When it comes to deciding church staff salaries, money matters. Whether you’re in the middle of annual budgeting, preparing to hire a new employee, or reviewing current staff pay rates, there are church salary resources available to help you make those important payroll decisions.
Here are five church salary resources that show what other churches are paying their staff.
ChurchSalary: A Resource of Church Law & Tax
ChurchSalary offers the largest church-specific compensation database available online. This comprehensive tool allows you to compare specific positions with other comparable ministry and non-ministry jobs. Additionally, you can see the cost of living impact in your area, and review the primary influences that determine pay rates.
You can purchase single reports or pay $99 for an annual subscription with unlimited reports.
2018 Southern Baptist Convention Compensation Study
In 2018, state Baptist conventions, GuideStone Financial Resources, and LifeWay Christian Resources conducted a study on compensation trends. They focused on Southern Baptist churches across the nation. They collected data from ministers and church staff in 40 states, totaling 11,000 respondents. This salary study offers customized reporting so you can view data from churches of similar size and budget to your own.
Another great feature of this study is its price: Free!
Leadership Network Large Church Compensation Report
The Leadership Network’s report focuses on large church ministries. Conducted by Warren Bird, Ph.D., this study offers insight into the biggest questions large church leaders have on compensation for their staff. Find out the most recent annual pay raises for specific positions, what percent of church budget goes to staffing costs, and how church growth impacts pay rates.
For the comprehensive Large Church Compensation Tables, a more tailored look at compensation for your specific church, costs are $199 per table.
MinistryPay
Owned and operated by The Church Network, MinistryPay is a custom reporting tool used to gather data for compensation plans. To use this feature, you must first subscribe to TCN. As a subscriber, you’ll have access to pay data from over 100 job titles in a wide range of churches. You’ll also be able to view customizable reports.
Costs include unlimited reports for 12 months and range from $140 for members of The Church Network to $180 for non-members. Participants in the compensation study will receive an $85 discount.
XPastor’s Compensation Survey
XPastor’s compensation survey compiles church salary data from hundreds of churches across the country. Though data is posted anonymously, churches are grouped based on location — Midwest, Northeast, South, and West. You can compare data to similar-sized churches in your regional area.
For one-year access to this compensation survey, XPastor charges $49.
Don’t go into your budget planning without a clear idea of how to compensate your church employees. After all, they are the ones you rely on to grow your church’s mission. Fair pay breeds loyalty and encourages retention no matter the workplace.
