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Social Services

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$60,810

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$38k – $99k

Job outlook

+1% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $87,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Clergy

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Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$64,200–$231,000

Time to qualify

7 yr

Renewal

$75/yr

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  3. 3

    State license — supervised hours + exam

    License

    Most counseling and social-work roles (LCSW/LPC pattern) require supervised experience hours and a state exam.

    $200–$1,000 · 12 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Clergy" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Clergy

    Entry / Junior

    $37,860

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Clergy

    Established

    $60,810

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Clergy

    Senior

    $79,850

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Social Services

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.