th percentile) to $46,776 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $52,557 annually in Los Angeles.
The average pay range for a Church Pastor varies greatly (as much as $21,023), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Church Pastor job market in both Los Angeles, CA and the surrounding area is very active.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Church Pastor jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Church Pastor Jobs in Los Angeles
We found at least 5 jobs related to the Church Pastor job category that pay more per year than a typical Church Pastor salary in Los Angeles, CA. Top examples of these roles include: Senior Lead Pastor, Church Media Director, and Senior Baptist Pastor.
Importantly, all of these jobs are paid between $25,373 (68.2%) and $37,427 (100.6%) more than the average Church Pastor salary of $37,195. If you’re qualified, getting hired for one of these related Church Pastor jobs may help you make more money than that of the average Church Pastor position.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Lead Pastor | $74,622 | $6,218 | $1,435 | $35.88 |
| Church Media Director | $67,931 | $5,660 | $1,306 | $32.66 |
| Senior Baptist Pastor | $65,124 | $5,427 | $1,252 | $31.31 |
| Senior Associate Pastor | $63,397 | $5,283 | $1,219 | $30.48 |
| Work From Home Preaching Pastor | $62,568 | $5,214 | $1,203 | $30.08 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
