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Clergy
Conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination. Provide spiritual and moral guidance and assistance to members.
Other titles employers use
Bishop · Chaplain · Children's Minister · Imam · Minister · Pastor · Priest · Rabbi
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Pray and promote spirituality.
- Prepare and deliver sermons or other talks.
- Read from sacred texts, such as the Bible, Torah, or Koran.
- Organize and lead regular religious services.
- Instruct people who seek conversion to a particular faith.
- Share information about religious issues by writing articles, giving speeches, or teaching.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, persuading and creative work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Social Perceptiveness
- Instructing
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
Subjects to know
- Philosophy and Theology
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
Useful strengths
- Speech Clarity
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.0 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.3 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 1.3 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A master's degree 48%
- A four-year degree 18%
- A certificate or some college 15%
- High school or less 12%
- A doctorate or professional degree 7%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Electronic mail software
- Web page creation and editing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Instant messaging software
- Calendar and scheduling software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 54,370
- Job openings each year
- 4,660
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 8.2%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 54,370 | 4,660 | 8.2% |
| Ohio | 20,820 | 1,750 | 4.5% |
| Florida | 18,760 | 1,580 | 4.7% |
| Illinois | 18,560 | 1,520 | — |
| California | 17,100 | 1,490 | 10.3% |
| North Carolina | 16,390 | 1,360 | 2.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 14,870 | 1,210 | — |
| Arkansas | 14,170 | 1,220 | 9.3% |
| New York | 13,010 | 230 | 21.2% |
| Indiana | 13,000 | 1,080 | 2.4% |
| Tennessee | 12,140 | 960 | −3.1% |
| Alabama | 9,610 | 820 | 7.1% |
| Maine | 5,790 | 450 | −4.9% |
| Oregon | 5,230 | 450 | 10.1% |
| Georgia | 4,400 | 370 | 3.8% |
| Missouri | 3,810 | 300 | −4.3% |
| Minnesota | 3,260 | 270 | — |
| Arizona | 2,910 | 250 | 7.8% |
| Connecticut | 2,610 | 230 | 10.6% |
| New Jersey | 2,490 | 210 | 2.5% |
| South Dakota | 2,160 | 180 | 6.4% |
| Michigan | 2,130 | 170 | — |
| Virginia | 1,450 | 130 | 8.2% |
| Maryland | 1,380 | 120 | 6.2% |
| North Dakota | 1,350 | 110 | −3.6% |
| Wisconsin | 1,270 | 110 | 3.3% |
| South Carolina | 1,030 | 90 | 17.0% |
| Colorado | 930 | 80 | 16.3% |
| Washington | 900 | 90 | 15.4% |
| Vermont | 880 | 70 | 6.0% |
| New Hampshire | 770 | 60 | 1.3% |
| Montana | 730 | 60 | 10.6% |
| Oklahoma | 720 | 60 | 2.9% |
| Kentucky | 610 | 50 | 5.2% |
| Kansas | 550 | 50 | 7.8% |
| Iowa | 490 | 40 | 14.0% |
| Louisiana | 490 | 40 | 8.9% |
| Puerto Rico | 390 | 30 | 11.4% |
| Nebraska | 340 | 30 | 9.7% |
| Massachusetts | 320 | 30 | 10.3% |
| Mississippi | 300 | 30 | 11.1% |
| District of Columbia | 280 | 20 | 3.7% |
| West Virginia | 260 | 20 | 4.0% |
| Idaho | 250 | 20 | 25.0% |
| New Mexico | 230 | 20 | 15.0% |
| Nevada | 170 | 20 | 13.3% |
| Delaware | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Franciscan University of Steubenville
- Degrees each year
- 104
- Admit rate
- 72%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
James Madison University
- Degrees each year
- 415
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Liberty University
- Degrees each year
- 93
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
University of Notre Dame
- Degrees each year
- 51
- Admit rate
- 12%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Old Dominion University
- Degrees each year
- 156
- Admit rate
- 91%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Regent University
- Degrees each year
- 44
- Admit rate
- 41%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
University of Arizona
- Degrees each year
- 114
- Admit rate
- 86%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
University of Dallas
- Degrees each year
- 20
- Admit rate
- 54%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Compare every college offering theological and ministerial studies