Catholic Priest Salary (January 2024) - Zippia (2024)

Updated September 14, 2023

Average catholic priest salary

$37,428

To create our salary estimates, Zippia starts with data published in publicly available sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC) Show More

$17.99 hourly rate

Entry-level catholic priest salary

$24,000 yearly salary

How much does a catholic priest make?

The average catholic priest salary in the United States is $37,428. Catholic priest salaries typically range between $24,000 and $57,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for catholic priests is $17.99 per hour.

Catholic priest salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Catholic priests earn the highest average salary in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, and Delaware.

Catholic priest salary summary.

  • The average salary for a catholic priest is $37,428 in the US.
  • The average catholic priest salary ranges between $24,000 and $57,000 in the US.
  • Catholic priests' hourly rates in the US typically range between $11 and $27 an hour.
  • Catholic priests earn the highest salaries in Rhode Island ($51,254), Massachusetts ($51,039), and Maine ($47,733).
  • Catholic priest salaries at Baptist Health South Florida are the highest of any company.

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Catholic priest salary by:

Average catholic priest salary by state

The average catholic priest salary in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average catholic priest salary states are Louisiana, Nebraska, and Alabama.

  • State View
  • County View

Highest paying states for catholic priests

RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1Massachusetts$51,039$24.546
2Rhode Island$51,254$24.64
3Maine$47,733$22.95
4Delaware$47,310$22.75
5Wyoming$44,418$21.35
6Idaho$43,651$20.991
7Minnesota$46,381$22.30
8Connecticut$47,430$22.80
9West Virginia$42,979$20.66
10Arizona$43,849$21.08
11Washington$43,567$20.952
12California$46,108$22.173
13Vermont$42,988$20.67
14Nevada$40,867$19.655
15New Hampshire$41,625$20.01
16New York$44,561$21.42
17North Dakota$39,974$19.22
18Colorado$40,352$19.40
19District of Columbia$43,703$21.01
20Tennessee$37,642$18.10
21Wisconsin$38,104$18.32
22Utah$37,330$17.95
23Florida$37,591$18.072
24Indiana$35,964$17.29
25Iowa$35,483$17.06
26South Carolina$35,543$17.09
27Kansas$35,222$16.93
28Oregon$36,052$17.33
29Pennsylvania$35,609$17.12
30New Jersey$37,772$18.16
31Hawaii$38,319$18.42
32New Mexico$34,394$16.54
33Maryland$37,278$17.92
34Illinois$34,739$16.70
35Ohio$33,114$15.92
36North Carolina$33,823$16.26
37Texas$34,080$16.38
38Michigan$33,451$16.08
39Virginia$34,881$16.77
40Missouri$33,726$16.21
41Oklahoma$33,110$15.92
42South Dakota$31,348$15.07
43Kentucky$32,098$15.43
44Nebraska$30,893$14.85
45Alaska$28,798$13.85
46Georgia$32,252$15.51
47Montana$31,030$14.92
48Alabama$30,521$14.67
49Louisiana$30,987$14.90
50Arkansas$29,426$14.15
51Mississippi$26,936$12.95

Highest paying cities for catholic priests

The highest-paying cities for catholic priests are Dublin, CA, Dover, DE, and Minneapolis, MN.

RankCityAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1Dublin, CA$47,178$22.68
2Dover, DE$46,738$22.471
3Minneapolis, MN$46,401$22.31
4Washington, DC$43,680$21.001
5Colorado Springs, CO$40,438$19.442
6Buffalo, NY$37,997$18.27
7Passaic, NJ$37,991$18.26
8Miami, FL$37,948$18.24
9Baltimore, MD$37,800$18.17
10Arlington, VA$36,721$17.652
11Wichita, KS$35,221$16.931
12Chicago, IL$34,908$16.78
13Chesterfield, MO$33,757$16.23

Catholic Priest salary details

A catholic priest's salary ranges from $24,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $57,000 at the 90th percentile.

Catholic Priest Salary (January 2024) - Zippia (2)

What is a catholic priest's salary?

PercentileAnnual SalaryMonthly SalaryHourly Rate
90th Percentile$57,000$4,750$27
75th Percentile$46,000$3,833$22
Average$37,428$3,119$18
25th Percentile$29,000$2,417$14
10th Percentile$24,000$2,000$12

Highest paying catholic priest jobs

The highest paying types of catholic priests are hospice chaplain, evangelist, and hospital chaplain.

Job TitleAnnual SalaryMonthly SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
Pastor$44,787$3,732$21.53494
Hospice Chaplain$52,027$4,336$25.019,571
Chaplain$46,392$3,866$22.302,600
Evangelist$50,297$4,191$24.18753
Youth Minister$41,513$3,459$19.962,830
Youth Pastor$39,712$3,309$19.093,120

Which companies pay catholic priests the most?

Catholic priest salaries at Baptist Health South Florida and St. Luke's Hospital are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average catholic priest salary at companies like Mayo Clinic and Rhode Island Catholic are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly Rate
1Baptist Health Home Care$82,693$39.76
2St. Luke's Hospital$70,165$33.73
3Mayo Clinic$47,731$22.95
4Rhode Island Catholic$43,991$21.15
5CHI Mercy Health$43,447$20.89
6Northwestern Medicine$42,170$20.27
7BayCare Health System$41,960$20.17
8Memorial Care Medical Group$36,835$17.71
9Americorps$35,732$17.18
10Diocese of Camden$35,434$17.04
11Diocese of Paterson$35,269$16.96
12Sanford Health$34,097$16.39
13Archdiocese of Chicago$33,909$16.30
14Providence Health & Services$33,869$16.28
15Allina Health$33,769$16.24

Catholic Priest salary trends

The average catholic priest salary has risen by $5,620 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average catholic priest earned $31,808 annually, but today, they earn $37,428 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for catholic priests over the last decade.

Compare catholic priest salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average catholic priest salary over time

Compare catholic priest salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

    Catholic Priest salary by year

    YearAvg. SalaryHourly Rate% Change
    2023$37,400$17.99+3.0%
    2022$36,300$17.46+2.8%
    2021$35,300$16.97+3.9%
    2020$33,900$16.32+2.9%
    2019$33,000$15.85+3.3%

    Show more

    Recently added catholic priest salaries

    CompanyJobLocationDate AddedSalary
    Mayo Clinic Health SystemCatholic Priest ChaplainJacksonville, FL04/06/2023$59,480
    Mayo Clinic Health SystemCatholic Priest ChaplainJacksonville, FL01/20/2023$57,747
    Mayo Clinic Health SystemCatholic Priest ChaplainRochester, MN01/20/2023$43,430
    Mayo ClinicCatholic Priest ChaplainRochester, MN10/29/2022$43,430
    Mayo ClinicCatholic Priest ChaplainRochester, MN10/29/2022$43,430
    Roman Catholic Diocese of ColumbusRoman Catholic PriestColumbus, OH09/14/2022$40,188
    Roman Catholic Diocese of ColumbusRoman Catholic PriestColumbus, OH09/14/2022$39,510
    Diocese of San BernardinoRoman Catholic PriestRiverside, CA08/06/2022$38,630
    Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los AngelesCatholic PriestCleveland, OH07/29/2022$39,820
    Roman Catholic Diocese of ColumbusRoman Catholic PriestWorthington, OH07/27/2022$39,132

    Show more

    Catholic Priest salary FAQs

    What state pays Catholic Priests the most?

    Rhode Island pays Catholic Priests the most in the United States, with an average salary of $51,254 per year, or $24.64 per hour.

    How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a Catholic Priest?

    You know if you are being paid fairly as a Catholic Priest if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Massachusetts you should be paid close to $51,039 per year.

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    Updated September 14, 2023

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    Catholic Priest Salary (January 2024) - Zippia (2024)

    FAQs

    Catholic Priest Salary (January 2024) - Zippia? ›

    Catholic priest salaries typically range between $24,000 and $57,000 yearly.

    How much are Catholic priests paid in US? ›

    The salaries of Catholic Priests in The US range from $48,747 to $560,855, and the average is $112,106.

    Can you make a living as a priest? ›

    Some priests take a vow of poverty and give all their possessions to the church as a sign of commitment, but most priests earn enough to live a comfortable life.

    How many hours a week do Catholic priests work? ›

    The 40 hours are somewhat regularly scheduled, and the 10-25 additional hours are unscheduled and as-needed. Regular hours are those often scheduled: office hours, Sunday and other worship service times, Bible studies, meetings, confirmation classes, etc.

    How much do priests get paid in the Archdiocese of New York? ›

    The salary range for a Roman Catholic Priest job is from $87,824 to $125,395 per year in New York.

    Do priests pay income tax in USA? ›

    Regardless of whether you're a minister performing ministerial services as an employee or a self-employed person, all of your earnings, including wages, offerings, and fees you receive for performing marriages, baptisms, funerals, etc., are subject to income tax.

    How much do Catholic nuns get paid? ›

    Catholic Nun Salary
    Annual SalaryMonthly Pay
    Top Earners$125,000$10,416
    75th Percentile$125,000$10,416
    Average$84,999$7,083
    25th Percentile$60,000$5,000

    Does a priest have to be a virgin to become a priest? ›

    So no, virginity is apparently not a requirement, but a vow of celibacy is.

    How much does the Pope earn? ›

    Popes usually get paid hendsomely, the current wage he gets is $32,000 on a monthly basis but he refused to get any of that money. Instead, Pope Francis decided to either donate this money to the church, use it to endow a foundation, placed in trust or pass it on to a family member.

    How much vacation do priests get? ›

    Most priests take one day off each week and have up to a month off each year for vacation.

    What does a Catholic priest do all day? ›

    A priest does a lot of visiting, whether to the sick in hospitals or nursing homes, or to families in their communities with all of the various activities involved in family life. Working with various parish and other neighborhood organizations is also a component of a priest's life.

    How many times can a priest say Mass in one day? ›

    According to the Code of Canon Law, while a priest "may not celebrate (Mass) more than once a day," a bishop may "for a good reason allow priests to celebrate twice in one day or even, if pastoral need requires it, three times on Sundays or holy days of obligation."

    How do Catholic priests get money? ›

    That's because priests receive a stipend from the Church. While a salary pays for a set of completed tasks, a stipend is an allowance, allowing priests to focus on their vocation and serve communities.

    Are Catholic priests allowed to make money? ›

    While the Church's abiding principle is that priests should not seek any compensation for administering the sacraments beyond voluntary offerings given to them by the parish or pastor/administrator, the archdiocese recognizes that customarily, supply priests are compensated, particularly when the priests may be relying ...

    Do Catholic priests have to pay for seminary? ›

    Once a seminarian is accepted by a particular diocese or religious order, his education is typically all paid for by that diocese or order. The application for seminary is notably thorough and lengthy.

    How do priests get paid in USA? ›

    Catholic Priest Salaries

    The average salary for Catholic Priest is US$144,816 per year in the United States. The average additional cash compensation for a Catholic Priest in the United States is US$20,477, with a range from US$15,358 - US$28,667.

    What does the Pope get paid? ›

    Popes usually get paid hendsomely, the current wage he gets is $32,000 on a monthly basis but he refused to get any of that money. Instead, Pope Francis decided to either donate this money to the church, use it to endow a foundation, placed in trust or pass it on to a family member.

    Do Catholic priests get vacation? ›

    “The Lord took his apostles apart for some rest after they had worked very hard preaching and healing” (Mark 6:31-32). Diocesan priests work hard too, and the Lord takes them apart from time to time to rest. Most priests take one day off each week and have up to a month off each year for vacation.

    Do you get money for being a priest? ›

    The focus of a Catholic priest is generally servanthood to God and the Catholic Church. Since they devote their lives to this, they are provided a salary.

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